gettin’ our party on in april.

march’s journey is complete. we have traveled from darkness to light. literally, here in sweden. the time changed last night, so we are now  livin’ it up with much longer days. tonight, it’s almost 7:30 and the sun is still shining. in a month or so, it’ll be 10:30pm and the sun’ll still be shining. ya gotta love the long summer days in sweden. and we deserve them after living through the long, dark winter nights for 5 months. yep.

so, for now, we say goodbye to the darkness. goodbye to march. and goodbye to march’s journey, which for me, has been a journey inward. i had no idea how much the daily word prompts would affect and inspire me, but they did. i believe that i experienced the time before easter (= lent) in a whole different way this year. and it was something that was good for me, though it didn’t feel that good all of the time.

march has been a crazy month. super busy. filled with work and lots of worry. many moments were wonderful. and many moments were tough. yet, the month has been transformative. i’m not sure how yet. but, i am certain that i have learned a few more things about myself. and about life. needless to say, i am more than happy to move on to a new month in the morning. but, i move on, stronger than i was before i embarked on this photo journey. and ready, more than ever, to see what comes next.

first, though, here’s a little collage of all of my photos from the march challenge. a little peek at my journey through march.

i am so thankful for all of you who have been following along, whether you’ve been reading & commenting, posting pictures on instagram or your blog, or showing me some love on Facebook and/or instagram. i feel so honored to be part of such an inspiring group of people from all over the world. it is truly amazing to have this cyber-connection with people, and it is something that fuels me and energizes me. i cannot really express the joy you all bring me, just by visiting me here. sending out love to you all.

now, for those of you who are into this photo challenge thing (and i encourage you to be into it. hehe!), i’ve got a great one prepared for april! i took advantage of all of y’alls creativity again, and used your words to create the list. so, once again, april is a collaborative effort. love that.

drum roll, please…. here it is!

i decided, before i asked for your help, that the theme for april would be something celebratory. after such a long journey of ups and downs in march, it was time to celebrate being alive. plus, it’s the beginning of spring up here in the northern hemisphere and mother nature inspires us to celebrate life. so, that’s what we’re gonna do in april!

“they” say that practicing the power of the present moment, of seeking to be present and grateful each day is something that can transform our attitudes, our health, and our perspectives. so, in april, come what may, i’m planning on finding a way to celebrate life. i’m planning to live life to the fullest in one way or another. every. single. day.

and i invite y’all to join me!

seriously, though. why not spend 30 days finding a way to celebrate life? why not snap a photo of something worth celebrating every day? why not get those creative juices flowing now that spring is on its way (or find ways to celebrate the next stage in life, as fall begins to creep up on you southern hemisphere-ers)? why not push yourself to be a little artsy? why not?

if you decide to join me, the only thing i ask is for you to:

• let me know you’re participating – here on my blog (comment below), on belovelive’s new Facebook page, on instagram (@lizslens), or on twitter (@elre74).
• use the hashtag #bllphotoaday on your photos
• try to snap a picture each day & use an original one (no throw-backs, unless you just have to. that’s a part of the challenge)

now, there is no pressure here. if you begin the challenge & then wimp out… no biggie. i’ve done that soooo many times. make it what you want. all i ask is that you give yourself a chance to express yourself. and if it’s not for you, then no prob. if you feel stressed out, skip a day or two & come back to it. it’s all about you – being creative and celebrating your life.

not totally on board yet?

ok. well, here’s why i love these photo challenges = what you get out of it:

1.  the community – if you share your photo,use the hashtag (#bllphotoaday) and explore other people, you will meet some pretty cool fellow artists from all over the world. i guarantee it.
2. the juices – creative juices start to flow. overflow, even. you’ll find yourself taking pictures you never thought you’d take. you’ll beging to develop your artist’s eye, and start to see art every freaking where you look. downside: you may annoy people you are with because you want to stop & snap a photo every few feet/meters.
3. the roses – looking for a way to capture the theme word for each day teaches you to slow down. to notice things you don’t normally notice because you are usually too busy flitting about. you begin to see that every day holds something beautiful to discover.

save the image on your phone, or on your desktop, or on your facebook page, or bookmark this post. check out the word for the day – all of them are a variation of/connection to love… hence, the 28 days of love.

now, this list may look challenging. i think it is. i’m a little freaked out by it. but, i’m gonna see what i come up with. no need to just take pictures of the same old stuff over & over again, right?

every day you’ll find a word that has something to do with life… use the words for each day as a prompt. i’m not gonna give any suggestions for each of the words. i’ll let you interpret them how you will. some are tough. some are not. just snap a shot of something that represents or symbolizes the word of the day. reflect on it a little. it will come to you. and whatever you do, it will be a beautiful expression of you.

so, with no further ado… let the party begin! it’s time to dance on the tables, drink champagne, laugh till our bellies hurt, breathe in deeply, appreciate what’s around us, and soak up every little moment of life. it’s great to be alive!

here’s to snapping photos! cheers!

peace.