If you’ve spent any time in the WordPress community, you’ve probably noticed that we love a good challenge. And honestly? So do I. I am a team member of the Lens-Artists Photo Challenges, and I also take part in other challenges.

It started simply enough — I stumbled across one or two community challenges and thought, why not give it a go? That was somewhere between five and ten years ago now, and what began as a casual experiment has quietly become one of my favorite parts of being a WordPress user.

That said, I’m selective about the ones I join. With limited time and energy, I’d rather commit fully to a handful of challenges than spread myself too thin. I’ve also found that I gravitate toward challenges with a nature theme — photography, seasonal subjects, the outdoors — which probably says something about where my creative interests live.

So what makes these challenges worth your time? For me, it comes down to learning and connection. Challenges nudge you out of your comfort zone, and there’s something quietly motivating about knowing others are working through the same thing alongside you. That sense of community is genuinely special. Besides, it has already happened to me to meet one of my blogosphere friends in person!

If you’ve been on the fence about joining a WordPress challenge, consider this your nudge. You don’t need to be an expert. You just need to show up.

Below you’ll find the challenges I participate in — take a look, and maybe I’ll see you in one of them. The “Challenges” column takes you to their main pages. The “My Responses” column will show all responses I’ve posted to the challenges.