The Year of The Written Word

Beth in Richmond, Virginia is creating ...the year of the written word...

                                     
Why did you decide to do this project?  I knew two awesome ladies that were starting a 365 project: Amy of Snow Globe 365 & Heather of 365 Days of Me. I jumped on the bandwagon. Bandwagon. That's a good word.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I'm more mindful of words.

See all of Beth's words HERE.

Koru 365

Lauren Ayer in San Francisco, California & Santa Fe, New Mexico is creating Koru 365...

Why did you decide to do this project? Two reasons, really. First, spending years in a corporate cubicle really stunted my creativity and I had been searching for a way to change that for some time when I learned about 365. Second, I decided to take a six month leave of absence from work and move from San Francisco to Santa Fe for the duration and thought that having a daily creative task would help keep me creatively focused despite no longer having a strict schedule. I chose the Maori koru as my subject because it symbolizes new life, growth, strength and peace -- exactly what I hope to bring into my life during this time off.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Every day is like a treasure hunt. Not only have I found a wealth of koru images nearly everywhere I've gone, as well as inspiration for projects that cross a variety of media, it has also inspired stronger connections with my friends and family who have sent me korus from all over the world. And in the process I have become much more aware of my entire environment, seeing beautiful tiny or hidden things I might have otherwise missed had I not been koru-hu.

See all of Lauren's Koru HERE.

Creative Animalia Daily

Nicola Gray in New Zealand is making Creative Animalia Daily...

Why did you decide to do this project? In this busy life, this is a way to force myself to make the time for creativity. I dream ideas and new paintings or creations so often and then let them just drift into the universe unrealised (which seems a common theme here). In the beginning, I was planning to tackle creative moments from the Journal, but then my creative mind went slightly crazy and began to picture bigger and stranger things. (Not sure at this point whether to curse or thank you)

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Just around the corner from 100 days, I can sum up the journey with words like hectic, sleep-deprived, frustrating, fun, creative and fulfilling. My skill base is growing, and I am enjoying tackling new skills like pattern making and wire armature. Sometimes a project can be a few days long, and some are just quick ones to fulfil the daily pledge. But the variety is one of the fabulous things, every day brings something new. It still amazes me, that split second after a project is completed and the vision from your head is realised (or at least kinda close). It makes me kick myself for all the projects over the years I COULD have done, and didn’t find time for!! It’s also been great sharing the project with others on the blog and seeing what everyone else is creating on their 365. This is also a huge motivator on days when creative juices are sluggish.

See all of Nicolas Animalia HERE.

Robot-A-Day Follow-Up

I've decided to periodically check back in with some folks who have completed their 365 projects...



Chris Zeliff made a Robot-A-Day from June 5, 2010 through June 4, 2011...

What are the biggest lessons/skills you learned from doing your project? I think the biggest lesson I've learned is to be comfortable with what I make. I had always been critical of myself in music and art, when someone would ask to hear me play or see my work I'd be saying "oh, it's not so great" or "I only play a little". This really sells me short and tends to prejudice people before hand. I know not everything I create will be to everyone's fancy but I've learned that one person's 'Meh' is another's 'Woo!' so I just make what I feel like making and I'll continue to play guitar like nobody is listening.

I have picked up some skills in using different mediums and also to manage my time a bit better, setting time aside for projects or fun stuff, even if it is only a few minutes.

In what ways did the project change your life? Like I mentioned previously, I am much less critical of myself and what I create. I have embraced the process and not just the end result, a zen-ish journey rather than the destination. I also enjoy being creative again, when I first met my wife we moved from Oregon to Houston and didn't have much money so we just did inexpensive crafts for fun (this was 1995 so there wasn't much of an internet to distract us yet!), mostly we'd get a bunch of stuff from hobby places and just make things. I feel that joy of just making stuff and being crafty has returned.

Now what? We just bought a house (#3 and hopefully the last one for a while) and it has a massive bonus room that is now our craft studio with desks for my wife and I and room to lay things out, I've already started some projects in there and my last few robots were done using that room. I have carved some shop space out of our garage; I plan to buy Oxy/Acetylene bottles and get back to welding sculptures. I will keep making robots, there are some more involved ideas I had that I just could not do in a single day so I will be making infrequent but more detailed robots. I also look to expand on some different skills and maybe take some community education classes to improve my painting and drawing. I really have to thank you (Noah) for the inspiration, I enjoyed the journey and your continuing skull adventures, it was a key motivator for me to do a 365 project and to see it through to the end. I also need to thank my wife Paloma for her support and enthusiasm for the project.

