365 Days Challenge

[mugsbigsis]

As I was going through the gallery today I realized that the 365 days layouts have started jumping out at me. There are so many people doing this challenge but I've seen comments about fear, time, ect stopping others from trying. Then I see layouts that are just off the page fantastic and catch myself thinking, "that is so much better than mine".
Reminding to self: This is NOT a contest! This is a CHALLENGE! A challenge is something to have fun with. This one is a long one and in the end we will each have an amazing collection of photos/journaling to be proud of no matter what format it is in. I would so love to do a "journal" of my kids like a lot of the others here are doing. Wouldn't that be fantastic to have an every day journal of an entire year of their lives?! However, an entire book of a little white dog and his mohawk clad buddy just wouldn't cut it for me. This book can be a journal of your family, a journal of your thoughts, a journal of photos, etc. If you've never done a big project like this and are afraid of the "pic a day" thing then make it a "pic a week" maybe. So many options.
The December Days challenge was my first big challenge and I'm telling you I saw the usually stressful month of December in a whole new way by participating in that challenge. I had the best December I've had in years because of it. Who knew just taking pictures to document the month could make such a difference.
Ok, I could go on and on (as some of you know). But, I really just wanted to encourage you to maybe take up this challenge in your own way. Remember it's not a contest! It's a challenge.

You said it SO well, Kelly! I love that we have a 365 gallery so we can share ideas and learn from each other and learn more about each other. This challenge is changing my life!

[justmp]

I started out feeling the same way...wanting to do it, but scared that I wouldn't accomplish it, but then I realized...so what if I miss a day or two here and there?! It's been fun to remind myself to take random pictures each day!

[jazzmatazz]

Brava, Kelly! Well said!

[katrinak]

So well said! And Jodi, you are so right about what the heck if you miss a day! There are two missing days in my December book...and well, lightening has struck yet

[Amy L]

A friend of mine is doing a "blessing a week" photo. You are right, so many options to choose from. I am so glad that we have so many talented scrappers here and our fun gallery to be inspired by!

[earlofoxford]

Wonderful comments, ladies! I think we're all in the honeymoon stage right now with Project 365, and it's good to know that we have a community here that will lend encouragement when the honeymoon is over and real life sets in. I'm loving looking at everyone's 365 pages so far and have started making a list of great ideas that I can incorporate into my own layouts. I just love the inspiration here at DD.

[katrinak]

Originally Posted by earlofoxford

Wonderful comments, ladies! I think we're all in the honeymoon stage right now with Project 365, and it's good to know that we have a community here that will lend encouragement when the honeymoon is over and real life sets in. I'm loving looking at everyone's 365 pages so far and have started making a list of great ideas that I can incorporate into my own layouts. I just love the inspiration here at DD.

After December Daily I'm feeling a bit like the newly married couple who just discovered the first bad habits, hesitant but thinking it will work out!

[Starlite9711]

Haha Katrina! I keep seeing all the fabulous layouts thinking, I should be doing a layout a week as well as the photo a day. I may still decide to do a project 365 book, but for now my biggest challenge is photo, edit, post. If I added layout I think I might quit due to lack of time. So for now I am enjoying all the ideas and inspiration in that gallery. As well as the reminder that we are all in this together!! I think it will help us get to know eachother so well and be lots of fun! Like Joey said, It has already changed my life, as funny as that sounds, it's the truth!!

[Elena]

Now that I have my template in place, I'm going to try not to "overthink" it and just take the pictures that capture the week (knowing I don't HAVE to take a photo EVERY day, but try), add a bit of journaling, and have fun with embellishments... and know that at the end of the year it will be an amazing record. I look forward to sharing the journey with you all!

[Jen D]

I was worried too... but then thought... I will we sooooo happy when it is all together. And, yep... who cares if you miss a day or two! I am having fun and trying to stick to my simple template!

[donitab]

This project DOES make me look at my life differently - I'm struggling between wanting this to be a book about something we do each day or a book about crazy things that capture my attention. I think it will end up being a combo & that's ok - hopefully someday my kids will read the book & be happy I did it - thanks for sharing the journey!

[iUma]

I feel delight at this play and no fear because at 58 (ok, in a month!) I can do what I want with a challenge. Rules I quit in high school ...you know the 40 year old daughter who has my fabulous grandkids....

This is about joy and savoring the delights of life. We can support each other, learn from each other and enjoy each others lives. We are not competing for the best -- even from ourselves. This is play and gift giving to whomever may come after us.

Kelly, I'm so glad to clear this early. So glad we can all play together.
and let's thank the IT man again for giving us this gallery to play in...yah!

[cedarhil]

WEll said Kelly. Sometimes I don't feel like I fit in because I don't do challenges and contests. I need to rethink this.

[dugarner]

I really, really wanted to focus on taking a picture every day---even if it wasn't artistic, or even good, and I don't care if 300 of them are of my kids. They are the center of my life right now! There will be some good ones occasionally, but even professional photographers would be hard-pressed to get a "great" photo every day. Especially when real life gets in the way!

I was traveling on Jan 1st and my son became very ill. My daughter followed suit on the 2nd and they were sick until yesterday. I didn't get pictures those two days because I was taking care of my kids literally every waking moment. So my first two spots will be blank, but the story is that I spent two days being filled with gratitude that while they were sick for a few days, I am blessed with healthy and happy children. So while it doesn't follow the "rules" of the official picture-a-day Project 365, it will be my project, which is to chronicle my life for a year, showing other people how I see my life. That is an important story to me, so in my book it will go.

I am still excited to keep trying. I have pictures from every other day. I was just so discouraged to miss the first two days right off the bat.

