I haven’t posted in a while. Easily I could pretend that it was because I was really busy, but that is just not true. I lost my motivation: my inspiration. I forgot why I started this blog and because of that, it started feeling like a chore instead of a hobby. My heart and soul was not in it. What do we do with chores? We put them off.
It is rare that I don’t feel motivated and happy. In the past few years, by accepting that there is so much in life I cannot control and releasing some of that power, I have found myself happier than ever before. One of my favorite mantra’s is that I will worry when there is an action I can take.
If there is nothing you can do,
why would you waste your energy?
There was a Saturday recently where the weather was perfect and it would have been a complete waste if I did not take any photos. I happened to be in a great mood. I was listening to one of my many pump-up playlists and dancing around my room while getting ready. This time, I did not plan out any locations. I did not plan out any outfits. Forgetting about my Instagram aesthetic, I just got dressed in the clothes I love.
Music is a Mood Changer.
When I looked in the mirror and saw that I was ready to go, I was sad. I didn’t want to turn off the music I was bopping to, so I decided to take it with me. I drove to a random part of town and stopped.
From the second I started getting ready to the second I finished my photoshoot, I was blasting my music. My Spotify playlist connected to the car and then connected to my google home and then back to the car as a continuous song played on. Not sure how I allowed myself to forget the importance music plays on my life, but it will never happen again.
I am driven by music.
My emotions, my thoughts, my inspiration all can be changed instantly when listening to the right song. By not wanting to turn my music off, I decided to see how dancing and listening to music could change the pictures I take. You would think that dancing in the street with music blasting from my car would make me uncomfortable, but it was the opposite.
I feel the freest, confident, and alive when listening to music and it shows in these images. The pictures I took during this challenge capture more of my spirit and personality than most of my others. My eyes look alive.
Originally, I was going to see how my mood and pictures changed when listening to different types of music, but I quickly realized that you cannot take an iPhone video while listening to spotify. There are some apps that will fake this, but I was starting to lose good lighting, so I settled for the radio.
When the song was talking about cheating or being a powerful woman, my images showed a confident, sassy woman. On the other hand, when the song was a jam, you can see my pure joy and dancing movements proving how deeply music effects me.
The Trick to Being Photogenic
I am sure there are a lot of people out there who have never taken their images to the tune of their favorite song. They don’t realize how photogenic they could truly be. This is why I am writing this post to share my secrets. I only wish that someone would’ve shared them with me.
If you have a friend, family member, or you yourself are struggling during COVID, first of all, it is completely normal. This is a new time for everyone. We are all doing the best we can. If you are one of the lucky ones who are blessed with a good day, consider making a playlist for someone who needs it.
This act of kindness will lift someone’s spirits for two reasons. First of all, it is really nice that someone went out of their way to do something special for you. There is a human connection that is missing in most people’s lives. Most people are not used to being alone this much. Creating an online community or fun activities online is really hard.
Second of all, music heals. If the act of kindness itself does not help put a smile on their face, maybe listening to the songs you selected for them will. Of course, be sure to pick a playlist of happy, inspirational songs. Are there songs that make you think of them? Do they bring back memories?
Happy Mojo is Back
Also it seems that I could have just sat down and tried to write out my emotions. By writing this post, I have brought back my happy mojo. If you don’t have someone who will make you a playlist, make one for yourself. This is the best time to discover new music. When was the last time you found a song you loved that was not a #1 pop hit.
Playlists, positivity and pep are all great ways to live, but do not pressure yourself to feel this way all of the time. You are allowed to feel lonely. You are allowed to feel lazy. Also, you are allowed to sit on the couch for an entire weekend eating Cheetos. You are allowed to take time to collect yourself and figure out your next steps, but when the weekend or week or month is over, figure out how to move forward.
My first step forward was getting dressed. It took me a few weeks of getting dressed to feel ready for another photo shoot. The images and posts that came out of my hiatus are more inspired and real than if I had forced myself to push through and continue posting.
Challenges
CHALLENGE: Figure out your first step towards positivity and pep.
DOUBLE CHALLENGE: Create a playlist to share with friends, families, or yourself when you need a little sprinkle of joy.
