1 - Seeking inspiration and comfort

I’m committing to capture and publish a self-portrait with a short accompanying post here on my blog each week. Some weeks I might aim for an abstract creative masterpiece - adorned with filters, photoshop magic and flying unicorns. Sometimes it might just be a photo of my feet snapped on my iphone. Most weeks will fall somewhere in between (just like this first specimen). The only real rule is some part of me has to be in the frame.
I’d like to get a collection of images that spans 52 weeks before I consider this personal challenge complete. It’d be nice if these are all consecutive weeks but I’m prepared to cut myself some slack if I end up with a few gaps. To make accounting simpler and consistent weeks will run Mon-Sun.
Why?
- Making things and being creative is something I enjoy. I don’t profess to be a master of photography but I completed a similar project about 10 years ago and it really helped me improve. My skills have started to become rusty and I’d like to refresh them. I also quite enjoy the process of trying to come up with fresh ideas of how to capture what is actually a pretty dull subject (me!)
- The last half of 2022 was pretty brutal for me personally and it’s taken its toll on my mental health. I hope holding myself to account for documenting the year that’s starting to unfold will help me regularly reflect and make sure I’m keeping my mental health in check, actively seeking out time for happiness and sticking to some of the self-care rituals I’ve put in place.
- Why not?
I’m always open to feedback and comments so please share your thoughts below.
What to read next
- Weeknote - Size mattersWork
A bit of a catch-up on how those self-care rituals and photography experiments are paying off, mixed with some thoughts on scaling teams, baking sourdough, and the absolute horror of modern dating apps 🥖.
- Holiday timeRest
I’m trying to navigate the strange reality of a solo staycation in Dorset, attempting to balance tedious life admin with a self-prescribed checklist of ice cream, chilly sea swims, and deliberate un-productivity 🍦.
- 2 - Running aroundPlay
Keeping the momentum going with a precariously balanced iPhone, a rather grumpy post-run face, and some honest reflections on how returning to the trails is doing wonders for my head 🏃♂️.