24/31 July Challenge

24/31 July Challenge

Adapt, change, learn, grow…OR ELSE. That is what this July challenge is warning me every day. Today my alarm went off and I was perky, ready to start my hour drive to my location. I could hear it was raining, and when I checked the weather saw it would be worse where I was going. I love shooting in the rain, but my car doesn’t do well driving in it, so I opted for a safer location today. That meant I was up at 4am with no where to go for an hour, so I bided my time by thinking up a new concept, finishing off my emails, and making a to do list for the day. Of course I couldn’t stop myself from leaving early (I’m not good at waiting), so I found myself in the middle of no where in the dark with only the little bunnies to keep me company (which was plenty good for me). I am chronically early. It’s pretty bad.

A little bit of panic sets in when you’re a planner and you’ve got a plan and then something shatters it. I plan to the extreme. I’m really good at being spontaneous, as long as it is within my set parameters. Location: check. Photo idea: check. Spontaneous dip in freezing cold water? Check, as long as my plan has gone accordingly thus far. This morning I did my best not to panic, as I have done all month. I might not seem like it (or maybe I do, who can really judge how they come off to people?), but I tend to be a terrible mix of messy/disorganized and Type A planner. When I do something, I do it all the way. Unfortunately for my cleanliness, sometimes I don’t do it at all. All or nothing. I try to learn balance, but ‘black and white’ always catches up with me again.

So, when it’s 4am and you realize your grand plan isn’t going to work, how do you adapt? How do you change what you emblazoned in your mind? How do you quickly get far enough away from that idea to cultivate a new one?

That was my morning question which thankfully I’ve discovered ways of answering very quickly. I practice, every single day, new ways of being mindful and in tune with my inspiration. The more I touch what inspires me by setting my imagination on fire with it, the easier I can reach for ideas of what to create faster. I practice that. Every day.

Today was foggy and mysterious. It was gorgeous. I love the rain and the fog, so I am always in a battle: Do I live somewhere rainy for my art, or somewhere sunny for my happiness? Happiness always wins, and I live in a very sunny place, which is why I get so excited when it rains. We had a huge storm yesterday with a power outage for a couple hours. An excuse for me to read and slow down. I probably needed it. Today was wet and muddy and the birds were singing despite the damp. I felt right at home.

14 thoughts on “24/31 July Challenge

  1. Hi Brooke – your videos are getting more and more artistic – very inspiring! They bring ‘behind the scenes’ to a whole new level. I love them πŸ™‚

    A few questions: Are you doing them yourself or do you have a video person? Also what camera are you using for them ie. same as for your photography or do you have a separate video camera?

    1. Hi Patty! Aww you are so kind!! Thank you. I am doing them by myself, which has been a challenge for sure! But I am learning a ton. I’m using the camera pictured about to film and shoot, and since I don’t have two cameras that’s my only option. Hoping to get another for filming soon so that I can show myself shooting, hehe! That camera is the Sony A7II. I’ve been shooting at 60fps so that I can convert it to slow motion in editing. Super fun!

      1. I film with my Canon T3i, but it is starting to get old now. But did get a Yi 4K action camera, it is a fraction of the price of a GoPro and is just as good. Originally I had gotten a GoPro 5 Black, but two of them in a row had problems that I could fix, so I exchanged for a Yi 4K. And it films at up to 240fps!!!

  2. MY camera isn’t weather sealed, so when I saw your camera all wet I nearly screamed!!! LOL
    Another wonderful photo and video.
    I would much rather live sunny than rainy, but we could use some rain right now! πŸ™‚

  3. The reverse hair flicking sections of the video are delightfully creepy πŸ™‚

    Thanks for the look into your decision making process when the weather didn’t quite match your plans. A fruitful day, and you can do tat shoot another time. So it’s all good.

    We get fabulous fog where I live, real pea soupers sometimes. Did a creepy shoot a while back with hubby as my model standing in the middle of the road while no traffic was passing lol that was a bit scary lol

    I’m a bit rough with my jit too, no point wrapping it up in cotton wool it’s a tool. A towel is handy mind but I always seem to forget one πŸ™‚

    1. It was hard to restrain myself from making every shot a reverse hair flip πŸ˜€
      Pea soupers, that was great! I already love the visual of that shoot in the fog on the road. Mmmm πŸ™‚

  4. Sometimes we all could use a moody weather sort of day…it gives life a little balance…That said, this has got to be one of my favorite images of yours…not only from this July project but of all your work I’ve seen. Intensely magical and mysterious. The muted colors and texture in the fog are superb. The posing and the effect of almost bursting into dust are perfection. Your art (and passion) inspires my creativity regularly. πŸ™‚

    1. Well said, it really does give life balance. By the time the storms are over I’ll be happy for sun again. Thank you for being so kind, I appreciate it immensely.

  5. A question: how can you find motivation for create everyday? I’m creating as well a picture a day for a contest, but I found that too late and the deadline is nearer then I was expecting. I started like a missile, I was shooting and editing every single day, but then motivation gone and (or because?) so the support from my fiancΓ© (because,in his opinion, photography is not my work so I shouldn’t waste my time this way)…I feel so frustrated right now, I feel I should let everything go and try again the next year, maybe…how can you do that? Do you have support from people near you or you can do that just for yourself? πŸ™

    1. Hi Giulia!

      That is a great question. I don’t have anyone around me physically who cares about the challenge particularly, and some who think my time is better spent elsewhere, so I don’t rely on that for inspiration or motivation for sure. Part of being able to do it everyday is to constantly remind myself that life is sweeter in motion – that when I get up and go on an adventure my whole day is brighter and more meaningful. I am also extremely dedicated to challenges I set for myself by nature. And, I love sharing here, it makes me feel like I’ve got friends who care what I’m producing.

      XO!
      Brooke

  6. I read your two latest blogposts right now, so I’m gonna try and sorten all my thoughts swirling and share them with you in a decent way. But I am so happy to see you venture out and exploring and trying new things, because it gives me hope. Around here, it’s kinda hard to do anything that is slightly outside of the box. When you like photography, you have to be able to do all kinds of photography extremely well and only have a passion for photography. I’ve dealt with certain comments and thoughts for so long and felt like a failure when suddenly I was more interested in doing something else for a while. I love to write also, short stories mainly though I too have been working on a novel (for a few years) that might never see the light of day but still keeps my mind occupied, simply because I love to write. I have a deeprooted passion for music, so sometimes I play drums. Sometimes I devour books. I also love discovering new things and sharing and one day I hope to teach and inspire. These days, it’s all been about finding balance and trying to do more than one thing but if that doesn’t work out, the most important thing is that I do what I love. If in the next few months I want to finish my novel, then that’s what I’ll do, no matter how much people will tell me that I will never become a decent photographer if I don’t do it all the time. And if anyone nowadays tells me my time is better spent doing ‘productive’ things, I will give them a big fat smile, because going out to take pictures and editing and being in my head dreaming makes me so happy so I’d rather be unproductive hah!

    Thank you so much for inspiring me every day, for sharing thoughts I can relate too, for giving me courage.

    Big hug! (cause I’m feeling extremely happy today lol)

    Geetha

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