See Chris's original 365 interview HERE.
And see all of Chris's robots HERE.

Have you finished your own 365 project? I'd love to hear from you!

Be Creative

Ines Häufler in Vienna, Austria has decided to simply Be Creative. She explains, "As a kid I have been drawing, painting, making crafty things and inventing stories all the time. Also I always liked taking pictures. When I grew up I forgot about it. Now everything is coming back."...

Why did you decide to do this project? After some pretty intense years as a freelance script consultant I realized that I am constantly nurturing the creativity of others (scriptwriters in my case) but that I totally neglected my own original creative work. So my one and only New Year's resolution was: I am going to make something creative every day and post it on my website.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? It had and has a huge impact on my life. While I still love working as a script consultant it is not the most important thing in my life any more. It is interesting how easy it was to make room for my creative project every day - maybe because I am really excited about it.

Also I realized after some time that storytelling is not only an important part of my work, but also of my personality because all of a sudden characters popped up and started to have little adventures, for example a plasticine figure called Anouk. She has developed a life of her own and is featured at least once a week.

In the last weeks creative collaborations with friends also started to play a bigger role - I organized a reading, have been invited to the studio of some artist friends to present my project and did an impromptu photo shoot with a friend of mine who is an actor. For the future I hope there will be more collaborative projects, and I also want to start a bigger project with Anouk's adventures.
This project adds something very important to my life that I really missed during the last years. And I am still very curious where my next idea will lead me.

See all of Ines' creative creations HERE.

The Many faces of Link

Cheryl Colee in Logansport, Indiana is creating The Many faces of Link. She explains, "I have a cat that I love very much. I posted on Facebook that I had found a photo album that he had hidden. I have been drawing a picture of him each day as an actor, musician, artist you name it. Each day I decide who or what I would like to draw. I then photograph the picture and post it on Facebook. I have been doing this now for about 3 months and I look forward to what I will draw every day."...

Why did you decide to do this project? I decided to do this project because I love to draw and doodle and I really wanted to find something that I could pour my creativity into. I felt the need for some direction in my drawings.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? A lot of times when I have had something to do every day it has been overwhelming. With this project I can spend about an hour a day with just me, doing what I want. It is always a challenge to draw , but also it gives me a spark every day. I can wake up and ask myself, “what will Link do today?”. It has given me an idea of what I can do and it also seems to make people happy when they see Link as a character. It gives me a chance to feel like a kid again, with no rules. I mean, whoever heard of  Salvador Dali as a cat. Well, now you have.

See what Link has been up to lately HERE.

Ken Brown's Garage d'or

Artist Ken Brown in New York City has been doing several daily art projects for many years and has been recently compiling the best of them in a weekly blog post on Ken Brown's Garage d'or.

Ken Explains.. Lately, they  have been mostly in the photographic realm, though anything is possible.  I've been taking pictures my whole life, sometimes even somewhat seriously. Lately, like everyone else, I carry a small digital camera and have found my photographic output to have increased 1000 percent.  Most of the subject matter reflects the incredibly rich visual culture of New York City.

Why did you decide to do this project? I am an artist (film, photography, cartooning, design) and I have published  postcards for over 30 years, but six years ago it was becoming increasingly apparent that it was over for postcards as the internet moved in and basically gob smacked the whole industry. It was similar in a way to what was happening with musicians who had also experienced a serious diminishment of venues. But they didn't stop making music. I gave myself the assignment of producing one a day  cartoons just to keep the synapses snapping. Beginning on Valentines Day 2005 I started sending out a weekly e-blast of a single image culled from the weekly output. What started with a couple dozen friends and family members is now closing in on an audience of around 1000. I still do a one a day collage/cartoon graphic and have expanded in a similar way with photography. Last year I started posting a weekly blog that uses small batches of what still beats beneath the surface, "making something every day".

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I have been lucky in that I have always produced work in one format or another, but the added catalyst of a specific discipline has definitely increased the stream  and I often find a serendipitous  connection between projects (ie. photos become backgrounds for collage elements).  A book collection of some of this work was published a few years ago and another is on the way.  I have been aware for some while that there is an almost primal need to make art and I feel a sense of peace, comfort, and accomplishment  when that is achieved on a regular basis.

See Ken's latest creations HERE.

A Pirate A Day

Randy Carboni in Connecticut is making a Pirate a Day!...

