December 1

Every year I get a little nervous on December 1. It’s because the beginning of the December Photo Project feels much the same to me as having a brand new blank journal. So exciting, so many possibilities. So probable that as soon as I fill up the first page (or the first three) I’m going to want to want to rip it (or them) out and have a do over.

I’ve decided this year to write actual words along with the daily photos, which promises to be a challenge indeed. I was trying to think ahead to what I might write about today or in the days to come when I’ll inevitably get stuck. But that’s the thing (well, one of the things) about this daily photo challenge — you never know quite what you’re going to get.

I thought I had today’s writing in the bag: I was going on a field trip with Ian’s preschool class to Paint Yourself Silly and Ivana Cone. Easy! I would take a great picture of Ian and/or his little buddies painting and write something brilliant about kids and creativity (maybe a riff on Paper Source’s motto, “Do Something Creative Every Day”?). Or, as a backup, maybe I would get a good shot of Ian gobbling some ice cream and write something about that (though I never really did come up with a good ice cream story hook).

Wouldn’t you know it, though, I don’t really feel like writing about any of the photos, at least not directly. Part of that, honestly, is that I’m grumpy tonight, which makes me feel lazy too. The bigger part, though, probably is that I’m impatient to finish the last twenty pages of my book, so rather than inflict any more oh-my-goodness-I’m-soooo-dull ramblings on you, I’m going to go read. And, true confession, I’ll probably also spend a good forty minutes on the Paper Source website — looking up that link made me feel all inspired.

DPP pics from past years: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013