Project 2011: Friends of Peanut Blossom

After a lot of soul searching and stressing, I've officially decided that I'm ending my Project 365 on Dec. 31. I debated whether to pick it up again for 2011 but I'm so proud of this year's track record that I don't want to mar my "perfect attendance" next year and I can't handle the commitment for another 365 days.

Taking the advice from a dear friend, I did decide to try something a little different for 2011. I am officially going to attempt a Project 52 (1 photo a week) and push myself to go for quality over quantity in the new year. I will still aim to use my camera each day with the goal of having 1 spectacular shot to post a week but this relieves a bit of the pressure I've been under this year. I'm also hoping this will help me to focus on my editing skills which are sorely lacking right now.

All my posting about this year's Project 365 has obviously spurned at least a little interest in the project and I've had several readers ask me  privately whether I'd be joining another 365 group.  I've decided to organize a brand new group on Flickr: "Project 2011: Friends of Peanut Blossom".

I'd like to officially invite you to join me with whatever kind of photographic goal you want to achieve in the new year.

This group is right for you if you meet any of these qualities:

1. You want to do a full Project 365
2. You want to try a Project 52
3. You don't want to be tied down to a schedule or commit to a number, but you want to resolve to take more photos in the new year
4. You are looking for encouragement in learning more about your camera or any element of photography whatsoever
5. You just like to look at pretty photos and think you might have some you'd like to share in 2011

If it weren't for my friends Zina and JD positively pushing me in 2010, I would never have made it through the year successfully. I'm convinced our little 365 group was exactly the kind of support necessary for this kind of goal.

I know some of you are groaning that I chose to do this through Flickr. I just want to say that Flickr manages the sharing of photos really well and allows us to comment on everybody's photographs. The positive critique and feedback is where the drive to maintain your project will come from. Your photos won't be living in a private bubble on your computer, you'll be sharing them with a like-minded group out in internet-land.

Your subject matter can be absolutely anything--children are definitely not a prerequisite. Self-portrait, nature, macro, still life, animals, your family, absolutely anything is welcome so long as it is within relative standards of decency--nothing X rated, thank you very much.

I'll put together more thoughts on setting out your goals for the year and have creative inspiration ideas for you soon. But since many have been asking I wanted to at least take the steps to create the group and gauge interest.

I hope you'll join me in 2011. I look forward to having some more interaction with you in this new way.