When was the last time this happened to you? | Why I'm on fire

Each week I send out a Creative Container email.

Each week I include a challenge for subscribers.

It can be anything from cleaning out a drawer on your desk to making a playlist that fires you up to leaving a good review for a recent purchase you made and loved.

Well, this week’s challenge is taking over my blog and it’s a good one.
I think it’s so important. Ready?

I want you to get rejected.

That’s right. I want you to go put yourself out there and get denied.

When was the last time it has happened to you?

Let’s roll up our shirt sleeves, grab a pen and make a little list.

What’s something big or small, that would be so freaking cool if it happened but maybe you don’t feel ready for or qualified for or maybe you’re procrastinating because you’re afraid of hearing the word no.

Write it down. Write a few things down. Mind dump about it.

Maybe it’s sending in your resume for a position out of your comfort zone. Maybe you want to ask your partner to eat vegetarian with you for the week. Maybe you want to ask a local shop to start carrying the calligraphy cards you’re making. Do you want to submit to the Call for Art in your favorite mag? Are you dying to reach out to someone you admire for a collab?

Pick one, pick two if you want.. because we’re doing it.

You and me. Me and you.

I’m asking you to go for it.

And iIf you get denied, well, was it really that bad?
No not really. It happened to me last week. And the week before that.

I’m doing this more and more. It feels good because once you get rejected once, the second time is easier. And easier. Until you don’t take it to heart, you just smile and say welp, that wasn’t for me right now and you move on.

Don’t be too scared to try.

And if someone hasn’t told you no recently, then you’re living too safe, baby.

Get out there.

Get rejected.

Keep going.

Oh, and it’ll all make sense when instead of a no, you surprisingly get a YES.

I’m letting the nopes roll off my back and the yes is why I’m on fire.

Join me?

And as always, tell me about it >> email elyjokinen@gmail.com or DM me.

Onward!

No Poo Concluded

One month ago I stopped washing my hair with shampoo.

Last month I read about the ‘No Poo’ method. The underground movement to stop damaging our hair by washing it with harsh shampoo everyday.

It seemed interesting and it made sense and since we weren’t leaving the house anytime soon I decided to give it a try.

If you’re wondering what the heck I’m talking about, you can read all about it here: The No Poo Method

It’s been 4 weeks since I’ve used shampoo —and I’m loving it.

I have to be honest with you, my favorite part is the time I save shampooing and conditioning every time I shower. Hands down, that’s the best. This hair is big and thick hey.

Secondly, with a little baking soda and apple cider vinegar once a week it’s really feeling healthier than it’s ever felt.

But who am I to say, why don’t you give it a try! And if you do, let me know! I’d love to hear about your experience.

So far, for the ladies I know that’ve tried it: three love it, one’s still deciding and one was a big old hell no come day four.

I can’t imagine that I’ll never wash my hair again, but for the time being this works and it’s been a fun experiment!

Week Two

MORNING PAGES - A Practice Worth Starting

I’ve been promising a post on morning pages for a good month now. When my pen ran out of ink this morning as I was scribbling away in the faint light coming from my closet, I knew it was time.

I grabbed a new pen, and in my notebook, this post wrote itself.

That’s the magic of Morning Pages.

So what exactly are Morning Pages?

Morning pages, a beloved ritual of creatives all over the world, is from the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.
Upon waking in the morning, you grab your notebook and pen and you write. And write. And write.
It’s a stream if conciousness filling three whole pages.
You pretty much let whatever you think/feel come to the surface and snatch it up, it and write it down.
It doesn’t need to be poetic or artsy or even mean anything.
You can write about your week, why you’re pissed off or a wild dream you have for the future. You can write a to-do list, a rant on your president or all of the magic that has touched your life to this moment.
As long as your clearing out all of the junk from your mind, you’re doing it right.

Trust me, when the kids were waking me up, fussing, at 4:30am each morning I wasn’t writing anything positive for the entire first page. But it was a good way to get it out and I really did feel better starting the day.

