Reverb 11 | Day 3 : Projects

This is a part of a 31 day writing prompt series called Reverb 11 <– click to find out more and join in.

What projects did you start in 2011?

Hmm what projects did I start? More like what projects didn’t I start in 2011. I am a habitual project starter. Notice I didn’t say project completer, we’ll get to that tomorrow. I guess one of the biggest endeavors I took on this year was Picture Inspiration. It was or should I say still IS a 52 week photo prompt collaborative meaning you receive your prompt via email and you shoot whatever the prompt is and then you upload into a shared gallery so everyone can see admire get inspired, or if you are like me deflated. I tend to compare everything I shoot to others, never happy with what I produce and wishing I understood my camera and the basics of light more.  Picture Inspiration soon met the same fate  as my 365 project, DOA. I was logging on and looking at everyone else’s photos but wasn’t shooting anything, until the day my iPhone arrived.

I immediately shelved the DSLR camera and took to the streets with my iPhone. Instagram became my new “project”.  So here I had committed to participating in Picture Inspiration yet I gladly let other things take precedence in fact I signed on to do MORE things like become a weekly contributor on a local magazine blog. Here was another project that I was very excited to be a part of but yet I already lost focus of the fact that I couldn’t keep up with the others that I signed on for as well.

And so it began.

The downward spiral of feeling completely creative exhausted and burned out. Every Tuesday I stressed. I had 2 posts due the next day and maybe one more for my own blog if I was lucky. My blog always took a back seat and the traffic or lack thereof reflected that.

So in the last six months I began to leave some of the projects that I felt no longer served a purpose in my life, either they had become too taxing on my time or we just not reciprocal. I wasn’t being paid for ANY of this mind you and let’s face it I wasn’t gaining anything but a reputation for putting out great work for free. I value myself more so I bowed out.

So I guess the new project currently in the works is me. I’m taking a long hard look at where I have been since leaving my career in the fall of 2009. Understanding that there is no shame in admitting defeat and at the same time acknowledging that sometimes we have to try things on for awhile until we can recognize that they aren’t the right fit for us. I have spent much more time recently on the one project that has brought some incredible opportunities into my life, my vision board. I really really REALLY encourage you all to read that post and go out and create your own for 2012. I can’t wait to share with you the things that actually came to fruition on my board this year including watching stage side as Prince performed, photographing the Foo Fighters and DURAN DURAN. I know, seriously? I can’t wait to see what’s comes next.

Are you reverbing with me too or started your own? Link up below I would love to see everyone’s response.