Set Free on Sunday

So today we were given the option to shoot whatever we wanted for our journey.  A total free pass.  No theme.  No guidelines.  No direction.  I thought this might be the hardest of all.  I'd been enjoying creating something based off the day's assignment.  Having a single word direct the purpose of my photos wasn't as challenging as having no words at all!  I stood at my back door this morning looking out on the blanket of snow and began to think about what I would shoot today since it can be anything!  

At first I was at a loss, but then I remembered my plan for this year.  This year I am going to work on myself, and that includes photographing myself.  I will eventually do a real self portrait, but I'm not ready for that yet.  For now, this morning, as I was standing at my back door, I looked down and saw my hand in my hair.  I run my fingers through it constantly when I'm thinking.  While I'm reading.  When I'm bored.  When I'm talking to people.  If my hair is down, I'm probably running my fingers through it.  And I just knew then that's what I needed to capture today.

Dying my hair black last summer was probably one of the best decisions I've ever made!  I'm sure there are people who would disagree, and say it doesn't look right or how bad hair color is for you.  But I feel like this is me!  Like this is what I'm supposed to look like.  Like this is how it should have always been!  I feel sexier.  I feel more confident.  It makes me happy!  And frankly, that's all that matters!

So on this free day, I made my first step towards capturing my self portrait.  I captured one of my favorite things about myself.  And I think it's beautiful and mysterious, and dark, but sunny too.  It's just me!

And then there's this.  Really, it almost makes me laugh, and I think I did chuckle when I first read yesterday's assignment: potato!  This is no million dollar potato photograph, but it's my potato photo!  I'm sure there will be other assignments that make us laugh.  Just as there will be ones that make us dig deep, sigh, smile, or cry!  One week in and this has already been a beautiful and enlightening journey.