Ray Morrow finds out more about the Bristol-based Photo of the Day art project…

Imagine taking a photo every single day for a year. Would you run out of ideas within a week? Maybe you’d keep creative – and get more so – as the year passed? You’d certainly gain a new perspective, if the results of the Photo of the Day project is anything to go by.

This small – but growing – group has been up and running since 2006, and between its members has catalogued a unique library of Bristolian vignettes.

365 days...
I have to admit, there’s an element of personal interest for me in the project. I dabbled informally* for six months and my Mum has gone the full monty, joined the group and rarely misses a day – some of her snaps illustrate this post.

As such, I’ve seen how the project works first hand, and think it’s a great way to think more creatively every day. Personally speaking, I found hunting down a great shot every day takes lateral thinking and a beady eye.

Everyday inspiration
Stop and think about it. If you’re anything like me, your day-to-day routine is anything but varied, even though you may not like to admit it. Wake up, get ready, walk to work, lunch, work through, home again in the evening. Of course the glorious expanse of weekend always lies ahead, but that’s the interesting thing about this project – you can’t wait for inspiration. You’ve got to look at the familiar and reinvent it every day. Finding new angles into the seemingly mundane and bring it to life with a little imagination.

I quickly drew parallels between the disciplined creativity professional designers and writers. For us there’s no sitting around and waiting for the muse to strike – we have to deliver day in, day out, whether we’re in the mood… or not so much.

Creativity on tap?
Personally, I think this kind of creative, lateral thinking is a skill that can be developed. Yes, you need natural aptitude and talent to build on, but as time passes, you get better. It gets easier. It’s like any other job – you find shortcuts to inspiration, tricks to jolt bright ideas. And my foray into Photo Of The Day was one of them.

Hmmmmm. Maybe it’s time to get on ebay and invest in that SLR camera after all…

Photo of the Day is exhibiting at the CREATE Centre on Smeaton Rd until June 5.  It’s well worth a visit if you’ve an hour to spare – simply hop on a ferry, jump off at The Cottage pub, and head for the red brick warehouses. It’s free to visit, and opening hours are Mon-Fri: 9-5pm and Sat: 9-4pm.

Want to know more? Visit the Photo of the Day website
Need proper directions? Find CREATE on googlemaps
Making a day of it? See what else is on at CREATE or pop over to the Tobacco Factory arts centre on North St (Bedminister)

*Mine was a very personal version, bombarding my Facebook friends with monthly albums. It was tragically truncated when my camera went AWOL…