This year so far has been one of introspection. I've been feeling the need for new creative challenges, for pushing myself beyond what I've achieved so far, for reaching out to new goals and dreams.
So I've spent some time going back to the basics - doing some online courses, rediscovering a love for the simple things by shooting a weekend away with friends with only a disposable camera (oh the excitement of not knowing what was captured!), and considering how far I've come since I first picked up my camera and started to take pictures of actual people (about four years ago now!).
I've felt a little stuck so far this year, a little overwhelmed by how much this year holds, and how little of it is fixed and known and understandable. Picturing it as a whole leaves me frozen, unable to even take the smallest step forward, so I start to break it up, into smaller, more manageable chunks. What can I do today, that will make tomorrow easier? What can I achieve right now, if I just sit down and work for a few hours? What small change can I make to my shooting style, my editing style, my approach to clients that will make a big impact in the future?
Those tiny pieces are much easier to put together, to tick off a list. And then it all feels just that little bit more manageable.
And so begins another Monday morning, with a big cup of coffee, a sizeable, but doable, to-do list, and the prospect of another week of shoots and edits, and so much more to discover.