DIG Deep

I have been procrastinating!!  About a month ago I watched this lovely little film clip 365 Grateful and thought I would love to do that.  Taking an image a day of something I was grateful for sounds  like a good idea. It fits with my 2012 intentions and I want to use my camera more, what a great way to do this! I even started talking about it but I have not started.

I thought before I start I will get it all sorted.  My perfectionist self decided that I needed to have answers to a number of questions first. Where did I want to put my images? What camera would I use?  I don't have a Polaroid, does this matter? Who did I want to share my experience with? Once I had all this and more sorted I would start - but I didn't.

The past two long weekends we have been to Mangawhai staying in the old bach near the sea.  The bach has been a part of Graeme's family for many years and he has fond memories of family holidays here as a child. We also share memories of visits here with our daughters. The bach is small and very basic but this seems to encourage simplicity and the opportunity to slow down, to stop and look around, time to reflect and time for us to connect.  I am very grateful for this opportunity.



The Bach

 Taking time to stop has allowed me to see that behind my procrastination was the fear of failure. Fear that I would not last the distance, fear that my images would not be good enough and perhaps even fear of what I might uncover within myself if I followed this process.

I have also been reading Patti Digh's "Creative is a Verb" and Brene Brown's "The Gift of Imperfection".  My questions (excuses) above, all fall into Patti's definition of "creativity killers".  Brene talks about a new way to DIG Deep. Rather than pushing through something the DIG stands for:

Getting Deliberate in thoughts and behaviours
Getting Inspired to make new and different choices
Getting Going - taking action

So I have decided to DIG Deep. Not in my old way pf pushing through or forcing myself to just do it! But in a more gentle and encouraging way I am just going to start and know that whatever I do will be enough. I am not going to commit to take an image everyday for a year. I am not going to commit to take an image every day for a month or even a week. I am not going to commit to putting my images in a tidy album or online everyday.  I am not going to ensure I have a little band of dedicated followers before I start.

But I am going to DIG Deep and start taking images! I am going to Deliberately take images of things I am grateful for.  I do feel Inspired at the thought of using my camera more and sharing my images with those that chose to follow my progress. So I am Going to take action and just start.  It may be one image a day or three a week or month.....  It doesn't really matter, whatever it is it will be enough.