Sheila Singhal completed her 366 day long Elephant A Day project on October 2, 2012...
What are the biggest lessons/skills you learned from doing your project? I learned that you can power through just about anything if you're determined enough. There were days when I really, REALLY didn't want to make anything, photograph anything, and especially write/research anything, and days when real life definitely got in the way, but somehow I managed. It helped to have a few mini-projects lined up for those days.
I also learned to draw elephants in virtually any pose, any style, and any medium, which was something I didn't really know how to do before. It was also interesting to learn what elephants are really like—not only physically, but emotionally. They're a lot more like humans than I ever would have guessed.
There were also some "helpful hints/lessons learned" in the final post of the blog.
In what ways did the project change your life? It was a real confidence-booster. I had no idea that I could actually draw that well. I had a drawing professor in university who told me I should probably switch to abstracts or art history, so I think I'd more or less decided that I wasn't a very good artist—although that never stopped me from trying.
The project also made me less shy and introverted. By nature, I don't like to be the centre of attention, but a project like this forces you to promote yourself, talk about yourself, and laugh at your own foibles. Some of my projects were spectacularly unsuccessful and/or spectacularly annoying to me, but it was actually fun to describe, to the entire world, just how horrid those projects were.
Most importantly, perhaps, in learning more about elephants, I became a bit of an elephant-booster. I've always supported animal welfare charities, but this project took that interest to a whole new level.
Now what? Hmm...good question. Many people have told me I should do another year of elephants. Let me think...no. However, I don't think I can abandon elephants entirely. Many people have also suggested a book, or an exhibition, or both, but I haven't really pursued anything like that, as I'm still enjoying the luxury of Making Nothing a Day.
I'm probably leaning towards a website devoted to information about elephants, but with a sort of crowd-source vibe. I've seen several outside projects based on my Elephant a Day posts, and I bet there are more out there. I'd like to set up an environment in which others can share their elephant-related art and craft, whether it was made in a day, or over a much longer period. I'd also like to create a forum in which people can talk about elephants and share their own elephant-related stories. And perhaps include some sort of web store with a carefully selected range of elephant-themed products that also have a charitable component.
I also have a couple of ideas for different daily blogs—perhaps not over an entire year, and perhaps not involving so much construction—but we'll see.
In the short term, mostly I'm just enjoying NOT blogging/making/researching every day. But I'm sure that will get boring very soon.
Read Sheila's original 365 interview HERE.
See all of Sheila's elephants HERE.
What are the biggest lessons/skills you learned from doing your project? I learned that you can power through just about anything if you're determined enough. There were days when I really, REALLY didn't want to make anything, photograph anything, and especially write/research anything, and days when real life definitely got in the way, but somehow I managed. It helped to have a few mini-projects lined up for those days.
I also learned to draw elephants in virtually any pose, any style, and any medium, which was something I didn't really know how to do before. It was also interesting to learn what elephants are really like—not only physically, but emotionally. They're a lot more like humans than I ever would have guessed.
There were also some "helpful hints/lessons learned" in the final post of the blog.
In what ways did the project change your life? It was a real confidence-booster. I had no idea that I could actually draw that well. I had a drawing professor in university who told me I should probably switch to abstracts or art history, so I think I'd more or less decided that I wasn't a very good artist—although that never stopped me from trying.
The project also made me less shy and introverted. By nature, I don't like to be the centre of attention, but a project like this forces you to promote yourself, talk about yourself, and laugh at your own foibles. Some of my projects were spectacularly unsuccessful and/or spectacularly annoying to me, but it was actually fun to describe, to the entire world, just how horrid those projects were.
Most importantly, perhaps, in learning more about elephants, I became a bit of an elephant-booster. I've always supported animal welfare charities, but this project took that interest to a whole new level.
Now what? Hmm...good question. Many people have told me I should do another year of elephants. Let me think...no. However, I don't think I can abandon elephants entirely. Many people have also suggested a book, or an exhibition, or both, but I haven't really pursued anything like that, as I'm still enjoying the luxury of Making Nothing a Day.
I'm probably leaning towards a website devoted to information about elephants, but with a sort of crowd-source vibe. I've seen several outside projects based on my Elephant a Day posts, and I bet there are more out there. I'd like to set up an environment in which others can share their elephant-related art and craft, whether it was made in a day, or over a much longer period. I'd also like to create a forum in which people can talk about elephants and share their own elephant-related stories. And perhaps include some sort of web store with a carefully selected range of elephant-themed products that also have a charitable component.
I also have a couple of ideas for different daily blogs—perhaps not over an entire year, and perhaps not involving so much construction—but we'll see.
In the short term, mostly I'm just enjoying NOT blogging/making/researching every day. But I'm sure that will get boring very soon.
Read Sheila's original 365 interview HERE.
See all of Sheila's elephants HERE.