Sarah

Originally Posted by dugarner

I really, really wanted to focus on taking a picture every day---even if it wasn't artistic, or even good, and I don't care if 300 of them are of my kids. They are the center of my life right now! There will be some good ones occasionally, but even professional photographers would be hard-pressed to get a "great" photo every day. Especially when real life gets in the way!

I was traveling on Jan 1st and my son became very ill. My daughter followed suit on the 2nd and they were sick until yesterday. I didn't get pictures those two days because I was taking care of my kids literally every waking moment. So my first two spots will be blank, but the story is that I spent two days being filled with gratitude that while they were sick for a few days, I am blessed with healthy and happy children. So while it doesn't follow the "rules" of the official picture-a-day Project 365, it will be my project, which is to chronicle my life for a year, showing other people how I see my life. That is an important story to me, so in my book it will go.

I am still excited to keep trying. I have pictures from every other day. I was just so discouraged to miss the first two days right off the bat.

Sarah

I am super glad that you are not giving up, Sarah! I look forward to seeing your pages!

[deanie]

I fall into the same category as Kelly-no kids at this house, just DH, the cats, Turk and me. My goal is to pick a certain kind of photo or technique to learn. Sometimes, there will be GC and near the end of the year my DD is getting married. I love that we can share all these things with each other.

[Chris]

Whatever you all do is surely going to be wonderful to look back on. I wouldn't make it be about work or worry, just have fun and learn how to take photos on the way! My problem is trying to keep with one style -- I decided I wont!
The layouts I'm seeing are so neat - just wish I had time to comment on every one!

[mugsbigsis]

Originally Posted by Chris

My problem is trying to keep with one style -- I decided I wont!
The layouts I'm seeing are so neat - just wish I had time to comment on every one!

I sooooooo loved looking at Katrina's December album because it was neat and tidy. . . the kraft paper, the typewriter font, the red script titles, etc. I started out to make my Dec book something that was uniform like this, too. It's not me. The only thing I ended up "matching" was two page spreads. (I just made sure the colors didn't clash). I am a person who likes variety. I don't re-read books, I don't usually re-watch movies. I move on and want to do something different.

Chris, one suggestion for you if you are worried about keeping with one style is to maybe change it for each month. I'm hoping that changing the page color each month will give me the continuity that I'm looking for yet keep me from getting bored with it. Then again, it is digital. . . we can change it any time we want.

[MIDA78466]

Very well said Kelly. I was worried about getting the photo a day at the beginning but not now. In fact, I left my house at 6:30AM for a business trip, packed my point and shoot in my purse. Talk like feeling like a dodo, I'm taking a physician around this afternoon (he's down here interviewing for a job with our group)--and thought "oh no! I haven't taken a picture yet!" I whip out the camera during the tour and just start snapping away. Hope one of them turn out---I was in a moving car in the backseat! I think I'm obsessed!!

BTW--he didn't even say a word.

[hguenthe]

Loving that so many people are jumping into this challenge. I would love to but I am just trying to get back into scrapping after a few months break so think I am only going to manage to muster up monthly pages of our couple's resolution.. there is always next year for 365 right? This year will just have to begin with exploring Georgia and documenting our monthly adventure together for me but I look forward to seeing everyone's 365s this year to give ideas for next year.

[carollee]

I am so loving looking at the 365 pages. Peeking into all your lives. I reckon even if you don't do a 365, maybe a 52, just one page per week of something particular that happened. That's still a great way to document the year.

[angie wags]

My strategy is to keep the pages very simple. I am going to coordinate all the pages for each month, so I don't have to do a lot of thinking when it comes to backgrounds. I'm using Katie's templates, so the scrapping is moving very quickly for me. I'm really excited about this. I'm trying to take pictures I wouldn't normally take...document stuff that would be easily forgotten.

[gescybelle]

I feel awkward asking, but - is Project 365 outlined somewhere on the site? I've been searching around for hours. I get the gist of the project, but just wanted to know if there was a general set of guidelines or where everything got started. Thanks a bunch!

[jazzmatazz]

Jessica,

The only guideline is ... there is no guideline! ;-) How's that for helpful?

Seriously, the original idea is to take a photo a day to document your life or some aspect of it for the year. And as you can tell from the above posts, if you miss a day or two or twenty, it's your project!!! Don't fret. Everyone has a different take on it ... from doing LOs of the week or month or every day. Many are documenting "a day (or week) in the life", but I may just go with what inspires me for the week. (For example, the first week of the year may be my new passion for photography.) So, the sky's the limit, anything goes!

The main thing is: HAVE FUN!!

[Teri A]

I really wanted to make this easy on myself, as I tend to "over think" things. So, I am using Katie's templates and kraft paper. I have started the LO for this week and each day, I slap the photo for the day in it's spot and do a bullet journal about it. My thinking is by Sunday, it will be all done. We will see if I can keep it going.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by gescybelle

I feel awkward asking, but - is Project 365 outlined somewhere on the site? I've been searching around for hours. I get the gist of the project, but just wanted to know if there was a general set of guidelines or where everything got started. Thanks a bunch!

It's really like Tracy said - no rules. But a couple of interesting sites about project 365 and photographs might get your interest going:

project-365

and Taylor McKnight's after thoughts on doing this for a year:
Taylor's project 365

[gescybelle]

Thanks for clarifying things for me ladies. Sounds like a challenge I'll be adding to my days!

[iUma]

Hey Chris!! Thanks for these sites...good to know the ideas now that I am already off and running!! Just photographed the parsnip peelings...been meaning to roast them. Just FUN!

[emfullante]

Great conversation...thank you so much Kelly for everything you said. As I looked at everyone else's pages in the 365, it was easy to start coming down on my own and I already started making myself crazy about how I can "change it up". Being inspired is one thing, but I thank you so much for the reminder of not turning it into a contest...it was exactly what I needed to read!