365 Day Nail Art Challenge

Boglárka Tornai in Százhalombatta, Hungary is doing a 365 Day Nail Art Challenge...



Why did you decide to do this project?  I decided to make this project, because I have very much nail polishes and I really enjoy doing these designs. :) So, I'm in love with my hobby!



How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Every day I have time to create a post, I'm lucky. :) My followers think that I'm a creative girl and it makes me happy. :)



See all of Bolárka's nails HERE.

366 Cranes

Ellen Fithian in Flower Mound, Texas is making 366 Cranes and leaving them for people to discover in various locations...




Why did you decide to do this project? My new project for 2012. Via instagram (@efithian #366cranes), I'll post and geotag a new crane everyday. Each will have a message tucked into a wing. I will also post the photos and quotes here as well.
I'm doing this for a couple of reasons:
  1. Making cranes makes me happy
  2. I need to read more quotes from people much smarter than me
  3. Finding a new place to put a crane everyday will be a challenge
  4. If someone happens to find one, that would be a great BONUS!
Along the lines of the ornament page from last year, Kiana and I have decided to donate $1 for every LIKE to Shiba Inu Rescue of Texas. Hope you LIKE, share, follow and maybe even find! 


How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I'm only a week into this project and it's already been a challenge to find new places everyday since I work in one location. But, it forces me to seek out places and gets me out of my usual routine. I pick the quotes which resonate with me but they may equally touch another person if they read it on FB or actually find one of my cranes. I've also realized that at the end of the year, all the photos would make an awesome poster.



See all of Ellen's cranes HERE.

365 Words. 365 Days. 365 Opportunities.

Yasna C. Provine in Los Lunas, New Mexico is creating 365 Words. 365 Days. 365 Opportunities. She explains, "This project is three fold:  I wake up in the morning and think of a word.  I take my camera with me throughout the day (to school, to work, to run errands, etc.) to find a picture that represents the word.  Then, once the picture is taken, I write a poem about the picture (and implicitly about the word)."...





Why did you decide to do this project?  I decided to do this project because I was feeling like I didn't have anything going on in my life that I was absolutely passionate about, that I woke up and fought to find time for.  I found a disconnect between the way I see myself, which is a creative person and the way I lived my life (just kind of going through the motions).  Writing poetry comes naturally to me, but I have to work at taking pictures.  I thought, why not create a project where I will inevitably become more creative and a better photographer at the same time?



How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? This project has made me feel very intense emotions about my "calling."  I see myself -- just after a week of doing this project -- as so much more creative!  It's amazing to have a goal each day and see it become a finished product.  I had one very hard day, where I just could not find a subject for my photograph.  I drove around for 3 hours looking for something, stopping at various places, and nothing stood out to me.  I thought about changing the word -- it's not like anyone would have known the difference since it's all published at once -- but I stuck with it.  I felt like I needed the stress and the struggle.  I finally got my picture (at home!!!) and felt so upset with myself.  I was angry that I had spent such a big portion of my day specifically looking for a picture and it was nowhere to be found, and then I came home and there it was.  It just goes to show that creativity cannot be forced. 




The other thing I noticed is that I can actually entertain people with my work.  People seem to like what I've been doing.  Up until this point, my poetry-writing has always been a very private, emotionally dense experience.  So, sharing my vulnerability in this way and having people not only respect it, but like it, is very powerful.  This project has helped me to become more confident in my own skills as a creative communicator.  It's also helped me to think of myself as a person who IS creative, rather than one who has the potential to be.  What I find most interesting is that my personal focus on this project was initially on the photography, not the writing, because the writing is what I knew would anchor me within the project.  But the response I'm getting from readers and the way I feel emotionally as I'm writing every day is really proving that this project is completely focused on the writing.  I continue to be challenged and to find new and interesting things to write and photograph.  Here's to many more days of creativity!


You can see all of Yasna's words, days, and opportunities HERE.

365 Creative Creatures

Kenneth Provine in Los Lunas, New Mexico is making 365 Creative Creatures...




Why did you decide to do this project? My wife discovered the Skull-A-Day project and became inspired, I followed suit upon looking at other projects.  I am a creative person but I rarely take the time to allow the creativity to come out. I wanted to do this project so that I could share my love of animals and practice my art skills.  I really want to find a medium that I could possibly focus on later, this journey may help find it.





