"I think I'm going to quit"

"My heart isn't in this anymore"

"I'm not feeling creative"

"All of my photos look the same"

"I'm not good enough"

"It's just another thing for me to deal with"

Have you thought those things?

Step away from your camera for a minute... Pause... Breathe

It has crossed my mind year after year. I have considered giving up many times during the years. Sticking with a photo a day can become challenging and sometimes feel like a chore. This has been a more stressful year than most. We have been and still are dealing with a world we haven't seen before. Many people are afraid and uncertain of what to do.

Have you thought about photography being therapy for yourself? It could be one of the things you can do for yourself to bring joy? It can be a few minutes each day where you can escape the problems and fears that the world throws at you?

Give yourself permission to do something for you. Something you enjoy. Something to take your mind off of the negativity that surrounds you each day. Get outside, breathe in the air, and take a photo.

When you remember that this is a photo challenge to document your life, it can take the pressure off. It doesn't matter if you aren't feeling creative. It doesn't matter if your photos all look the same. It doesn't matter if your photos don't win awards. What matters is YOU!

Do you give up on wearing underwear, brushing your teeth, or combing your hair because it becomes tedious? Of course you don't! So don't give up on your photography either! Give yourself permission to only use your phone for a month... and to stop editing. If you see something, photograph it with your phone, and upload it and move on. Stop putting the pressure on yourself to be perfect. Just document your life and surprise yourself with the photo ops that present themselves! Your commitment to your photography is more important than being perfect.