1% Infinity and the Dog Days of Summer

THE 1% CONCEPT

Bjork Ostrom, of Food Blogger Pro, Pinch of Yum, and my fave Food Blogger Pro Podcast, fascinated me with his concept of 1% infinity – basically, that any kind of resolution or goal can be daunting and, thereby, rendered unachievable, but anyone can commit to learning and improving 1% every day, forever. The waning of summer is a good time to think about this, as September and the start of a school year is always more of a fresh start than an uninspiring frozen January morning. The concept works so well with our “busy,” and the mission statement of our website. Start by being 1% better at those outdoor activities remaining on your summer bucket list!

FUN WITH PHOTOS

Another 1% challenge I’d like to propose will reward you with lots of great uses and memories – really learning the capabilities of your smart phone to take great photos - of your Grands, your garden, the possibilities are endless. I’ve set up a Pinterest page with lots of links to help you, even one for photographing active toddlers (my constant challenge). You can start with a few bullet points (one a day?), a post with 150 tips to improve your photography this year, or even go as far as registering for the official iPhone Photography School (all online).

LEARN WHAT YOUR PHONE CAN DO

Learn how to crop and edit, use a Burst feature, or find apps that will help you with some fun features. We have an experienced eye, patience, and some quiet moments with the Grands that vary from their everyday routines. Don’t pose; Capture. Capture your everyday story. Experiment with small details. And play more! “The best camera is the one you have with you.” — Chase Jarvis. Learn 1% more about the great tool we have in our pockets every day.

FUN PHOTO APPS

Last summer, during my nephew’s wedding week, I taught my sisters-in-law about the Facetune app. Some of us Grandycampers have issues with, you know, pics wearing a sleeveless dress, or more jawline than we’d like, etc. With Facetune, you can zoom in to certain “trouble spots” and use a finger swipe to narrow that upper arm a bit, add a smidge of volume to that humidity hair, or smooth a neck close-up. Our little “corrections” got funnier depending on our beverages - at least for that week, we looked 1% better! Gosh, I’ve got to revisit that!

Another of my favorite apps, Waterlogue, changes any photo into a watercolor painting. It gives you lots of choices from Bright or Vibrant, to Travelogue, a yellowed, more antiqued palette. The most fascinating thing is that you upload your picture from an album on your phone, and it starts a line drawing and fills in details, color, and contrast in under a minute, so you are watching the crafting of the finished work. You save the finish in with your other photos, and can use it for anything – homemade cards, messages, maybe to frame! When I went to find the link for you, I bought Popsicolor from the same site!

So, 1%; being just a little bit better every day, forever. I’ve been entering challenges with Minted.com, an upscale online stationary site, in the last few months to make me think outside the box with my illustration work. What 1% are you thinking about? How can we help? Leave a comment or email me directly, for something you’d like to see on GrandyCamp, a question, or a great pic of your Grandbaby. We are liking this 1% thing.

 “Don’t look for new landscapes, use new eyes to see what is already there.” – Gerald Causse