Nikki and I made friends via Twitter–one of the things I love about social media. Polka dots was a shared love! I love that she inspires me daily–even more after reading this guest post she wrote. She motivates herself, and makes me want to be and do more!
Get inspired!!!
Posting the 281st photo to my #365photochallenge thread on Twitter, I caught myself feeling disappointed and bittersweet about being so close to finishing my year long photo project. Who even am I? What the fuck was that about?
https://twitter.com/loveisafetish/status/1182331905485631489
The answer is pretty clear. This project has been beneficial on so many levels. At its most basic, accomplishing any positive, daily task is good for your mental health. Add that it’s something that makes me feel sexy, fun and creative? It’s been a fantastic cocktail of awesomeness.
The theory is that the key to healing, growth or learning is to find something that works for you, personally, because we all learn differently. This photo project is an excellent example of that. It’s been difficult, frustrating and downright pissed me off to have to deal with weekly feelings of god damn it I’m too fucking busy and have a toddler and I do not have time or inspiration for this shit — oh wait, there’s a delightful sunbeam to take a nude picture in, score! And I think that’s what’s kept me going. It’s a challenge, but an attainable one that I have control over.
Not only has it made me feel remarkably better about my body and sensuality, but it’s made me pay attention and learn how the natural light looks in every room of our home at every time of the day. It’s allowed me to appreciate the way the light falls on my curves from different angles. It’s required me think outside of the box in terms of location, pose, color, outfit, makeup, varying factors all playing a part in forcing myself to expand upon what I know to be able to take a unique photo every day, for hundreds of days.
It’s forced me to get myself dolled up, dressed in lingerie and in a frame of mind that I might not have been able to access if I wasn’t so motivated to stick with this project. Weekly prompts, like Violet’s Lingerie is for Everyone and Molly’s Sinful Sunday have been my saving grace. Giving me a reason every week to try just a little harder, to participate, to put myself out there. All things that I struggle to do without a nudge.
I was incredibly proud of myself for sticking with this project for the first week, then month, it seemed like no time and I was writing about hitting my half a year mark in July. Now, with only 80 days left, I’m already pretty certain I will continue my project again next year. Why wouldn’t I? It seems like a no brainer to continue doing something that genuinely affects my mental health in an incredibly positive way.
You can follow along with my photo project here, and access the NSFW versions here or my Dropbox!
