I would find it uncomfortable to live in a world where I had no person to thank – Rosamunde Pilcher, Winter Solstice
I am relishing my decision to approach Project 365, where I take a photo each day for a year, with gratitude in mind. Sometimes we choose to do things that really matter and for me, this is one of those times.
I know I said I was going to start on January 4 but I got thinking about it the week before and became too eager to wait. I had things I wanted to document from that week and I refused to let the calendar dictate when I could start recording. So I pulled out my camera, found a little notepad for the journaling notes I wanted to make each day, set up an album in iPhoto and started Project 365.
It’s true that I had to backtrack just a couple of days to create a full first week but there were things I wanted to document so it didn’t bother me. Now I am on track, taking a photo each day and loving the opportunity to truly “notice” what I am grateful for each day.
Elizabeth Dillow (a fabulous influence in the scrapbooking industry and teacher of the totally unique workshop at Big Picture Scrapbooking called “Red Letter Days” – click here to register) commented here about her experience with Project 365:
I just finished Project 365 (+1). It was completely, utterly worthwhile even though there were days I didn’t feel like taking a picture. Funny thing is, looking back I can only identify a couple of those days after the fact. My only piece of advice: give yourself permission to take a few passes (I made my magic number of passes = 3) in case you absolutely just can’t get a picture taken.
Great advice, Elizabeth – it brings me to a point I want to make about my personal philosophy of Project 365. I believe more in the spirit of the law than the letter of the law when it comes to what goes into my album. I am focused on recording the “essence” of our life during the course of a year. That means if I want to document two things that happen on the same day – I probably will. If the date doesn’t really matter, I might even say that one happened one day and the other on the next day. I’m OK with that. It is more important to me to capture the most meaningful parts of who we are than to worry about the actual day they happened on.
That is why I didn’t get hung up on having to go back 3 days once I decided to start last week. It’s OK if you don’t feel the same way that I do about Project 365. It’s OK if you want to make sure that every day uses a photo from that actual day. Whatever way you decide to approach this project is the best way for you. Embrace it and love it but if you are feeling pressure about taking a photo a day – just know that you have a friend in your corner telling you that you can use one from tomorrow or as Elizabeth suggests – give yourself permission to just skip that day.
I posted a couple of my Project 365 of Gratitude photos in my last entry. Here are a few more of my photos from the last week and a half. No, I don’t have Becky’s kit yet (although I think once the dust settled that I actually ended up with one) but I decided that you don’t have to have the kit to do the project. I have a file started for printed photos and journaling notes and now I am on my way.
December 29 - I am grateful for the joy that keeping the lights on during the day brings me
December 30 - I'm grateful I have plenty of work - including a new cartridge for the Cricut
December 31 - We love going to movies so we snuck one in before we won't have that luxury any more
January 1 - I am grateful for the excitement around our new BPS workshop "A Life Well Crafted" that started today
January 2 - My dear friend Jeana is making a quilt for Cole. She's been with me through thick & thin.
January 4 - I am grateful for the encouragement given to me by our church leader to be a "woman of stature and faith"
I am grateful for this opportunity to pay closer attention to the things that are meaningful in our lives. I am grateful for these pieces and parts that will eventually make up a compilation of who we are, what we care about and how we are growing and becoming our best selves.
Kolette, I totally agree with trying to capture the “essence” of the day instead of being so literal it the whole project. I sometimes find myself thinking that if I don’t have the exact same supplies as what is pictured or talked about I cannot make the project, but after a little self-talk I can make myself see that I have what it takes to do the project with what I have instead what is being sold. Sure I would love to have one of the KOTM kits, but I have the supplies to do it on my own and make it unique to me.
I am loving LWC btw, I am planning on making attribute albums for my entire family. Thanks again for your inspiration in craft and in life.
Initially when I read about the concept of 365 I thought “what a good idea, but not for me. I don’t have time to do that.” When I told my husband about it, he suggested that I just focus on a week at a time. All 7 pictures might be from one day. I’m cool with that. To the point that I’m not even going to label which days are which, unless it is a birthday or something important I want to document. Bottom line, week by week, that is what my 365 will be like. And for me, that makes it not overwhelming at all. And best of all – he is cooperating with the pictures! What a great man!
First, I’m going to try to do a little different spin on this project. I want to do 10 photos on the 10th day of every month with 10 things we did on that day. I am hoping to convince my 10 year old to help me out. He has recently become quite a shutterbug so I thought he might like to help me.
Second, I am SO EXCITED that you are doing a cricut cartridge!!!!!!!!! I love my cricut and your work is so cute. I WANT IT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Last, I am loving A Life Well Crafted. I’ve loved all of the workshops I’ve done with you.
Hi Kolette! I just finished doing this project, and I loved it. I called it the “picture a day”. There were lots of days when I really had to think about the pictures I took, some days when it was REALLY HARD to decide which picture to use, and some days when I forgot my camera, so had to improvise to get the picture I wanted. Then, I journaled (some days I wrote novels, others just a caption), and put it into an indesign file. I’m actually missing it a little right now, but I forced myself to NOT take any pictures the past couple of days so this wouldn’t become a lifetime obsession. 🙂 This is the perfect year for you to do this — you get lots of preparation time, your thought on little Cole, as well as watching all of his ‘firsts’. I hope you love it as much as I did last year. I love the blogs, I feel like I’m keeping up with you and Jason. Have a great week!
Nicole
Kolette – Because of you I investigated the Project 365 and was instantly addicted to the idea…Since I didn’t know about it before the mix-ups with the kits I didn’t have an order placed. But I’ve started the project anyway and it really is fun…it’s one of my goals for the year to try and keep up. Hopefully, the kits will eventually become available but if not I’m sure I can figure something out. Have a GREAT day!
Grandma Shelley
Thanks Kolette for sharing your Project 365 pics! I have been going back and forth about whether to commit to this project, and you have approached it in a way that seems very “do-able” to me. Unfortunately, I was not one of the lucky ones to get a kit on January 1st – so I will be making a trip to my favorite scrapbook store to find some supplies to make my own! I am feeling very inspired! I am new to your blog, and I love it!
Beautiful Kolette. I too am on this journey and it’s already an amazing one.
P.S. Can the “Women of Stature and Faith” be the download for download day?! I would LOVE to have that! Oh-and how do you even begin to get to design cricut cartridges?!
I don’t know about project 365–so far I just want to concentrate on THE GOOD BOOK. I put it on my desk to start this year. I had made the book in your class in Creative Escape. I just re read the commitment–then I turned to the first page—I was blown away—-It says “goodness is the only investment that never fails.” thoreau……………….What foreshadowing. The economic news was so different in September. I couldn’t agree with that quote more……especially after what happpened to my childrens’ college savings account this year. I am enjoying watching your pregnancy….I hope you are getting the rest you need. Keep up the GOOD work!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Kolette!! So excited for you, and for the new cricut cart!! Looking forward to the release! And p.s. You look so beautiful and cute!! 🙂
Hugs,
Jenny
I’m doing a Project365 too, and am enjoying it very much. Some days I struggle with coming up with a photo, and some days, I come up with several and have a hard time picking which one to use!
Congrats on the Cricut cartridge! Good for you. Glad to hear that so many good things are happening for you right now.
Am enjoying A Life Well Crafted, as I’ve mentioned on the message boards there. Thanks again for all your hard work!
oh oh oh! Tell us more about the Cricut cartridge! Is it coming out soon!? Love my Cricut…will love it even more with a Kolette cartridge! 🙂
The Cricut cartridge is being shown at the February trade show but I’m not sure when it will ship and be available for purchase. When I hear then I’ll let you all know!