I could claim that I launched this new series in January but in truth, it is merely convenient that the idea came together in my mind this month. That said, these are a few of the things that got me spurred me on through a potentially dejected month:

The news that 62 people now own as much as the poorest half of the world’s population and that this gap between the richest and the poorest people is going in the wrong direction.

“I believe that the power of story is important in order to achieve justice.” Chantal Barlow’s Unconventional Apology photography series allows women to share their stories of domestic violence. This statement by one of the women cut me to the core. My passion for stories and social justice are just different sides of the same coin.

This article exploring how (perceived) laziness may be vital for creativity. You should read the article, but it’s really exploring the difference between ‘deep’ and ‘shallow’ work and the need for long periods of ‘deep’ work in order to create. It definitely got me thinking about how much of my day is broken up by emails etc. *reprimands self and closes Twitter and Instagram*.

This half an hour trip to the New Forest. We believe firmly in the value of having one day a week when we rest and recuperate. Life doesn’t always allow for a whole day. This trip was on one of those squeezed days. We didn’t have time for a walk but we reframed it as time in a beautiful space to take photographs. It was so refreshing for the week that followed.

What spurred you on in January? What has inspired, challenged or encouraged you in the first month of 2016?

Today’s soundtrack: Bon Iver // For Emma, Forever Ago