The end of 2022 is right in front of us. Just one more month, and we're in 2023. This year has been quite a wild ride for many of us. Great events, horrific world events, and everything in between. But for all of us, the days of 2022 passed, and usually, around this time, we think about what we have achieved, and perhaps, we choose to dwell and think about the failed missions as well.
This year, I wanted to do something differently. The cliché "what are we thankful for, and what will we do in 2023, and the years to come" may be a bit... cringe? But, if we think about the intention, we probably are skipping a few steps to "appreciate and plan for a better tomorrow". Oh boy, this sounds a bit... yeh... Oh well! About the approach; every year, we manage to experience about 365 days (+1 every four years), filled with 24 hours. And what did we do in these 24 hours? Did we do some things more than others? Did we use more stuff than the year before? What were our "ordinary" uses of objects and/or items during 2022? I'm getting quite enthusiastic about finding out my own!
To wrap up this year, I'll be spending a bit of time thinking about the stuff I use daily, or have used a lot this year. I'll try to share a little story about it, and think a bit more about it. For example, I could ask myself why I use these items.
This will be a bit of a challenge for me, since ordinary items may not seem so ordinary after all. But after some good old-fashioned thinking, I'm sure I will end up having a few.
The fast-paced life that consumes us
Whether you agree or not, too many around us life has turned into a fast-paced environment. And we don't have a choice but to participate in this environment. We raise the bar, set high expectations, and off we go. Eventually, all these different kinds of actions are performed without knowing why we started doing them. We consume so many things daily. But I wonder, aren't these things consuming us instead? Traditions changed. Occasions have to be fast and quick. We have to get over it, and before we know it, we request something in return as we might feel that we're missing out on something else. These are just a few examples of how the fast-paced environment consumes us.
I've always tried to live my life as thoughtfully as possible. But, whenever I think about these things, I catch myself doing things on auto-pilot. I wake up, turn on my computer, and start doing things. Eventually, I see myself staring at my screen, or wandering around the house, trying to be productive. The expectations consume me. So, how can I change this just a little bit? I thought it would be a cool experiment to see what items I use daily, throughout the year. More importantly, take time to ask me why it is that I use these things so much. In the beginning, I started using them for a reason, haven't I? How come I consume/use them carelessly on auto-pilot today? All these items didn't change, but I did. We all did. I'm looking forward to executing this challenge to dive a bit back into history and find out myself.
Great change starts with the little things in our lives
The not-so-ordinary ordinary item challenge - 30 days
With this challenge, I will try to see if I can blog, photograph, and write 30 days in a row. The challenging part is to photograph 30 items creatively with the tools that I have at home. I probably have to use 10-20 minutes max on every item. Oh dang, I already feel and know there's going to be a lot of fun involved with participating in this challenge. I wonder who makes up the rules... I should confront him.
With this challenge, I hope to raise more awareness for the things I use and consume. Even if I don't finish the challenge, I bet I will learn a lot about all the items that I do manage to photograph. I believe that many of us, including myself, use our ordinary items blindly without actually thinking about why we use them.
From a photographer's perspective, I already foresee a lot of cleaning. At least, a bit of cleaning, as portraying used objects, stuff needs to be a little bit dirty eh? Cleaning items are equal to taking care of objects, and when we take care of something, we automatically increase its lifespan of it. At the same time, I think there is a moment to connect with these ordinary daily used items. It might be a little bit too macro, but perhaps, we will look differently at our daily habits of consuming once we finish this challenge.
There are two aspects of this (personal) challenge. I'd like to have some fun with product photography, I'd like to see how 'creative' and 'fast' I can think of something, and work something out. It would be cool to see how to make monthly content for myself, and what it takes to do so. The other aspect is more about connecting with everyday life. What can we do better, what are things that I don't need, what is completely unnecessary, and what gives me joy and makes me feel happy? The last one may be a great way to be appreciative of even the little things in our lives. I also think it would be a great way to think a bit more about the origin of objects/items or think about why I have been using these items for quite some time.
Join the challenge
Feel free to follow and join me in this challenge. I bet you will have a lot of fun and learn more about yourself along the way. For me, it is a way to say goodbye to 2022 and to be a bit more aware in 2023.
To-do list
- Making a list of items (max of 30)
- Scanning online for inspiration
- "Connect" and write about these items
- Photograph these items
- Publish photographs and stories about these items with the #notsoordinary tag
Wish me luck!
Cheers,
Ruben
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