How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Well after just about a week, I have gained confidence about my own work.  After receiving positive comments from friends, family and strangers on some of my art I feel proud to share the artifacts without hesitation.  I also have been noticing myself seeing and observing creatures within other objects.  Ideas have been fling into my head like a river.  I have a giant list of ideas that are ready at anytime.  I hope to continue to make self discoveries along this journey.  I also hope to inspire others just as Noah Scalin and my wife, Yasna have inspired me!



See all of Kenneth's creatures HERE.

Lauren's 366 Photos

Lauren Coleman in Berkeley, California is doing a social photo-a-day project for the 366 days of 2012 (it's a leap year!) and posting the results on her Flickr page...



Why did you decide to do this project? Actually, your work inspired me. I had flipped through your skull book at some point (AMAZING, and I effin love skulls), which may have led me to your 365 blog. I made it about two months last year, but inspired my mother to go for the entire year. Which in turn has re-inspired me (and my best friend) to give it a go this year!



How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I take a ton of photos as it is, but I rarely end up sharing them, so this project is socially driven. My mother really enjoyed the conversations on Facebook that revolved around each photo. At the end of the year, she was wrapping up and not planning on continuing, when all sorts of FB lurkers came out of the woodwork to tell her how much it meant to them to log on and look at her photos every day. While I am only on day 6, a friend already left an amazing comment on one of my photos:
"Lauren, this time last year, as I hauled myself out of bed before dawn, exhausted & in the depths of depression, I always looked forward to finding out what your latest pic of the day was & I made it the first thing I did while feeding my son. It was like a little ray of positivity to help see me through. I'm glad to see this project back — even now I'm back on track I'll continue to be inspired by your rare ability to find beauty in the simplest everyday things."
So, yeah, that makes a huge impact, and it feels amazing to have this community come together through sharing a daily image, whether they themselves are doing it (such as my mother and my bff — it is tremendously rewarding to be doing this together) or whether they find inspiration by following the project.


See all of Lauren's photos HERE.

Daily2012Haiku

Jessica Mills in Albuquerque, New Mexico is writing Daily2012Haiku inspired by the prompts from 365: A Daily Creativity Journal...

We marched through the snow
like a family of ducks
shaking tail feathers.  


Why did you decide to do this project? Last year, 2011, I aimed to write a haiku a day.  I fell a bit short of my goal at 311 haikus for the year.  Reading through them, they read like a personal journal, so I probably wouldn't share half of them with an audience.  When my mom gave me your book for Christmas, "365: A Daily Creativity Journal," it inspired me to try again this year, and to use the prompts in the book.  I think the promts will help direct me away from personal journal style haikus and towards ones to share with an audience via a blog.

Bottlecaps hammered
flat then nailed to painted wood
transcend collection 

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? This is the 4th yearlong / daily project I've attempted.  Each time, it's been enjoyable, though each time I've fallen a tad short of my goal.  This year, 2012, is the first time I've done so using a public format and so far I've noticed that it challenges me to be more thoughtful and has me feeling a bit vulnerable.  Regardless, it's fun and a great way for me to clear out the brain cobwebs!

Exactly who makes
money worth more than paper
and those who print it? 




Read all of Jessica's haiku HERE.

365 Random Verses

Mary Erickson in Columbia, Maryland, USA is using an on-line random scripture generator to choose a Bible verse of the day and then using 365: A Daily Creativity Journal to create her project 365 Random Verses...




Why did you decide to do this project?  I received the Daily Creativity Journal for a Christmas present.  I like making things.  The Bible is important to me, so a daily verse was a good choice for my theme--something I would not lose interest in, week after week.  I am middle-aged and thought I would enjoy the fun as well as the challenge to keep going all year!  Trying new things keeps one mentally flexible---wish this would also work for my joints...



How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? It's pretty early for a life-changing perspective.  For now, it's keeping me happily occupied while waiting for my first grandchild to be born.



See all of Mary's creations HERE.

