Personal Photo Challenge

I like to think I’m more creative than I actually am. I really aspire to be creative so I will often challenge myself to do creative things. I search Pinterest for ideas and try to replicate them. Sometimes I do a good job. Sometimes I get frustrated because it doesn’t look like I imagined.

Either way there is something therapeutic about being creative.

I remember listening to a podcast awhile ago about creating and consuming. She talked about how much we consume compared to how much we create. I don’t remember the details, but ever since then I try to be aware of my ratios.

Toward the end of last year I was spending some time consuming (scrolling Pinterest) and came across a photo challenge. I thought it could be something fun the kids and I could do together. (I should have know better. Often the fun ideas I have that I think the kids will enjoy backfire. I ended up doing the challenge on my own. No one was interested.)

I’ve also have a mild interest in photography and thought I could learn a few things in the process. All I have is my iPhone, but it has a nice camera.

Like what often happens when I get creative, some of the pictures were good and some weren’t what I imagined. For some I looked up ideas and tried to copy them. For others, I used my own imagination. Some of my kids were my models, and some didn’t want any part in my creativity. Faythe is the one who helped me the most.

I tried to keep up with the challenge and take a photo every day, but there were times I got behind and had to take several in one day. Or other times when I had no idea what kind of picture to take, so I skipped the day in hopes that inspiration would come later.

Here’s the challenge. I created it myself based on a few challenges I found on Pinterest. And below that are the photos I took. 1 for every day in January, plus one extra to make the collages even. Enjoy!

All the collages follow a 1-2-3-4 pattern. 1 on the top left continuing clockwise to 4 on the bottom left. Below each picture is a description and a little commentary.

1-resolution–my goals for the year in the areas of spiritual, social, physical and intellectual
2-you–just a fun selfie
3-cozy
4-sweet–Faythe helped make this one look pretty

5-boots–one that didn’t turn out like I imagined
6-branches
7-love–I liked this one
8-quiet–Faythe is a cute model

9-shadow–we were hoping to make a heart, but I still like the way this turned out
10-nature–I’m so excited that my garden is producing
11-happiness–happiness is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
12-change–a different kind of change

13-reflection
14-blue–a collection of blue books
15-sky–wanted something different, but all the pictures of the sky had houses or light posts
16-surprise–Braedi had been waiting and waiting for a certain letter and it finally came

17-blurry
18-eye–that is Dyllan’s eye. I probably should have done it in color because she has beautiful eyes. . .
19-weird angle–I tried to do a few different pictures at different angles but didn’t like any of them. I settled on this one
20-breakfast–food pictures are my new favorite

21-morning–this is what part of my morning looks like
22-keys
23-music–I was trying to copy a picture that looked really cool. This didn’t quite turn out like that one, probably because it’s not the same kind of piano. . .
24-black & white

25-upside down–I really wanted her to hang upside down on a monkey bar, but she’s been sick and it’s been too cold so we settled on this
26-expression–I really wanted one of my kids to make this picture but no one was willing. The idea came from Jim Carey. He makes great expressions
27-drink–infused water is our new favorite drink
28-your view–this is what I look at almost every morning. Love homeschool

28-close up–can you guess what it is?
30-texture–this is the rug at my front door.
31-3 of a kind–3 branches. What else could I have done for this one?
other-keeping fit

Do you have a favorite way to create? Share in the comments.