Ellen Petti in Denver, Colorado is making a daily heART...
Why did you decide to do this project? I was stuck in a rut of putting my creative life on the back burner. My days fell into 2 basic categories: 1. Chores and Responsibilities. 2. Creativity and Fun. Creating is something I’ve always felt I could do when time allows, when I’ve finished the mundane tasks of the day, a reward of sorts. The older I get, the more I realize it falls under a new category called What Makes me Tick, or, better, Essential Elements to Fulfillment, Peace and Happiness! It is a Must for my mental (and probably, physical) health. I knew that to Make Something 365 was the kick in the pants I needed to commit to creativity, rev up my artistic juices, and to grow in skill, confidence and creative thinking. The instant I saw Noah’s Skull-A-Day, a heart-a-day popped into my head and 3 days later with some trepidation I took the plunge. The appeal of a heart and the simplicity of the shape seemed attractive.
How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? 277 days into the 365 challenge I already feel victorious! Creating something daily takes guts, discipline, and commitment not only in making it, but thinking and planning it . I avoided looking at Noah’s skulls so as not to be unduly influenced. When I ran across 365: A Daily Creativity Journal in the bookstore, I caved in and quickly flipped through it, discovering www.makesomething365.com, and, caving in again, devoured the website. The purist in me is still committed to creating original designs; I don’t go surfing for ideas. I made a few simple rules for myself: 1. Each day’s heart must be made that day. Even if it’s 11:58 p.m. No stockpiling and no skipping days! 2. Every heart must be created, not found. I have only one exception, the heart-shaped cloud which was such a gift I could not NOT include it! Sometimes a small manipulation is all it takes to transform something found into a created heart. 3. I can redo a heart if my photo turns out badly or if my heart desperately needs a refinement. The ideas my right brain has churned out have surprised me! My hearts have grown enormously in complexity and creativity. I am fascinated especially at being able to visualize new and complex ideas and work out their execution in my head. I have discovered a new inventiveness I didn’t realize I had. After the first few months and the first 9000 temptations to quit, I have also been pleasantly surprised to find that I love the challenge, the discipline, and the happy collection which has resulted. I no longer get scared that I won’t have an idea one day, because the more I create the more I realize there will always be another idea. There are endless ideas. The well never dries up.
Ellen's currently building a blog to share her hearts and you can find them as they are posted HERE.
Why did you decide to do this project? I was stuck in a rut of putting my creative life on the back burner. My days fell into 2 basic categories: 1. Chores and Responsibilities. 2. Creativity and Fun. Creating is something I’ve always felt I could do when time allows, when I’ve finished the mundane tasks of the day, a reward of sorts. The older I get, the more I realize it falls under a new category called What Makes me Tick, or, better, Essential Elements to Fulfillment, Peace and Happiness! It is a Must for my mental (and probably, physical) health. I knew that to Make Something 365 was the kick in the pants I needed to commit to creativity, rev up my artistic juices, and to grow in skill, confidence and creative thinking. The instant I saw Noah’s Skull-A-Day, a heart-a-day popped into my head and 3 days later with some trepidation I took the plunge. The appeal of a heart and the simplicity of the shape seemed attractive.
How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? 277 days into the 365 challenge I already feel victorious! Creating something daily takes guts, discipline, and commitment not only in making it, but thinking and planning it . I avoided looking at Noah’s skulls so as not to be unduly influenced. When I ran across 365: A Daily Creativity Journal in the bookstore, I caved in and quickly flipped through it, discovering www.makesomething365.com, and, caving in again, devoured the website. The purist in me is still committed to creating original designs; I don’t go surfing for ideas. I made a few simple rules for myself: 1. Each day’s heart must be made that day. Even if it’s 11:58 p.m. No stockpiling and no skipping days! 2. Every heart must be created, not found. I have only one exception, the heart-shaped cloud which was such a gift I could not NOT include it! Sometimes a small manipulation is all it takes to transform something found into a created heart. 3. I can redo a heart if my photo turns out badly or if my heart desperately needs a refinement. The ideas my right brain has churned out have surprised me! My hearts have grown enormously in complexity and creativity. I am fascinated especially at being able to visualize new and complex ideas and work out their execution in my head. I have discovered a new inventiveness I didn’t realize I had. After the first few months and the first 9000 temptations to quit, I have also been pleasantly surprised to find that I love the challenge, the discipline, and the happy collection which has resulted. I no longer get scared that I won’t have an idea one day, because the more I create the more I realize there will always be another idea. There are endless ideas. The well never dries up.
Ellen's currently building a blog to share her hearts and you can find them as they are posted HERE.
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