A Photo A Day: a personalized DIY book & photo journal

Goals for Self-Care and Creativity with a Challenge

A new year is a popular time to set goals, but we can–of course–set them any time. Any time is a good time to start something new or do something we’ve always wanted to do.

In this month’s short Personalized DIY Books post, I’d like to offer you a challenge: a year of self-care through creativity and photos, starting January 1. (And if you’re late to the party, that’s OK. Start when you want to.)

Everyone is creative, even people who think they’re not!  If you create anything–a garden, a side dish, a birthday cake, a plan, a friendship–then you are creative.  Anything that exists because of you was created. You are creative!

Let’s focus on that and snap up those personal benefits with the “A Photo A Day” Challenge over the next year. It’s simply a new way of journaling your thoughts, your creativity, and your experience through photos.

How the Challenge Works

Think about how to make this project easy and fun to do.  Make taking a photo the only thing you require of yourself (not trying for a perfect photo).  This is an exercise in creativity and time for yourself, not in perfectionism.  And don’t let missing a day or two derail the project.  Take multiple photos on other days if needed. 

Take photos of anything interesting or meaningful to you.  The ideas in the next section may help, but you can choose anything as the subject or purpose of your photo.  

Simply Seven (neutrals) cover

Simply Seven (neutrals) page options

Here’s how to get started with the “A Photo A Day” challenge:

1. Use a Simply Seven template to collect and preserve your images and memories.  Each page has seven photo place-holders along with space for your text so you can write the how and why behind each photo.  This way, you’re putting one week’s worth of photos on each page. There is also a full-page text option if you want to write more now and again. Choose the Simply Seven (neutrals; shown above) or the Simply Seven Black or the Simply Seven White (which is also gray).  Click the links to decide which you prefer, then you’ll choose your size and the binding (hard or soft, both of which use the highest quality materials in the industry).  You’ll open a (free) account there, with guaranteed photo privacy, and then be ready to begin your book.
2. The software you’ll be using is free to use (just like the templates) and very intuitive.  If you’d like to watch this video tutorial demo before beginning, do.  
3. If you’re taking photos with your phone, I suggest downloading the (free) Forever mobile app so you can upload your photos to your account straight from your phone.  This short tutorial shows you how the app works.  If you’re taking photos from your camera, this more extensive video tutorial shows you how to upload and organize photos in Forever Storage from your computer.
4. Next, make a daily or weekly plan to put each day’s photos into your book.  You can do this from a computer, tablet, or phone (using a browser to access your Forever account to make your book, not the app).  Be sure you place the photo on the page and write about the photo!  Photos without stories are the 21st century version of a shoebox of photos.  Write your thoughts, why you chose the subject today, etc.

Print your photo-memory book a year from now! (Use the current sale code!) It’s a photo journal of your year.

100 Ideas for Photos

You can probably find a lot of ideas for “photo challenges” online, or I’ve collected 100 ideas here, along with a summary of the challenge. Many of these ideas can be used multiple times during your 365 days of photos. For example, a selfie of you on the first day of the challenge will be a different photo than one in the middle of the summer. A picture of leaves in May will be different from a picture of leaves in October. Repeat ideas, or come up with your own.

Get Ready

Between now and January 1, take a little time for yourself to read The Importance of Creativity to Personal Growth and/or The Reason You’re More Creative Than You Think. These are especially important reads for anyone who doesn’t think they’re creative, but they’ll be enlightening no matter! Enjoy!

Then follow Step 1 as outlined above and choose the Simply Seven template you like best. There are scores of other photo-memory book templates, too, if there’s another one you prefer.

Next, just count down the days until January 1 and look forward to this creative self-care challenge for the next 365 days. You’ll have a unique photo journal at the end!