Someone likes having her photo taken, can you tell? hahaha. As she should! When I was her age, I liked it too. I remember how at college parties there would be a hired photographer and we friends would gather and yell, "photog!" and a week or so later would all pour over the film contact sheets and laugh and enjoy all over again. Those were the days before digital cameras and cell phones...and selfie wasn't a word in the dictionary. Oh, the good 'ol days!
But back to today. I'm still so happy that I have decided to document our lives (mostly through my eyes of course, but still our lives) using the increasingly popular "Project Life" system. A system based on using binders, pocket pages, and journal cards, to simplify and encourage the documenting of daily life. (As the company motto reads, "cultivate a good life and record it"). Apparently, it filled a major need, based on it's success. And like all good ideas, it has morphed, and others have created products similar to, or that coordinate with, or build upon the original idea of. For me, it means seeing our everyday lives, not just the big moments, and documenting it via pictures and other life fodder & words in a simple pocket page format. I am using Project Life binders and Project Life pocket pages, and bought a PL core kit this year as well as PL dividers. I'm doing weekly spreads (I think, more on that to come.) And I'm definitely trying to "cultivate a good life and record it"! Other than travel journals and printed books (like Blurb books), I don't do any other documenting, so it's certainly filled a need for me.
I feel really good about how participating in 2013 helped me to see our lives differently, notice differently, take more photos, get my family-other than my daughter ;), who already did-, to start taking photos as well, print the photos, and put them in a format for sharing. And, of course, having the year in a format that we can readily flip through is awesome.
We certainly would have collected the seaglass and shell bits before, but I love having a place to keep them. One that adds to the memory of our day, along with words and photos.
I wouldn't likely have printed out a text from my daughter, received at midnight on New Year's Eve. I like having it printed. Very much. I love that although she took photos before, she is sure to share them with me for my album much more now.
It even provides a place for random photos taken, that really I wouldn't have cause to, or use for.
And, yes, it's fun to play with the products that are out there too.
They may not have a timeless appeal, I don't really know how I'll feel about them later, but they sure are fun. I get most of mine from the Studio Calico kits.
And, it's just a fun, and different than my usual, creative exercise for me. You know I love pursuing creative expression, in many many different ways.
So, as I mentioned above, I'm re-thinking the weekly format. All the photos from week 1 were actually taken on January 1, and I don't mind that I don't have the rest of the exact week included. I'm debating on whether to keep a loose weekly concept or switch to a monthly format that some other popular Project Lifers are switching to. Basically, filling the pages in with photos from the month, and other fodder, divided by the monthly dividers vs. a weekly spread concept. I'll have to see as time goes on, I see pros and cons to both approaches.
But no matter which format, I'm always surprised by how much I enjoy putting my pictures in the pockets and seeing the pages add up. I'm definitely going to be doing it in some format or another, maybe a little of both!