Lately, The boys have been sleeping in a bit and I’m up before the house. With my hubby so cutely sleeping next to me, that half hour of writing is truly one of the most peaceful, productive and creative, parts of my entire day.

Do I need to do them in the morning?

Cameron says that morning is best (because you can access your subconscious right as you wake), however you can do them anytime. I was just listening to a podcast and the host said she did hers midday. I’ve tried it and if you have kids I don’t recommend it. LOL

I have done them at night a couple times and felt really good about them. I’ve even started them in morning and finished at night which is probably not what you’re supposed to do but anything to get them done and keep me going.

What if I can’t think of anything to write?

Well, for me, I never run out of things to write, maybe it’s connected to the fact that I never run out of things to say, either! LOL Sometimes you pause but man, trust me, things come up. Allow them up. Allow them out.
You must fill three pages. If you’ve never done them before, you’re going to be so surprised!

Alright, I think that’s what I have to say about your morning pages so don’t wait! Grab a good notebook, your favorite pen, write the date and place it next to your bed.

If you can somehow make the extra 30 minutes, I promise you it’ll be worth it!!

If I missed anything, drop a question in the comments or better yet, grab The Artist’s Way and make your way through it with me!

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WHEN YOU LOOK, WHAT DO YOU SEE? | Seeking in Palm Springs, CA

Color, texture, shape, feeling — through my lens in Palm Springs, CA.
Seeking inspired by photographer Jessica Backhaus in WONDER.

DO YOU SAY YES?

I was thinking about it the other day — about some of the people I admire.

Photographers, sharks, athletes, artists, you know, the makers.
People out in the world doing interesting and creative things.

And I thought about what it is I admire most.

Easy.

They said YES.

Sometime, somewhere in their journey, they said YES to something uncomfortable.
To something scary.
To something they might not have felt ready for.

They said yes to looking dumb.
They risked failing.
And then they risked failing again.

They said yes to changing course.
Yes to trying.

They get up early.
They do the work.
They say yes.

So to anyone out there saying yes, when you so badly want to say no and run far away and hide forever, I admire you.

Keep going.

The Note I've Kept In My Camera Bag For 738 Days -- Shot Ideas, 365 Project

Do you ever run out of things to photograph?

It’s always the first question I’m asked when someone finds out I’ve taken a photo every single day for the last 738 days.

My answer is always the same.

Nope, I don’t. I never do.

Last week I shared all the FAQs about doing a 365 photography project but I wanted to expand on a question I get asked more than any other.

Never is the honest truth, but I don’t think it would be fair to leave it at that.
In the beginning, I carried this trusty little note and I referenced it a lot.

I wrote it during the middle of a class I was taking with Molly Flanagan called Visual Storytelling. Today I went to my camera bag and dug it out.

I really had to train myself to look at my subject in different ways. I knew it would get boring real fast if I didn’t stay curious and keep things fresh.

It’s crazy how quick this became intuitive, but at first I used that note daily.

Detail. Wide. Portrait. Medium. Action.

Detail

When I approach a subject or a scene, I’m typically drawn to the small details before anything else. Little fingers holding a Duplo, the wet tip of a dog’s nose, the drip of an icicle melting. Details are so important and a great way to shake things up in a 365. You could have a million pictures of your little one but crouching down and taking a picture of just their toes changes the total feel of the photo and when you approach a scene, there’s already a week’s worth of details in just one wide frame shot!

Wide

Getting a wide shot was always something I missed in the beginning. I really had to train myself to take a step back and evaluate the whole picture. Now, these are some of my favorite photographs.. especially for a 365 project. There are layers of memories when you shoot from the back corner of a bedroom or from the top of a chair looking down into a chaotic living room — the Where’s Waldo shot.
Going wide can also satisfy you creatively if you choose to leave some negative space in your frame. If you’re not sure what that means, no worries, I have a bit on composition below.