Why did you decide to do this project? This project started when my friend and fellow artist Christopher Smith challenged me to a sketch a day grudge match. It started in early november and was to end the last day of the year. The first sketch he sent me looked like a pirate so I sketched a pirate and suggested the pirate theme. After a couple of weeksI thought we should share this with the rest of the world so I started the Pirate a Day blog. When the grudge match ended I still had a ton of ideas and have continue the Pirate a Day on my own.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? It keeps you on your toes. I find myself looking at everything as "can I turn this into a pirate?" It also keeps my mind nimble and creative and forces me to work even when I don't feel like it.

See all of Randy's pirates HERE.

Art Journaling

Kim Bailey in Long Island, New York is spending a year Art Journaling. She explains, "For months I kicked around ideas so that I could start working on my 365 project. I finally decided to start my very own art journal. My art journal pages are messy, fun, personal and inspirational – all reflections of how I’m feeling on that particular day."...

Why did you decide to do this project? I chose art journaling as a 365 project because I have always loved combining colors, collaging, drawing and just putting down my thoughts and visions artistically. When I was a kid this was so much easier; when I got bit by the adult bug things changed – life happened. Not only did I want that feeling of nostalgia, I also wanted to see how creative I could be.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Honestly, I was really surprised at how much this project affected my life. Coloring inside the lines, over thinking and perfectionism hold no place in this project. Letting go and doing what my mind, heart and hands feel, is liberating! I’ve also taken this approach in other areas of my life.

See Kim's journal progress and other projects on her blog HERE. 

360 Hearts

Aude-Noëlle Nevius in Jackson, Wyoming is doing the My 360 Hearts, A Full Circle Project. She explains, "I used Noah Scalin's concept of 365, or a project a day, and tweaked it to 360, as I liked better the idea of a full circle, seeing where I would be on the art plane at the end of the rotation. As far as choosing the heart as a theme, I had not thought yet of pursuing this project but had been making some basic collages with hearts. When I found Noah's book, it all made sense after a few days, and I decided to commit."...

Why did you decide to do this project? I felt that I needed to do something creative on a regular basis in order to boost my creativity in my artwork as an illustrator/designer, as well as support my spiritual path.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I have made 4 entries so far this week, and I love the process. It brings me a challenge to face. I like to look at Noah's suggestion for the day, and let it simmer overnight, and work on it the next day or so. It certainly makes me think out of the box, and do things I would not think of creating, and be more out in the world and less in my studio. It's actually addicting!

See all of Noëlle's hearts HERE.

And check out the nifty modified version of my logo she made for her project!...

Knit A Year

Jay Hudson in London, UK is doing a Knit A Year.

Jay explains:  Cast on 15 stitches of yarn & then knitting a minimum of 2 rows every day for a year. Each day I will choose a piece of yarn that draws me & knit. All of the yarn used will be recycled, upcycled, charity shop, freecycled, gifted to me or found/reused fabric or anything that I think I can knit with! Alongside this I will be keeping a journal with a piece of the yarn & some thoughts for each day & posting on the blog recording progress. The final piece of knitting will become a hanging with a strand on the back to represent each of the 365 days.

Why did you decide to do this project?  I had heard of the idea & was inspired to set myself the challenge with the idea of exhibiting the final piece as my 1st ever exhibition.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? It has been both a challenge & something that has kept me going throughout a difficult year of ill health & being a carer of a teen with mental health issues.It has affected me on a profound level, showing me inner strength & that no matter what the spark of creativity is there to be found on even the darkest days.

See all of Jay's knitting HERE.

365 Postcards

Jakki in Perth, Australia is creating 365 Postcards...

Why did you decide to do this project? I'd just recently started my first full time job near the end of last year, and whilst I love my job I also needed an outlet to express myself a bit more creatively. I love drawing and illustrating, but had been a bit demotivated to create anything worth putting on my site especially since I was busy with my new job and all! As any person who likes drawing may know - it can take a lot of effort to actually start something - especially if you don't have many ideas in mind.

As soon as I heard about the 365 project I decided I might as well give it a shot - after all, I could improve my drawing and creative output all the while having some way of creating something new each day. I decided on doing postcards because everyone loves postcards - they're simple yet such a great way to show off different artwork.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? The progression I've made from January up until now has been quite noticeable I think. I originally thought I'd just take half an hour - maybe an hour to complete one postcard a day, and as a result, my postcards were simple and quite easy to create at the start. Not saying the designs weren't effective, because I do like some of my earlier ones but I rather like how I've progressed now the most. I now take a lot more time to think of ideas, and to draw them as well.

