I have to admit, when I first wrote about this challenge earlier this week, I had NO IDEA what or how I was going to photograph this, and it took me until late yesterday afternoon to finally have my idea breakthrough! I brainstormed, and thought about our theme, and about who or what I want to be when this is all over, all week long! I realized that it’s kind of a continuation of how I’ve been feeling for the past year and a half or so. This past year has been one of feeling content where I am…both geographically, but also emotionally and just in life in general. This is big for me, as contentment is not something that I normally feel! I am often restless, and discontent, and waiting to get on to the next thing and go to the next place! So to feel content has really been a gift. It is so freeing!
So I am wanting to hold on to that sense of contentment, that is there despite many circumstances that would seem to say that I shouldn’t feel content. The other emotion I want to have more of is joy, which I felt was rather ironic this morning, as I really did NOT feel joy. I felt blue and sad, and kind of depressed, to be honest! But it made it even more appealing…this idea of feeling joyful. Joy is such a beautiful thing, isn’t it?
A few years ago, when I was coming out of a season of some pretty difficult life circumstances, and feeling like I had been stripped to the bone, but was beginning to feel a sense of rebirth, there was a song that I held on to and that was incredibly meaningful to me. It was by Nichole Nordeman, and the lyrics of the chorus were this:
I want to feel my heart on fire now
And let the safety net burn down
Throw my arms out wide
Let Your love collide in me
I want to run with my heart on my shirt
Straight into the wind, maybe get hurt
I thought living safe meant living stronger
No longer.
This has become kind of the theme song of my life…my manifesto…at least it’s how I want to live my life. And this is the theme of my photographs today.
So how about you? Did you find it tough to know what to photograph for this challenge? Did you learn anything new about yourself? How are you feeling?
The Next Challenge
I think after this last one, we need something easy to photograph! Maybe we need a little break from having to think so hard! So for this challenge, show us who you are spending your time quarantined with! Who is stuck in your house with you? You don’t have to photograph everyone, if you have lots of people with you, and if the people that DO live with you don’t want to be photographed, show us your pets!
#deepsoulphotochallenge on Instagram or Facebook.
And don’t forget about my NEW Quarantine Interview Series starting MONDAY!! I will be posting an interview with one photographer a week. You will NOT want to miss this! So far I have five photographers and one artist who will be sharing with us, and there may still be more! And they are ALL AMAZING!! I can’t wait to share them with you. So sign up on my website: www.deepsoulphotography.com/blog/. It’s free!