Is It Worth Waiting For

Lou and Chris Taylor in Nottingham, UK have challenged themselves to cook a new meal every day for a year in  Is It Worth Waiting For?...



Why did you decide to do this project? in early 2011 we found ourselves in a culinary rut, often relying on a common list of recipes to make up our weekly meals. we decided to embark on a challenging social experiment, to not eat the same meal twice for a year.



How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? apart from an expanding waistline, we have learnt lots of new cooking methods, tried lots of new food and my husband has suddenly realised that he is not allergic to nuts or mushrooms, he was just fussy! the choosing of menus and cooking the food has been really fun and a lot easier than we thought it would be. on the other hand, keeping on top of the daily posts has probably been the biggest challenge; but without the writing we wouldn't have people letting us know when they have been inspired to get in the kitchen and cook.



Read about all of Lou & Chris's meals HERE.

Gifts of Gab

Gabi in Colorado is using the prompts from 365: A Daily Creativity Journal to do a year of videos in Gifts of Gab...



Why did you decide to do this project?  I decided to do it because I found the book at Barnes & Noble a while back and wanted to have some fun. I had done a 100-picture drawing challenge and it really helped my drawing 'skills' improve, so I thought this project may help all my artistic abilities to become better! I wanted to start this a while back, but never thought I'd have time between school and stuff. Since the new year came around, I figured there was no time like Jan. 1 to start! :)



How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Since I've just started, it's hard to say, but I will remark on this: I thought this project would be a bit of a chore. I thought I'd have to force myself to think of an idea, be pressured for time, forget to do it some days, etc. On the contrary, I find the videos help my stress levels and that the ideas for crafts come more easily than I imagined. I already have many crafts planned ahead and I can't wait to make them a reality!



See all of Gabi's videos HERE


Project 366 Moments

Kelly Van den Saffele in Belgium is taking photographs daily in Project 366 Moments...



Why did you decide to do this project? I really love photography and I think this project is ideal to experiment and to learn new things. I bought my first camera only a while ago, in 2008, so I'm still developing my skills. I think it's also a good way to see the progress that you make by taking a picture every day.




How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I've just started this project, so I don't know yet how it's going to effect my daily life in the long run. But after 3 days I'm already experiencing that it's a real challenge to take a nice picture every day and that it pushes me to be creative in ways that I didn't explore before and that's a nice surprise.


 
See all of Kelly's photos HERE.

Teacup Styling

Natalie Beevers in Sheffield, England is doing a daily photography project she calls Teacup Styling...



Why did you decide to do this project? I have decide to take part in 365 because I want to share my pictures. I am new to photography so 365 gives me the chance to take one good photo each day to share. 



How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I love blogging (I also blog at whatweatetodayuk.com) and have found it a great way to interact with people who enjoy what I do. It also gives me a creative outlet that I may otherwise not have. I really gives me a sense of achievement.



See all of Natalie's photos HERE.

Daily Teacup

Jessica in The Hague, Netherlands is photographing her Daily Teacup...






Why did you decide to do this project?  This project has several goals, by having more goals I think it will be easier to finish my project.
  1. To drink more (green) tea because it's healthier.
  2. I wanted to improve my photography skills

 
How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? In the first place photography skills have improved, it's fun to see the process. Second, I started promoting my project, than it was seen by a organisation of a tea festive who asked me if they could use my pictures (I said yes of course!). It made me start networking more. I also have gotten more into tea itself, now I have a big shelf full of jars with tea and I got interested in making my own tea recipes! I'm almost halfway through my project and I couldn't imagine it would stop so I'm already making plans for the next project.



See all of Jessica's teacups HERE.

Symon Chow's Picture-A-Day Follow-Up

I'm periodically checking back in with some folks who have completed their 365 projects...


Symon Chow spent  all of 2011 sharing his photography...





What are the biggest lessons/skills you learned from doing your project? I think what this project taught me the most was to NOT TO BE such a perfectionist and protective about my work and how I present it, and to just let it go!



In what ways did the project change your life? It has made me more productive and efficient in the way I see and take pictures. But more then anything, I think it has made me enjoy taking pictures again!



Now what? We'll see what the rest of this week has in store for me first ;)


Read Symon's original 365 interview HERE.


