The Less I Did, The Less I Did

by Linda

 

 

 

 

 

Have you ever found yourself in a position of inactivity? Usually a result of injury or illness, neither of which can be avoided. Sometimes illness and/or injury requires a period of inactivity. A time of rest and recuperation before resuming normal everyday activities.

But what happens when the recovery period is over but you still don't resume normal everyday activities? Well, you sort of resume everyday activities but find the things that you were once so passionate about have lost their luster a little or maybe your just afraid to resume them. Ever happen to you?

Happened to me, and I have a dent on the sofa to prove it!

After a minor (but oh so very painful!) injury to my foot and a period of limited activity, I found myself almost paralyzed when it came time to resume my more active lifestyle. I found myself doing less and less.

I have to admit that I was spoiled a little by my family. They were oh so eager to help me and not let me do anything, which was oh so nice! But the more they did for me, the less I did for me. Then when I was all better, so much of what I once did seemed boring, uninteresting. So where was my motivation? My morning walks were a place not only for exercise for my body but for my brain. Clearing out all the cobwebs that had accumulated could only be accomplished while I walked and let my mind wander or use that time to ponder or remember or plan or just enjoy the morning.  My daily exercise had stopped and needed it to resume and I was struggling with that for a number of reasons that I won't go into here but if you want to meet me for a cuppa.....

anyway...

I was also struggling for inspiration with my photography. I was still taking a picture of something everyday but not doing anything really creative with the pictures I was taking. Nothing was inspiring me to try something new, nothing was interesting to me. Part of that was because I stopped browsing through all my old favorite galleries. I thought I needed to get involved in something to help push me through this creative rut. Kim Klassen offered Be Still 52 which I just knew would do it. I forgot that Kim would not be coming to my house, personally pulling me off the couch in her gentle way and setting up some beautiful shots for me and finding the perfect props for me and telling me the perfect texture and processing to use on each shot. I may or may not be a little behind in this class.

yeah, I'm a basket case....

What I needed was Jillian Michaels screaming in my face to "GET OFF YOUR ASS AND GET MOVING!!!!!"

"MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!"

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!"

"STOP CRYING!"

yeah, maybe not that

I am my own worst enemy and now it was time for me to be my own best friend. What got me off the couch was looking at the email I get twice a month from Photojojo. They send me some of the pictures I took last year.

Last year I taught myself to fly

Last year I went through the looking glass

Last year I saw this (or something equally beautiful) almost every morning

Last year I spent time learning and playing with apps on my phone and creating some pretty neat stuff.

huh, was that me?

I found my motivation right where it always was, within my soul, the satisfaction of creating something, the feeling of making something special was always there waiting for the right spark.

And the spark had to come from me.

So I'm back out for the morning show almost every morning, exercising my body and my mind, I'm having fun with apps and processing and learning how to Be Still. I will continue to seek inspiration from all that surrounds me and create some more pretty neat stuff.

Where is your inspiration coming from this summer?

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Don't forget we have a Phoneography Flickr group! You don't have to have an iPhone or be on Instagram to join! Maybe you have a favorite picture on your phone you just want to share! We'd love to see it!

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