A little over 200 days ago, I wrote in this newsletter that I was starting another 100 day project. A little over 100 days ago, I decided to keep going. My goal wasn’t a display of creativity, it was an intention to spend just a minute or two every day noticing something naturally beautiful.
The first hundred days I photographed closeups of the five elements – wood, stone, air, water, metal. That gave me textures and patterns in a mostly neutral palette.
The second hundred days I was starved for color, so I shifted to florals and a few vegetables.
The images were mostly of natural elements, but were mostly collected in urban environments from across the United States and Ireland.
I said it was because I was collecting digital collage fodder, something that would eventually lead me to open that Procreate app and start to play. Maybe that will be true.
What is true for sure is that for 200 days in a row, I paused, at least once, and looked for something interesting and beautiful, then paused a little more to really see it. Posting wasn’t the point, pausing was the point. I’ve stopped posting the images, but I’m still pausing.
(Originally published on my Substack)