Daily Creative Action

Bethany Jordan in Hempstead, Texas is creating a Daily Creative Action. She explains it as an, "Artistic venture in Steampunk - that can be posted in some way to the blog. As I say on my site, any medium is fair game. I have done woodwork, painting, drawing, computer art, jewelry, vehicles, essays, and photography so far, and I am always considering new ideas."...

Why did you decide to do this project? I am still articulating this but will try. I do a lot of types of artistic and creative work, but I lack focus and frequently do not finish things. I have lived a lot of places and traveled quite a bit, this influences my work, my art, my views, my focus, and my style. Over time, I have rarely sold pieces, though I have had some very good offers. My mother spent years working to get me to focus on my artistic skills and make a living with them. A major point was I rarely share my art with anyone and I often do not finish. When she died recently I was already beginning work focusing on a motorcycle business and working from home. I decided the day after my first wedding anniversary was a perfect day to act on what mom pushed me to do my whole life. I am going to finish something every day and show anyone that wants to look. I want input, comments, ideas, and simply an audience. I have not followed the book exactly, though I use it for ideas and a focus, I record my work and ideas in it also. I know I will use it more as I progress. I am for the first time opening my art, my work, and myself to the world and intend to share this journey with as many people as possible.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life?

1. Technology. I have learned to work a blog, as mom tried to get me to teach her for several years. I am also learning new programs and styles.
2. Insomnia. Lack of sleep is high on my list of problems with having a job, working at home, and doing a project every day but it is nice to have an accomplishment at the end of the day. 
3. Relationship. My husband is both supportive and suggests sleep, but he has been a huge help and I think this will prove good for us. He also frequently has ideas on how to turn something into a smaller size or staged project to meet my deadline. One suggestion was the mini canvases at Hobby Lobby.
4. Evaluation. A requirement to finish a project each day requires constant rethinking of my concepts on the subject, my art, what fits, how to do something, why to do something, and what I think about.
5. Meditation, focus, creative development – very connected things in this project. Years ago, I meditated regularly and actively worked on my focus. I have moved a very long distance several times in the last year and was feeling very loose and unstable. This gives me a combination of things to help that: a focus, a constant sense of accomplishment, a steady cord, visible development. My art tends to change significantly when I move and having moved quite a lot, I was feeling displaced and am needing a chance to develop my identity, style, strengths, ideas, and courage as an artist.
6. Learning. I am developing a deeper understanding and relationship to my topic: Steampunk. I am a researcher at heart and am learning art forms, history, materials, culture, people, and more. I have been a great subject of study for myself.
7. Stress. Life is very stressful right now and the ability to turn away from that and have something guaranteed to be there and to have an accomplishment means a lot; even when it leaves me tired and irritated with the piece.
8. Acceptance. Learning to accept things not going as planned and how to deal with overestimating what I could get done is good for me. I am still working on this, but see a difference already. (The corner shelf painting image is an example, I vastly overestimated the time I needed and the time I had, I was not able to finish and had to decide how to deal with that.)
9. Input. Outside input and comments are hard for me to accept on my art. There tends to be a lot of me in my work and a comment that feels negative I do not respond well and considering at the time how to respond does not happen. Should I be accepting, open, angry, questioning, cautious  defensive, disregard, consider, evaluate, or respond? I am having to learn this now.

See all of Bethany's actions HERE.