One of my favorite things to come from Hart & Honey is the start of our "Creative Community" -- a monthly gathering of fifteen hand-picked creative folk meant to encourage, inspire and sharpen each member. At the beginning of these meetings we share things that we'd like prompting on -- items or tasks that we need a little pushing to get done, no matter how excited we are about them. Looking back on 2013, I realized I hadn't done enough personal work for my liking and so I asked for accountability as I decided what that might look like in the New Year. One lovely gal suggested I write a manifesto of what I believed in and perhaps that would provide some guidance.

Initially it was difficult to detach my desire for this to become a huge, lovely body of work. Once I reminded myself that there would be value in it even if there was no audience for it, my manifesto was quickly penned. And though I adore photographing people, I found myself gravitating toward objects and capturing things I find beautiful simply for beauty sake. This little manifesto allowed me to articulate the reason I create images in the first place and refreshed my motivation for pursuing personal projects. The obligation to check "personal project" off my to-do list was replaced by a new energy and excitement; remembering my "why" was crucial in deciding details all the way to the medium I use . And as I started writing I quickly needed a separate page to jot down new project ideas!

Whether you're looking to begin a personal project of your own or you need to be reminded of the why behind what you do -- I encourage you to take a quiet hour one morning in some lovely light with a delicious cup of coffee and let your stream of consciousness flow. All creatives who are lucky enough to do what they love for a living know that it's necessary to step back from time to time and taste that passion again. Happy manifesto-ing.
XO