Friends, I don’t often make resolutions – probably because I know I will just break them. But this year, I have already committed to (without really planning on it being a “resolution”) learning new things. I took a step back from a job that I had been doing for the past 5 years so that I could focus on my Etsy shop and work on creating more of the things I love in 2014. I’m looking to grow my business, and to do that, I have pledged for 2014 to be a year of growth, and more importantly, a year of learning.
And I want you to join me in this quest to learn more and become something bigger and better than we were in 2013!
One other thing I plan on delving deeper into this year is art of photography. I have slowly picked up knowledge here and there, and this year I plan to dig deeper in both my skill and my frequency in taking photos. Capturing life in these early years of my children’s lives is so important; especially because we are SO busy and the time is literally flying by.
I know so many moms and women who are in the same boat. So many of them who own DSLR cameras, but don’t really know how to use more than 1/4 of its settings. And so many are so busy with daily life (and rightly so) that picking up the camera means it’s either a holiday or one of the babies just powdered their entire room and it’s particularly noteworthy. But there are so many more moments that we are missing out on capturing day to day because of the speed of life!
So I am launching a challenge for all of us for 2014 – starting with a solid 30-day commitment to learn and the rest of the year to practice.
I’m calling it “Capture the Little Moments.”
Here’s how it’s going down:
1. A PHOTOGRAPHY GIVEAWAY
On January 20th, I’ll be kicking it off by giving away a huge prize package from Mom and Pop Photo School: their biggest online photography course for beginners called their “101 Set” (a $99 value). What makes Mom and Pop so great? You download their lessons as a .pdf and learn on your own time. Have questions? No problem. Their online community is the perfect to get them answered. Mom and Pop makes it so simple to learn how to use your DSLR; even if you’ve never ventured being the automatic setting. Be sure and check back on the 20th to enter to win and to get more info on this awesome giveaway (what a great way to start out the challenge – right?).
2. THE CHALLENGE BEGINS
Beginning February 1, I will challenge you all to 30 days of taking at least one photo a day. I’ll give you prompts if you like that sort of thing, but you can also just take a photo of whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it. Set an alarm each day if you want, and take a photo of whatever is in front of you when it goes off. You might think you’re taking photos of mundane things, but when you look back in weeks, months or years, that photo will strike a memory in your brain.
That pot of spaghetti sauce on the stove may remind you of a recipe long forgotten; the laundry on the floor might remind you of the days when you were too busy being a mom to young ones to bother washing your unmentionables. There is so much beauty and so many memories to be found in each of those silly little moments.
3. LEARN FROM THE PROS (MY PROFESSIONAL COLLABORATORS, THAT IS)
During the 30-day challenge, I’ll be doing lots of my own posting with tips, suggestions and even sharing my photos from the challenge. But I’ll also have some guest posts from the AMAZING Candace Moss, owner and creator of Mom and Pop Photo School, Will Parris at Parris Studios and Jared Wilson from Jared Wilson Photography. They will blow you away with their creative eye and knowledge. My hope is that with their help, you will learn the connection between art and photography, you’ll increase your skill at taking photos and you’ll incidentally find some beauty in the mundane.
4. EASY DOCUMENTING IN 2014
But what am I going to do with all those photos? you might ask. Well, I’ve just launched a new product in my shop that is a hybrid between a scrapbook and journal. With journaling prompts and spots to paste photos directlly on the pages, it will help you make capturing the little moments in 2014 easier than ever (trust me, I’m all about ease and simplicity these days – especially with two kids, one on the way, my own business and a support system that’s 3 states away). You can find out more about {here}
I hope you will join me over the next month and a half as I seek to learn something new and document life in a new way. Don’t feel stressed or overwhelmed about participating, just commit to 30 days, do your best, and enjoy the process! I’ll certainly be around to hold you accountable and help you remember to snap those photos. I may even challenge you to do some journaling (easy stuff like “Write down your favorite moment from today” – you can handle that, right?). Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for daily reminders to pick up your camera and don’t forget to post with #capturethelittlemoments so we can follow one another’s progress!
So, now that I’ve given you the details… what say you? Are you brave enough to join me in learning and growing in a new way this year?