I find it interesting to follow my thought process of how I got my very own idea. I send a Christmas card with picture every year. I love it! It's my favorite time of year. I love giving and getting cards. I always include some sort of letter or note bragging about my kids and great husband. Hey, I have a great husband and kids so it's my right to brag :) We aren't perfect and I don't try to pretend we are, I just try to focus and show the really great things about us.
Though I'm a photographer and I can truly appreciate why things cost the way they do, it still doesn't mean I can afford to have my picture taken either. It's why I do what I do, so I can do for myself and others when I or they can't afford what we really want. I also love a really well put together outfit for the whole family which just adds to that cost I can't afford. So this year I just couldn't get myself motivated about doing a family picture and cards. I wanted to send one but what could I write in a letter? We are super busy doing all the exact same things we were super busy with last year. Right now my life is in that status quo place. Kids love what they do to keep busy but it's the same as last year. I love what I do to keep busy and it's mostly the same as last year. Same for my husband. We've all had subtle changes, Oldest goes to HS, I dropped soccer board, youngest started preschool, etc etc. But really those are just the "it's a new year change not really a change to note." So I tried to come up with something fun I could do for a picture.
My first idea since I am the epitome of soccer mom. My oldest made the HS team, played on a great rec team and ref's to earn money, the next boy made the Jr high team, played on a great rec team and refs to earn money, my older daughter played on a team that she played with years ago for the fall season and a different team with a friend back in the spring, my youngest played for the first time this fall, my husband refs games, and in addition to working (though I stepped down from it part way through the year) with a local league as a board member I spent more hours than I can count driving my kids to all these things and watching all these games. We are a soccer family. So I thought it would be fun if we all wore soccer outfits. No one in my family thought that was good idea.
Then I started thinking of all the other things we do with our time in addition to soccer. We really aren't so one sided. The more I thought about this the more I wanted to try to find a way to showcase all we do. So I told my family that for our family picture I wanted them to put on everything they could that represented all they do and all that they love and all that just keeps them busy. To say that they all thought I was crazy was an understatement. But I could see this picture in my head. I just had to get them to go along with it.
Christmas came and went with no picture as I couldn't get anyone to see what I saw in my head. The more I thought about this the more I loved the idea. Finally on New Years Day I told them they all had to just do it. We could take the picture somewhere that no one would see and if it turned out like they thought it would I wouldn't send it anywhere. So each person was left to come up with their own outfit. To put together all the things they wanted to represent themselves. Many asked for ideas and I started several of them off, but as time went on they kept adding to their own and each others outfits. I suggested a leash for my husband as he is always taking care of the dog, he decided to expand that to the dog. My daughter added material and paint brushes to her dance bag. Even my husband suggested the diet coke can for me since I always am drinking one these days. We went to an old abandoned building and set it all up. We forgot many things and left a lot in the car as oversights but I think we captured my idea well.
We first just stood nice and smiled. I'd set the timer on the camera, push the button and run to be in the picture. (No one was allowed to take the picture as my husband still didn't believe it would turn out well). After several tries of that we decided to "be silly" My husband pulled out his ref card for soccer and carded my son, I took a big swig off my diet coke, my cute little daughter had her crown fall over her eyes and looked to one she loved for help to right herself. It was at that moment the camera clicked and truly captured my family as we are today.
I love the picture. Nothing could have come out better. It is just what I envisioned in my head. And for the first time in a long time, I was able to get an idea all of my own to turn out. It was a great moment to me. It reminded me that though I am fully for copying and using others ideas to create things, your very own idea completely your own feels even better. I hope to find small ways to not be so afraid of my own ideas. To showcase a little more me in everything I do instead of always trusting that which I have already seen done. But don't get me wrong, along the way for the next great personal idea....I will spend many hours on pintrist finding ideas to use over and over again.
