You may be aware that I’m currently in the midst of my fourth Project 365 – my fourth year of daily photos (although the years have not been consecutive; I’m crazy but not over the top crazy, I guess). I started Project 365 the first time in the fall of 2006 because I wanted to learn how to take better pictures, or, I suppose more accurately: I just wanted to take pictures, period, and practice makes perfect. And I still think everyone who’s remotely interested in photography should try a daily photo project at least once, because you learn SO much in the process.

And when it was over, I needed a break; it was a relief to accomplish what I had set out to do… except in the few months that followed, I hardly took any pictures at all. And I really, really hated that, and loved having my days documented (especially since that first year saw me go from an administrative assistant in a long-term relationship who lived with her parents to a newly-employed librarian in her own apartment and dating someone else). So I started round two on January 1, 2008. It had always bothered me in round one that I didn’t start neatly at the beginning of the year, or, hell, even the beginning of a month. But by the end of that year? Cole, Summer and I started a “save us from our craziness” mini scavenger hunt and I tagged a bunch of photos with the phrase “help we’re struggling we’ll never make it uuuughhhh year two” … which says a lot.

And then it was over! And I was relieved. And a few months went by and I hadn’t taken any photos so I did a month of photos here and there… and then sneakily started again on October 1, 2009, saying all sorts of reasonable things like “I’ll only go as long as I want” and numbering the photos straight through, rather than xx/365, because that simple thing would CLEARLY allow my borderline OCD personality to just quit whenever I wanted. And I started telling Project 365 to bite me. You know, the project that I keep signing up for of my own free will. I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense… and yet it does. So Jodi asked one day, surreptitiously, how many pairs of shoes I thought I owned… and suggested doing a month of shoes to limp my way to the finish line of round three. And it was awesome.

And again I said I’d never do it again, except if you look closely, right after “done forever!!!!” I wrote “probably” … because I’m an idiot. And then my 30th birthday got closer and closer and I couldn’t help but think how nice it would be to have my 30th year documented entirely….

And here we are. Again. And I’m struggling more this time around, maybe because I’m tired of my end of the day back up shots. Or because I’m commuting an hour and working more hours and planning my wedding and I’m just tired. And more of the photos than I’d like are cell phone shots, and there have been days where I just plain forgot. And all of that is okay because this is my project and I say so, even if the only one scolding me is the voice inside my own damn head.

I love you Project 365, and I just can’t quit you, except now I really, really kind of need to quit you forever and ever. Maybe I’ll test out a weekly project. Or a monthly project. And I know I said this all those other times, and maybe I’ll document every year of my future children’s lives or something but nothing like this. Because honestly. I have some new crafty projects lined up that I’m really looking forward to, and my new camera will still need to be learned and used but… you know.

But first, I have to get myself through the remaining 63 days. And I was again talking to Jodi, trying to come up with something, because having a theme makes it more fun and less pressure, not to mention themes are fun. So starting today and going through day 365 on July 19 (I could have done 366 because of the leap year, but day 366 will be my sister’s wedding day so I think I’ll be a little bit busy for a big deal “Last Photo” type of thing), I’m going to do eight straight weeks of color.

Each week, I’ve got a color lined up (thanks to Dan’s 8-sided die, it’s randomized, even), and I’ll look for that color for the week. Sixty four colors lite, if you will. Without the pesky colors. I think it’ll be good.