Twenty twenty has a lovely ring to it doesn’t it. It flows so much better than two thousand and twenty. It always takes me a while to change. More than the two days of this year I have been in.

Change is often slow, unless it is forced upon us.

Fred used to say the only important thing about changing ourselves is the desire to change. Without the inner motivation it basically doesn’t happen.

Without that drive and constant reminders, without the struggles and the rewards we so easily revert back into our usual behaviour.

That is why it can be so good to involve others in a journey of change. Stating intentions out loud and to others helps us stay on track with them. We become accountable.

The response to the January challenge has been great. With people writing up thier intentions for their project of a series of nine photographs within this month.

So if you are thinking of joining the challenge and really want twenty twenty to be your creative year then writing out your project in public is an amazing step forward in terms of commitment and and goal setting.

We used to publish our outdoor education programs on only one side of a piece of paper, so that we could write what actually happened on the back. At one outdoor centre it was on a chalk board, so we could change it as we go.

There are no rules about sticking to your intentions when it comes to art. A plan is just a starting point. The first step, to give you some direction to go in. You can find your way as you progress.

Learn to follow your inspirations and successes. Let go of the plan as you progress.

Some things may remain rigid, like the goal of nine new photographs in a series before the end of the month. You may start out doing one thing, and your inspiration leads you somewhere else.

This is a good thing.

For those of you who write up one intention and find thier project elsewhere, I say congratulations, well done. How fantastic.

So I’d love to say congratulations to those that have already joined. I thank you and am so excited about seeing what happens. You are welcome to post photos you would like others to discuss as you progress on your project. They might not be part of the final nine. Use the others to help and inspire you.

https://www.lensschool.com/lens-weekly-photography-exercises/a-project-of-nine-in-january-2020

Twenty twenty is going to be a very creative year. Just saying. For I intend to make it so.

Abstract at Port Stephens Abstract Photography Workshop last year. Here’s a link to this years one https://www.lensschool.com/workshops-tours/abstract-photography-workshop-2020

Photography and Text copyright © Len Metcalf 2020