See all of Symon's project HERE (heads up, some of it is not safe for work).

A Year of Taking Photo's and Journaling

Carla L from Des Moines, Iowa is having A Year of Taking Photo's and Journaling...


Why did you decide to do this project? I'm struggling to regain balance it my life.  There are a lot of things affecting me I can't control but I can control getting into routines that will help maintain the work-life-drama balance.  Now adding a new layer of healthy decisions that will allow me to incorporate some of the things I love- traveling, exploring trails especially the extensive ones in Iowa, taking photo's and scrapbook it all.  Hopefully blogging it will help keep me accountable.  I've come a ways in in the right direction over the last couple years but have to keep up the momentum.  Doing these things I believe will also help me become more healthy and happy.



How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I'm just beginning my year.  I've been doing morning pages daily for some time.  Last year I added a daily 30 minutes of physical activity.  Now I wan't to add some daily creativity with taking photos or document in scrapbook/journals about those photo's. I got a Nikon camera last year and I hope I'll learn about it as well as improve my abilities in this projecgt.  Writing, walking/running/jogging and creative endeavours all help me deal with stress and maintain much needed personal balance in life.


See all of Carla's photos & journal entries HERE



Daily 60 Seconds

Andreas Hallbert in Stockholm, Sweden is doing a Daily 60 Seconds.

He explains, "The rules are pretty simple, each piece has to be made within 60 seconds. And hopefully that will increase my ability to refine the ideas in my head, before putting them on paper, or whatever material I might use. I wont go for a specific theme, only that the work should somehow reflect my day. It will hopefully be a lot of humor along with some cynicism, and of course some nonsense. 60 seconds isn't that much time, and I am looking forward to find out if this project will both improve
my drawing skills  and my ability to visualize my ideas."





Why did you decide to do this project? I got inspired by both the book 365: A Daily Creative Journal and the swedish artist Jesper Walderstens project at www.waldersten365.com. I thought this was a really good way to improve my creative thinking, drawing skills and my endurance.




How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I've just started my project, but it has already made me more observant of my surroundings. I'm paying more attention to people and situations and that will most certainly make my days more interesting and improve my creativity.



See all of Andreas's minutes HERE.

A Pi A Day

Amy Phelps in Hickory, North Carolina is making a A Pi A Day... 






Why did you decide to do this project? 
I have always been a bit of a number nerd. I'm also unusual in the sense that I am a right-brain dominant math teacher. It seemed only natural for me to turn my passion for numbers into some sort of art. I chose pi for the infinite (pun intended) possibilities and the added challenge of expanding on the wealth of pi-related puns and art already out there.





How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I have been writing daily for about six years now. After reading Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, I began the practice of daily morning pages. This practice has led me to unlock a whole world of creative energy that I've kept locked away because it "wasn't practical" or "wasn't important enough". I've learned to embrace my creative spirit and indulge my creative instinct in ever-changing ways. Because of daily writing, I've taken up painting, collage art, and art journalling. I'm excited to see where this particular journey takes me as I create a mashup of my two selves - the logical sequential math teacher and the "what if" dreamer that has only begun to express herself.



See all of Amy's slices of Pi HERE.

Pax and AK Follow-Up

I'm periodically checking back in with some folks who have completed their 365 projects...

Kris AKA Rakka has been doing 365 projects one after the other for several years now, but last year she took on a weekly project Pax and AK in which she planned to partner with her 2 year old nephew.
She finished the project the last week of December 2011...

French Bulldog

What are the biggest lessons/skills you learned from doing your project? Never work with children? Ha. Nah, I guess I learned that partnering with someone on a project is always a tiny bit complicated.

Whip It Whippet



Now what? I'm continuing with Excheckerd, the daily collage project that I accidentally stated in the middle of last year. It will be daily until I run out of old journals to collage.

Also starting Jessica Sketcher which is going to revolve around all 264 episodes of "Murder, She Wrote". No firm start date yet on that one but more than likely mid January.

Also this seems to be lining up to be the year of sketchbooks for me. I've got several shows revolving around them next year. Updates will be HERE.


Flying Squirrel

See Rakka's original 365 interview HERE.

Laser Pointer


See all of the Pax & AK project HERE.

Unicorn