Note: My comments were broken for a few hours last night and today, sorry for any time you wasted trying to comment. Thanks to the kind souls who notified me, they are working again.
After spending several hours last night working on my Bootcamp assignments and checking out the work of the other participants I was determined to step up my efforts today, so I woke up excited to read what Maegan had planned for us. The journaling assignment - creativity buzz kills - got my mind working, and the daily theme - multilayered - started bringing images to mind.
I continued to puzzle over both items as I got ready for work - spending most of my time trying to come up with a subject for a photo to go along with the multilayered theme. I thought about rich pastries with flaky layers, but couldn't come up with the name and location for a place to pick one up. I moved onto the next idea, the multilayered cliff formations I've seen on some of my travels in Kentucky - but the nearest one I could think of was an hour away. A workable idea if I could figure out how to work a trip into my evening.
As I started my commute I started mentally freaking out about all that needed to be done today (full day of work, week's worth of laundry, packing for my trip home tomorrow and today's assignment.) My idea of capturing a great photo of the cliff formations started to feel impossible. I began doubting my ability to participate in Bootcamp and then that little voice telling me I wasn't as skilled as the rest of the participants started in as well. Then it hit me - I am my own worst creativity buzz kill. I was letting the stresses of daily life and my own perfectionism kill the joy of the assignment.
I mentally pulled myself back from the cliff - remembering that what really mattered was the attempt and the journey. With that thought in mind I started to look around with a more open mind, looking for other illustrations of multilayered, something that wouldn't require several hours of driving that would have to be fit into an already full day. Then I looked up and saw the morning sky, full of layers of thin clouds and golden morning sun. What I needed to complete the assignment was right the staring down at me.
I took a few minutes after arriving at work to capture photos of the morning sun. I walked around the building looking for better angles and discovered a retaining wall of layered stones, another great subject for the assignment.
Today's assignments provided the perfect lessons for me:
- reminding me to look around, keeping my open to the inspiration around me all the time
- not to get my mind so set on one goal that I can't see the beauty closer at hand
- to let go of the need for perfectionism that can paralyze me with fear and enjoy the lessons that come from the attempt and even those that come from failure
- to enjoy the journey and have faith that by trying and participating my skills will be developed
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