365 Project

A peak inside my mind… one random subject (and my thoughts) for every day of the year.

I was introduced to Photography 365 Projects, and I immediately liked the concept. There aren’t any steadfast rules, just a timeline and a platform. I decided to use a random online list of “things to photograph” as my project guide and a sprinkle of my thoughts along with it.

…update, I made it exactly 5 months…

(Nov 15) "Locks" ... It’s curly, big, wild and free, strong and vibrant, just like me. But it's stifled and straightened, clipped and pulled back. I hoping to realize it's abundance, not lack.

(Nov 16) "Mushrooms" ... I can’t decide if I like 'em.

(Nov 17) "Church" ... For how non-traditionally-religious I am, I do love churches. There is something comfortable and familiar about them.

(Nov 18) "Noodles" ... Noodles, in particular, come in all shapes and sizes. Which noodle are you?

(Nov 19) "Balloons" ... I had really grand plans for this assignment; young child buying a red balloon from a mustachioed street vendor with many colorful balloons surrounding the two. Alas, I had to simplify.

(Nov 20) "Knife" ... When the word knife originated, it was pronounced “kaniffa,” so they kept the silent K and silent E. Respect!

(Nov 21) "Arches" ... This is a photo taken from inside a moving vehicle, going through an arched tunnel.

(Nov 22) "Food" ... Expires today, I better get to it.

(Nov 23) "Tattoo" ... Tribal, circa 2000.

(Nov 24) "In A Row" ... I've always really liked straight lines, and order. Savannah is behind Clementine #2.

(Nov 25) "Busy" ... Perhaps next month, I can keep the little squares blank; take a breath and just be un-busy.

(Nov 26) "Vegetables" ... I love veggies. I crave veggies. I feel lucky that our relationship is such a reciprocal one.

(Nov 27) "Thankful" ... when they get along...

(Nov 28) "Family" ... I absolutely LOVE imperfect family portraits.

(Nov 29) "Giving" ... of love, the most precious of commodities.

(Nov 30) "Work In Progress" ... Parenting.

(Dec 1) "Silent Night" ... Sometimes I like the quiet stillness of suburban midnight. Other times, I yearn for the comforting hum of city life.

(Dec 2) "Shoes"... I am quite sure a woman did not event high heels.

(Dec 3) "Bracelet"... Little hand, big colors.

(Dec 5) "Candles" ... they make me feel calm.

(Dec 6) "Wreath" ... I don't want to admit it, but I do love Christmas decorations and lights and festivities.

(Dec 7) "Silver Bells" ... Not exactly bells, but silver balls will do. "Silver Bells" was written for the movie, The Lemon Drop Kid, starring Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell, in 1951.

(Dec 8) "Red" ... I wanted the red to pop, so I put it in front of some beautiful, antique soda water dispensers from my grandfather's 1950's pharmacy.

(Dec 9) "Peace" ... I love this one-footed statue. It's about 7 inches tall, made of clay. I took it from my grandparents' house when they moved and later found out that it had been created by my mom when she was in high school.

(Dec 10) "Cookies" ... Herein lies one of the biggest differences between me and my husband: he likes oatmeal raisin and I'm a chocolate chip girl.

(Dec 11) "Gift Wrap" ... Sometimes I spend more on the wrap, then the gift.

(Dec 12) "Twelve Things" ... I don't actually like the original peppermint canes. I like the ones with flare.

(Dec 13) "Sweater" ... I do not own a Christmas sweater, but my child does.

(Dec 14) "Mood" ... Well, this was a mood. Parenting is really hard. It's exhausting, emotional, confusing, and scary. Giving ourselves grace with this chapter.

(Dec 15) "Transparent" ... Self Portrait. Plastic Wrap.

(Dec 16) "Ornament" ... Like he's looking into your soul during a bamboo lunch.

(Dec 17) "Lights" ... Wanted to go abstract with this broad category.

(Dec 18) "Tree" ... I know they probably meant Christmas Tree, but I went on a hike for this project, and I like this for my tree post.

(Dec 19) "Winter" ... Winter is a tough season. I prefer warmth, sunshine, longer days and shorter clothes. But winter has grit. Impactful, refreshing, challenging, beautiful, grit. Without the winter, we know no spring.

(Dec 20) "Decorations" ... I love when all aesthetic rules go out the door.

(Dec 21) "Presents" ... I want to be fully present for presents this year.

(Dec 22) "Santa" ... My 4 year old asked me if Santa could get texts in the North Pole.

(Dec 23) "Candy Cane" ... We like stripes of all colors.

