One year ago I knew that we would be moving away from Tennessee, but this wasn't something I could tell anyone else just yet. At the start of each new year, photographers across the globe scramble to enthusiastically commit to new group creative projects. I was one of those, too, but for slightly different motives. Last January I chose to attempt a Project 365 - taking a 'real camera' photo every single day no matter what. Always intimidated by the pressure of 'having' to create art rather than just waiting for it to be revealed, I'd never had the courage. To be frank, I thought I'd fail, so why bother? However, knowing that I had just six months left in what I considered our Utopia of a home, pushed me over the hesitation. I wanted to capture as much of that for our memories as I could.
A week later, someone shared a 2014 1SE video that would change my life. I watched the video a dozen times that day and fell in love with people I hadn't known existed the day before. I had already committed to commandeering a weekly Lifestyle photography group project, this personal 365 to document our life in Kingsport, and was quite leery of adding yet a third creative commitment onto my plate during this season of change. But I've been working on tamping down perfection's head when it tries to rear up. I decided to just try it. If i didn't like it, no big deal! If it was too much time, I'd just quit. The world wouldn't explode. Little did I know...
Little did I know that this would become my favorite creative thing I've ever done. Little did I know the personal satisfaction that would come from creating this piece day by day by day. Little did I know how much my family would enjoy being part of creating it and watching it over and over. We watched this on New Year's Eve at midnight - our year 2015 in review. It's so very hard to believe that a year goes before your very eyes in these six minutes, but goodness, it does!
I love this app. I love it so much. I wish all of you would embark on your own 1SE journey. There's no way I'm stopping mine. I hope you'll share this and inspire others to begin this project.
(A huge, huge thank you to Eric Peters ( Eric Peters) and Chris Slaten ( Son of Laughter) for granting me permission to use their music with my video. The addition of music with the visual imagery of movement in these clips makes magic to me and I am very grateful they would allow me to include their art with my own.)