Even if you can’t wait to say “good riddance” to 2017, taking a moment to reflect—and actually get your thoughts down—not only sets you up for success next year, but has a way of enhancing or even shifting perspective. Take a look at some of the inspiring reflections and year-end projects from the the Spark community and create your own—we’ve come up with six ideas to get you started and six time-saving creative constraints to get you done.
Create your own visual time capsule.
This powerful collection of photos from Reuters and Adobe Stock capture major moments that rocked the world this year. This small, yet mighty, reflection on humanity in 2017 is definitely worth the scroll, but you can also take a page out of Reuters’s newspaper and tell the story of your own community or microcosm. Try selecting just one photo from every month on your camera roll (or Creative Cloud libraries or Lightroom albums, all browsable right in Spark) to give the project helpful constraints. Pair the images with a line of copy that enhances the meaning or provides contextual details. It’s helpful to think like a journalist and answer the five Ws (who, what, where, when, & why) if you don’t know what to write.
Go deep on one milestone.
Did something big happen for you this year? Dive in on one major accomplishment or event to mark the moment forever. Here photographer Gareth Pon reflects on moving to a new city with a Spark Page photo story. Consider choosing images that share something in common, such as a vantage point, technique, place, or color scheme.
Look back on your accomplishments with a video.
A year-in-review video is a great way to wrap up your major milestones. Here graphic designer Luke Choice celebrates his first year as a freelancer by pulling some of his greatest projects and moments into a quick social video. Not only does it make for great social media fodder, but it provides an opportunity for him to thank his partners and collaborators, thus helping to pave the way for 2018 progress. Try narrowing the scope of your video to just three points, projects, or milestones to act as your own expert editor.
Collage your favorite photos or moments in minutes.
If a video or photo journal seem overwhelming, a collage of your favorite moments, photos, or people of 2017 is something sweet and fun you can create whenever you can find a few moments of reflection. Use this template and time yourself— what will you remember about the year in 2 minutes?
Did you embark on a creative journey this year? Start a new hobby or a new job? Use this template to collect the photos in one post. A visual theme can help you get to “wow” faster.
Share your year in numbers.
Though this template works especially well for an athlete, visualizing your year in numbers is an interesting way anyone can mark memories. Steps taken, miles run, words written, sales boosted, friends or connections made—take a moment to quantify what makes sense to you. It could lend a whole new perspective on what you accomplished this year.
End the year with a creative practice.
End the year on a creative high and get a jump on New Year’s resolutions by taking up a challenge that gets you creating and sharing regularly. We love this collaboration between father and sons, who are spending everyday of Christmas re-enacting their favorite holiday movie scenes. The push to create something everyday requires that you approach the project in a bite-sized or doable way and can help you go into 2017 flexing a creative muscle.
Share your year-in-reviews and 2017 reflections with #adobespark! We’ll re-share our favorites!
Photo by Brigitte Tohm on Unsplash