(Dec 24) "Christmas: Reflect" ... This year, the girls have gotten closer. More fights, but more love too.

(Dec 25) "Christmas: Highlight" ... was definitely all of the holiday traditions that we started this year.

(Dec 26) "Christmas: Wishes" ... To stay connected.

(Dec 27) "Food" ... Boxing Day appetizers in a Bag.

(Dec 28) "Shiny" ... I can't see this word without singing the crab song from Moana. If you have a child under 8 in 2022, you'll know what I'm talking about.

(Dec 29) "Joy" ... I've spent a lot of time trying to be in "joy". It's a winding road with no GPS. I'm lucky enough to have found photography, a means through which I can express myself creatively. This has opened a path for me personally, and I find it very in-joyable.

(Dec 30) "Flame" ... Fires speak to my soul.

(Dec 31) "A Thought for Next Year" ... Keep Dancing.

(Jan 1, 2023) "Resolution" ... To think more positively. Positive Flow.

(Jan 2) "Excitement" ... It is not hard to find "excitement" when you have kids around.

(Jan 3) "Macro" ... From the archives: It's a photo full of sunshine. Beeeautiful.

(Jan 5) "Cheer" ... "A shout of applause or encouragement, lightness of mind and feeling, state of mind or heart, spirit."

(Jan 6) "Free" ... The birds have it right.

(Jan 7) "Cuddly Toy" ... I have had 'Tedicus' since 1989 (maybe?). That's what my kindergarten-self, thought Teddy's full name was.

(Jan 9) "Cat" ... From the archives "A Cat Cafe". Norwood PA houses cats that are up for adoption. This is Clare.

(Jan 10) "Made Me Smile" ... My mom. My mom made me smile today. She bought very fancy chocolates and waited until I got there to open them, and then she shared them with me.

(Jan 11) "Food" ... I have cut back on eating a lot of meat. Mostly red meat. I don't think I will ever fully become vegetarian, but I'd like to level off somewhere in between.

(Jan 12) "Shopping" ... for lunch at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia.

(Jan 13) "Close" ... Good thing I was with my soul sis on this word of the day.

(Jan 14) "Home" ... The tri-state area of our house.

(Jan 15) "Landscape" ... Philly from Camden.

(Jan 16) "Fire" ... Sometimes I put my hands over the stove like a camp fire, in the morning, when I make coffee :-)

(Jan 18) "Technology" ... A truly dysfunctional relationship.

(Jan 19) "Stars" ... A place holder until I can try astrophotography! Magic Gardens, Philly.

(Jan 21) "Homemade" ... a rainbow and a unicorn.

(Jan 22) "White" ... I just liked this photo.

(Jan 23) "Fish" ... From the archives at Chanticleer Garden.

(Jan 24) "Shallow DoF" ... face on chair in church.

(Jan 25) "J is for" ... Juxtaposing Elmo

(Jan 26) "Leading Lines" ... I do wish there was someone at the end of the alleyway, but I like the yellow wall with a mural.

(Jan 27) "Crisp" ... Crispy out, but the rose is steadfast.

(Jan 28) "Lunch" ... Georgian Bread at the Reading Terminal Market, Philly

(Jan 29) "Pickles" ... Sort of a placeholder: my two little pickles.

(Jan 30) "Letters" ... From the archives: Letters to Santa.

(Jan 31) "Feathers" ... Parrot at the Camden Aquarium.

(Feb 1) "Food" ... Food comes up a lot in this project. Spudzzz.

(Feb 2) "Books" ... a little free library at little crum creek.

(Feb 3) "Superbowl Sunday" ... You know you're in Philly when... there's a line out the door of the soft pretzel place, an hour before kickoff. GO BIRDS.

(Feb 4) "Macro" ... I wonder what it was?

(Feb 5) "Year of the Boar" ... Peppa is a pig, after all.

(Feb 6) "New" ... A new, really cool space: Fleisher Art Memorial in Philly. Apparently, this was a non-denominational church, brought over piece by piece, and the oldest, free art school in the country.

(Feb 7) "Grey" ... doesn't have to be gloomy.

(Feb 8) "Food" ... of the dragon variety.

(Feb 9) "Frosty" ... Since we haven't had snow yet, this is from the archives: Ridley Creek State Park. A little more than frost.

(Feb 10) "Surprise" ... Phang showed up at school!

(Feb 11) "Fresh" ... A fresh take on an, otherwise mundane, plant.

(Feb 12) "Adventure" ... Sometimes life is like a ball pit... you gotta jump with equal parts glee and faith.

