Sometimes, when I stared at a brand new paper, I could not help wondering: “What can I do with this paper?” It can be filled with my Math homework, English essays, or lots of artistic little graffitis. What would someone else do with it? Some musicians? They may make the next world’s most beautiful rhythm on that piece of paper. The painters? If that single ordinary paper appears on their tables by any chance, it may be exhibited in some museums years later. Scientists? God knows if Hawking would prove which theory of the universe on it! However, the paper is mine. I neither have the ability to decorate it with the most exquisite lines and words, nor came up with the equations that might help the human race to immigrant to other galaxies. But I do know, at least I am capable of making it special to me. If you see it in another angle, this brand new paper could also symbolise anyone’s new-born, a fresh start, a coming year, and even the challenging thirty days. You know what is the most fascinating part? —You are the master of it.
About a month ago, Mr. Guarino shown our Writing and Comp class a short video on the TED about Matt Cutts and his challenges. I clearly remember what he said at the end of the video: “The next thirty days is gonna pass whether you like it or not. So why not think of something you have always wanted to try, and give it a shot?(Youtube)” I stared at that man on the screen as staring at that pure and white paper that often appeared in my mind. “What do I always want to do?” I asked myself and felt excited about this new homework. I especially squeezed half an hour to think about my own life. I wanted to find something that lingered in my life all the time but did not even get the chance to start. Finally, my black little camera jumped into my head. “Photography!” I almost yelled out when this brilliant idea came into my mind. As I have mentioned before in the former blogs, photography is what I have touched years ago but abandoned for school work (Yang). I miss the old times when I stood near my dad with the camera and pretend to be professional. I like those delicate and advanced buttons on the camera and the excellent images that produced by myself. I needed a way to build the bridge between now and the photography in my childhood, and at that moments, I knew I found it.
Learning something you forgot years ago is not easy. I had to adjust all the settings of the camera one by one and figured out their relationships and connections. Big aperture value can emphasis the focus while blurring the back ground; slow shutter value can present the track of the motions; ISO is able to decide the tone of the photos; Program mode is like a good helper for every beginner… I called my dad and read some instructions of photography on the internet. Before the first day of my 30-day challenge, I finished all of the necessary lessons. To be honest, I suspected if I could finish this challenge from the first day, because there was nothing much that seemed meaningful to be recorded. My life was all about study, sports, eating and sleeping. “ How can I do my challenge today?” It was always the first question that jumped into my mind in the last thirty days. I took photos of the new Thai restaurant in the first weekend; after that was like a photo tour of my little dorm; then some stories about film in my childhood. Just when I thought writing blog and the challenge had already mixed well in my life, I was stuck.
Suddenly, I could find nothing to write about for the blog even though the photos in my camera were sufficient. I did not want to change my blog about photography challenge into a boring diary. I became annoyed to check the Writing and Comp assignment page and the notorious words “BLOG POST”. It made me feel like the whole project became meaningless since I was even reluctant to do it. The photos I took were all about some negligible stuffs such as grass, cups, and clouds, which had no value to write about. However, things changed again. One day, my pessimism was broken by Sera. In the Writing class, Sera told me maybe I could write some imaginary stories base on the photos. Her advice was like a beam of sunlight that was shot into my cloudy challenge. Stories! I like writing stories! In stories I can find the connection between lines that I have never experienced in prose or argumentative writing! I accepted Sera’s priceless opinion and started a interesting story that night. The protagonist was a cup of Jasmine tea, and I wrote about a pathetic life of a tiny Jasmine that floated in the water. When I typed the last word of that story in the blog, I knew my passion came back. Not just the passion, I could feel my ideas also flew back into my head. I realised I could write something about the way I took photos, my skills, my understanding, my improvements, and how I deal with the photo products. The excitement inflated again in my heart, and supported me to the end of this long ran.
“What can I do with a brand new paper?” This question comes out again after thirty days. Now, I can answer it confidently without any philosophical long sentences, because what I have just experienced is the most powerful proof. After I filled the past month with hardworking, perseverance, and imagination, I see a gorgeous image unfolding in front of me. It is the combination of those one hundred and fifty photos, or the miniature of all of my thoughts and ideas. Like Ms. Guarino said, this challenge is also a challenge of writing (Guarino) . Apparently, everyone realised it in the first week, but the improvement I received from it only got to emerge with time. The way I think of things has secretly changed while I was fighting with the endless blog writings. I became a better photographer and writer with a more comprehensive and profound thinking pattern. Also, the annoying blogs finally became some great teachers who helped me accelerate my writing speed efficiently. At the end of the challenge, I am grateful to myself for what I have insisted. Time is passing with our one lives; I have witnessed the power of activism, and I am ready to start a brilliant new page now!
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