Portrait

When in doubt, I always go for the portrait. Lucky for me, I live with three very handsome men that I love to put in front of my lens. I also have a lot of visitors and don’t mind asking them to sit for me. Lastly, I try to sprinkle myself through my 365 too. If it’s been a while I’ll get in front of the camera and play. Self portraiture, don’t skip it! If you notice you’ve never been in a photo or it’s been a few weeks it means it’s time for you to set up to be in a shot!

Medium

My memory says this is your basic shot, but even so, it doesn’t need to be average. I try to take perspective into account for shooting medium and allow myself to get creative with my angle when I can. Changing your angle, even slightly can give a totally different feel to you medium shot.

Action

Going into 2020, action/movement is one of my biggest visual elements that I’d like to incorporate into my work. What gives a photo more interest than movement? It’s a perfect way to capture a moment, a feeling.. whether it’s energy or excitement. Action is life!

“Oh no. It’s only week two and I’m already taking a photo of my water glass in the morning.”
- One of the ladies in my first 365 group

We’ve all been there, for real! And the good part is you have 365 photos, so by all means, take the picture of your water glass… but then check out these tips because you’ll need to spice it up if you want to make it the whole year!

First thing you can do is head over to Google and type in ‘Rules of Photography Composition’ and check out some of the results that come up.
Pick one of the rules and focus on it for an entire week. They’ll explain what it is and it really helps to have something to “look for” when you pick up your camera than to wander around aimlessly.
Although I don’t knock wandering around aimlessly, because that’s typically what I was doing when I took my favorite photographs. Maybe you’ll get a great shot, maybe you’ll get an average shot, maybe you’ll capture something portfolio worthy. You just never know… but honestly that’s what makes it fun.

Another way to create some ideas would be to actually sit down and brainstorm. Why are you doing this project? What is it that you really want to remember?
Do you smile to yourself every time your toddler puts his clothes on inside out and backwards? Is it the way the light hits your wall your bedroom in the fall? Is it your grandmother’s hand? Your pups footprint in the snow? (or sand for my Hawaii friends ;P)

I’ve documented everything from the start of my grey hair (it’s coming in hot by the way, WTH!), to the nursery with a rocker (knowing it would only last a few short months), to big moves across country! A 15 minute brainstorm session could give you a month’s worth of ideas!

Lastly, and this is the most important, if I could share one thing with you, it’s to not be afraid to take a bad photo. Or a week of bad photos.
If I’ve learned anything from any of the amazing teachers in my life, it’s that you need to make a lot of bad or okay stuff to make the heart sing stuff. Don’t over think it and don’t let it stump you.

Just keep going.

Alright, I think that’s everything!

Please please let me know if you have any questions and I’ll be here rooting and posting and wishing you all an awesome 2020!

Elyse’

Remember to Dip a Toe in 2020

It all started with a harmonica my son got in his Christmas stocking.

He was excited and eager but didn't have a clue what to do. I attempted to show him, but trust me, I wasn't the one to do it, so I pulled up a video online so he could see what it was all about.

One simple google search and there were pages and pages and pages of results. Lessons, tutorials, classes and how-tos. Beginners, intermediate and masters -- any and all ages.

And as I played a couple songs for my son, picturing him as the next Bob Dylan, all I could think about was how we can so easily learn about anything. Absolutely anything.

And that's so cool, isn't it? That we can pick any topic, walk to the edge and dive in, head first.

When it comes to exploring creatively -- the opportunities are endless.

Dip a toe.

You've got nothing to lose.

- Elyse’

I’m waist deep, as we speak, in digital collage art. As someone who has literally dipped all of my toes in something different, it feels good to be progressing. I might be going under with this one! Combining my photographs with other elements to finally complete my thoughts.

Skillshare is my companion into the night and I’m currently watching Marcos Morales’s classes on digital collage. Neat stuff.

Anyways, as always, I’d love to hear about what you’re exploring in 2020 so I can root you on! I hope this year blesses you beyond!