(Feb 14) "Couples" ... The Engagement for Union

(Feb 15) "Bike" ... From the archives: Bikers in the Brush.

(Feb 16) "Hobby" ... What A Joy I Did Find, When I Simply Started Clicking. That This Beautiful World Can Be Mine, Ripe For The Picking.

(Feb 17) "Refresh" ... Like an early rose in late winter.

(Feb 19) "Diamond" ... as in the shape the fence makes amidst the flora.

(Feb 20) "Poetry" ... the way in which I process. How to get from A to B most beautifully.

(Feb 21) "Lucky" ... The shirt knew what kind of day it would be.

(Feb 22) "A beautiful sight" ... Long Beach Island from 2022 trip.

(Feb 23) "Movement" ... Therapeutic movement in the water.

(Feb 24) "3:00pm" ... This is where I was at 3pm on this day. It's the nearest waterfront park to me, and I wanted a little headspace.

(Feb 25) "Garden" ... A baby cuke, me thinks.

(Feb 26) "Spring" ... We're not quite there yet, but I know it's comin'.

(Feb 27) "Culture" ... A colorful one, the Mayan people.

(Feb 28) "Hand" ... Of a man who is experiencing homelessness.

(Mar 1) "Panning" ... This is NOT panning. It is the opposite, but it's a place holder because I have never done panning before!

(Mar 2) "Inside" ... the fence, our neighbor Poe.

(Mar 3) "Old" ... like a fine wine: 97 years young.

(Mar 6) "Friends"... Mark's College Roommates.

(Mar 7) "Clouds"... can make a photo interesting.

(Mar 8) "Feet" ... or rather, foot. This is my original creative vision.

(Mar 9) "M is for..." Marge, and her boys Moe and Bruiser.

(Mar 10) "Go" ... Going back to my pre-Nikon folder. Here is some sledding happening with a nostalgic filter.

(Mar 11) "Use your imagination" ... Check Mate.

(Mar 12) "My Town" ... The very first photo I took on my phone after I decided to try "photography." So named, "The Creek Cries."

(Mar 13) "Lips" ... prints on my window :-)

(Mar 14) "Frozen" ... still in my early days here, the red nose and cheeks make it so.

(Mar 15) "Text" ... Definition of text: "The wording of anything written."

(Mar 16) "Your Favorite Pie" ... Blueberry mmm

(Mar 18) "Fuzzy" ... I move my feet in little circles when they are in or on something fuzzy.

(Mar 21) "Green" ... The easiest color to find.

(Mar 22) "World Water Day" ... The Delaware River.

(Mar 23) "Healthy" ... Orange you glad to be healthy.

(Mar 25) "Macro" ... Sort of, I'm berry close anyway.

(Mar 26) "Inspiration" ... The choosing of the path.

(Mar 27) "Street" ... Literally. People on a street.

(Mar 28) "Pillow" ... Like none other than Mama's pillow.

(Mar 30) "Maps" ... on my fridge, of a small trip we took this past November.

(Apr 1) "Bokeh" ... little swords at the junk store

(Apr 2) "Table" ... Went to the art barn program and learned about Picasso.

(Apr 3) "Favorite time of day" ... 11AM, so many possibilities.

(Apr 4) "Cereal" ... cocoa crispies please

(Apr 6) "Comfort" ... nothing like a cuppa

(Apr 8) "Golden" ... Rockport at sunset.

(Apr 9) "Your neighborhood" ... this is not my neighborhood; this is my relative's neighborhood for half of the year :)

(Apr 10) "Outside" ... i can see a rainbow

(Apr 13) "Date Night" ... date week actually, in Liverpool

"The Art of Rejection Reflection”

“Thank you for your submission, but we are going to have to reject it at this time.”

Feeling rejected is complicated and heavy. It brings up a bunch of “stuff,” it pokes at self-worth, and it’s embarrassing, frankly. Rejection is not a new feeling, it’s ancient. I’ve heard that the fear of public speaking stems from the fear of being outcasted by the “group” or society. It’s potent and palpable. You FEEL rejection physically, and in my past, not having been immune to rejection of all shapes and sizes, I’ve buried those memories way deep, ne’er for the world to see.

If I run and hide, no one has to know the fail.

But today, I’m calling it out, shining a spotlight, inviting rejection to coffee in a well-lit cafe. Maybe if I showcase this mucky feel, it alchemizes. Or, perhaps it shows another, any other, that rejection happens and it’s ok. It stings, but it’s sort of a notch in the belt of bravery; it shows that you went for something.

So there it is, the email response to one of my attempts to share my art. Boom.

#phototherapy