Inspiration can be found in the strangest things. This little clock fascinates me. I could see it used in my new office, in a filmed period piece (like a flashback scene), or as inspiration for a new design layout.

Photography is something I’ve studied for a long time, but I’ve never quite gotten into product photography. I typically photograph people, events, and landscapes. Trying something new always excites me, though.

So I captured these found objects. Most of them were found while cleaning out my grandmother’s house after she passed away. I took the pictures a few months after we had cleaned out her house, while I was busy cleaning out my own garage.

This photography experiment helped me study the things she kept, grieve over the loss, and figure out what I want to keep in my own home. It was a nice break from processing, cleaning, and purging everything in my garage. It also allowed me to feel creative when I really just wanted to crawl into the fetal position and cry because I’d lost someone I love.

Now, months later, I’ve realized that photographing these objects has helped me feel find some peace. I feel less obligated to hang on to them, and more freedom to use the space I have more efficiently. I have kept a lot of weird little things that remind me of my grandparents (like the Band-Aid tins) because they make me smile. But now I don’t feel like I need to keep all of it, which is nice.

This exercise reminded me of a few photo lessons, too. I need to give myself more time and patience while photographing objects because it can be somewhat tedious. I need to set up better lighting, use my tripod, and find a better backdrop to get the best results. I just grabbed the camera, shot a few angles, and kept on cleaning the garage. I can do better than that.

The little clock is super cute. I have a few like it, and I might hang on to them for a while. They might inspire me in my new home office once it’s set up.