DONE

Unless I miscounted somehow (and even if I did, at this point), my Project 365 for October 15th, 2009 to October 14th, 2010 is finished.  Notice that I didn't say it's "complete".  (I somehow lost the photos for a few days somewhere back there, remember?)  Nor is it completely honest.  There were a handful of days when I simply forgot to take a photo and ended up substituting one from the next day (or the previous day, depending on which photos were better).  However, in each of those cases, I made a note of the substitution in the caption, and really, there weren't that many missed days. 

I wish I could say that I learned a lot about photography during this project, but honestly, I don't think I did... In fact, I think the quality of my photos has suffered, if anything, and I feel glad that the project is done.

Reading that (assuming anyone has (g)), you may wonder why I even stuck with it, after it became a chore.  I guess it comes down to sheer stubbornness and the feeling that I'd come to regret it, if I abandoned the project altogether.

I think I would have felt greater pride and pleasure in the project had I never missed a day.  After missing that first day, I never felt the same about the project...  Maybe I would've put more effort into it, then, instead of just doing it because I had made some sort of commitment to see it through to the end.  ...That's not a good thing, I know.  Things don't have to be perfect to still be worth doing, and you shouldn't let the fear that something won't be perfect keep you from doing and enjoying it-- whether it's a silly photo-hobby "project" or something much more important.  Apparently that's something I'm still working on living instead of simply "knowing" (in theory)!

I might be interested in trying Project 365 again, sometime, but I definitely need a break from huge photo projects.  I think I'd like to try some week-long or month-long projects, though... and get back into the habit of photographing just for fun-- not because I "have" to take a photo every day.

One other thing: This time around, I allowed myself (in my own set of personal Project 365 rules) to post the photos any time I liked (i.e. not the day I took them).  That might work for some people, but I often ended up being weeks behind in posting, and that probably cut down on the fun of Project 365, making it one more thing for my "to do" list instead of a daily habit or something to really look forward to.  If I do it again, I'll try harder to not just take (at least) one photo a day but also to post (at least) one photo every day.

So yes, I'm glad the project's done, and I may not have uncovered any secrets to taking the Perfect Photo along the way, but I still like looking back through the project photos.  They do serve as a reminder of many things that happened over the course of the year... and I've probably learned more than I realize!  Thanks for coming along for the ride!