When is the last time you shot JUST for YOU? When is the last time you started a personal photography project and pushed yourself? Personal photography projects are an amazing way to spark your own personal creativity and to get you excited about your favorite hobby. If you're looking for a little creative push, a photography project is the way to go! Here are my three reasons for staring a personal photography project!!

1. It can help inspire you when you feel like all inspiration is lost

Whether you are a hobbyist photographer or a paid photographer who takes clients, it's likely you've found yourself uninspired a time or two. I'm pretty sure that's the nature of any creative hobby, especially photography. It's easy to get in a rut or feel completely lost in your own work. It easy to look at other people's work and compare what you are doing with what they are doing and start second-guessing yourself. Comparison really is the thief of all joy and it can definitely suck the life out a passion. When I find myself stuck in a rut or just feeling completely BLAH about my work and what I'm shooting, I always make myself start a photography project. Sometimes they are BIG year-long projects (like my project 365) and other times they are shorter, more "challenges" to myself (like learning film photography). And big or small doesn't matter. Starting a personal photography project JUST FOR YOU is bound to spark some kind of creativity!

2. It can challenge you to learn something new

I have said all along that my favorite part of photography is the never-ending learning options. There are SO many areas to explore, learn and develop. It might seem scary at first to step out of your comfort zone, but just like with most things in life, as soon as you give it a go and get your feet wet, you start learning and the potential is endless. 

This summer, I'm challenging myself to learn film photography. I've always had a passion for film and dark rooms and I am diving head first into the learning process. It's totally scary and I seriously only about 1 of every 20 words I read about film, but I'm determined to stick with it. Every day I learn something new and it's pretty awesome. 

Think about what you might want to learn and give it a go! Maybe it's film! Or maybe it's underwater photography! Whatever it is, grab hold and don't let go!

3. It will make you fall in love with photography again

This sounds so silly, I know.... But I promise you, a photography project will make you fall in love with some aspect of photography again. It may not be "ground-breaking head-over-heels" but if you stick with a personal photography project and continue to challenge yourself, you WILL grow as a photographer and you WILL fall back in love with the process. There is not one project I've ever started that hasn't changed me in some ways. Sometimes it's something little......like it makes me appreciate our everyday so much more.... And sometimes it's something BIG.... like it makes me want to photograph ALL the people ALL the time. Either way it's a win-win. A personal project JUST FOR YOU is bound to spark your creativity and get you excited for this art again!