My illustrating techniques have improved a fair deal as well, which is awesome. A lot of people have commented on how cool it is to see the progression and a new illustration each day; it's really flattering. I always have to remember to set aside some time each day to make a postcard, especially since I'm busy with a full time job as well. Sometimes I've even gotten my boyfriend to help me create a postcard for the day because I've been so busy (which is really nice because he really wants me to finish this project too!) so if it wasn't for him, I would have already skipped some days! It was hard to get into a routine at first, but now I think I could do this for quite a while yet! :)

Making something everyday is so much fun, and I even have notes scribbled everywhere of the things I'd like to draw next. Every time I have an idea, I jot it down and when I'm stuck on a blank canvas there's always something to turn to for inspiration. I love thinking of new ideas to draw - especially on the bus! - and it's so satisfying to see the end product at the end of the day. I'm hoping to print some postcards at the end of my project and distribute them - maybe even make a huge wall collage. My creativity ebbs and flows - but now that I've seen what I CAN do, I can't wait to see all my postcards at the end of the year!

See all of Jakki's postcards HERE.

A Heart A Day

Phoebe Berg in Brooklyn, New York is making A Heart A Day. She explains, "I quit smoking 5 years ago. To commemorate this monumental event, I am starting a yearlong art project. Starting May 1, 2011, for 365 days, each day I will create a heart and post the photograph here. There are no rules beyond that. It can be in any medium, or found, and may or may not be permanent."

Why did you decide to do this project? I heard about Skull-A-Day through my boyfriend who is friends with Noah. I thought it was a great idea, especially because I love skulls, but I didn’t think about doing it myself until I heard Noah speak about his book and the project. He talked about the benefits of creating something every day, and how it had a profound impact on his life. But what really inspired me was when he said that while he was doing this project he was excited to get up in the morning. That cinched it for me, seeing as I’ve woken up in a bad mood every morning of my life, the thought of actually be excited to wake up in the morning was huge. That night I created my blog and the very next day I posted my first heart.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Amazingly enough, today is only day 12, the affects have already been incredible. First of all I have HEARTS and remnants of hearts all over the house, little cut out pieces of magazines, letters, scrap fabric… My work area actually looks like I’ve been working in it! Also, I’ve been wanting to create an etsy site for years now but have wavered mainly because I wasn’t sure if there would be any interest. All those ideas are in my head but I have not been able to manifest them. My first heart was a hand sewn heart on a wife beater and now many of my friends want one.  The positive feedback is exactly what I needed to get the ball rolling.

I’m surprised to find that over the course of these 12 days it has become easier and easier to come up with ideas. The first day was such a struggle, kicking around ideas all day, but yesterday, the idea just came to me. Just image what day 100 will be like! But the really wonderful affect of this daily project is the feeling of accomplishment I have every day because I created something, however simple, and put it out in the world.

See all of Phoebe's hearts HERE.

Abigail's 365 Creative Creations

Abigail Dean in La Mirada, California is also making 365 Creative Creations ...

Why did you decide to do this project? I decided to join this project because I've been full of ideas but have not made time to do them! I wanted to change that. I want my days to be full of creativity!

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? This has definitely been a good thing for me; it has been motivating to me to put creative projects as a priority and therefore I have been doing alot more things than I would have before. Last year I kept promising myself I was going to paint this, or make that, and just never got around to any of it - so the whole year ended up passing without me doing any of it. While I will admit, I have not completely succeeded in doing something every day, I have improved and I hope to just learn to grown in my creativity and make it part of my everyday life.

See a calendar of all of Abigail's creations HERE.

Andreea's 365 Creative Creations

Andreea Tamas in Anaheim, California is also doing 365 Creative Creations...

Why did you decide to do this project? It's a way of showing people how God works in my life and how He inspires me to be creative. I decided to do this because I know it will be a challenge and sometimes challenges in life are good.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? It helps me keep organized.

See a calendar of all of Andreea's creations HERE.

Dizzy's 365 Creative Creations

Dizzy Knight in Berkeley, California is also making 365 Creative Creations...

Why did you decide to do this project? I decided to do it because I want to see what I can come up with in a hectic college project.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? It has brought my self esteem up. I may not be doing anything grand but I'm doing fun things. Not to mention there is a sense of accomplishment.

See a calendar of all of Dizzy's creations HERE.