Flowers and Faces

Jessica Mack (aka BrownPaperBunny) from Seattle, WA is drawing / painting a flower or a face every day, in any medium, on any surface available for her project Flowers and Faces...

Why did you decide to do this project? Drawing and painting flowers and faces is something I enjoy but also something I want to improve, so I’m setting out to draw a flower or face every day.

How has doing a yearlong / daily project affected your life? It has become a habit now, and I start to feel ‘the itch’ if I miss a day because I’m traveling or sick etc. It has also become a little piece of my day that is just for me, which has done wonders for my stress levels. I’d even go so far as to say I’m sleeping better at night because of my daily creative habit.

See all of Jessica's project on Instagram at @100daysofflowersandfaces.

365 Portraits 2017

Photographer Bill Wadman in Brooklyn, New York is making 365 Portraits 2017...

Why did you decide to do this project? I'm making portraits every day because it forces me to produce work constantly and subsequently keeps depression at bay. Also, it's been ten years since my original 365 Portraits project which started my professional photography career. So at about 11:40PM on New Years Eve I thought I'd jump in with both feet to do it again and so registered the @wadman365 Instagram account. Mostly new subjects plus a handful of alumni from the first set ten years later. It's just fun to spend some time getting to know new people and see where each new connection takes me. Plus it keeps me from reading too much about current events I have no control over. I guess that's a multi-level justification.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Ah well, since I've been through this before a number of times I knew what to expect. The biggest hurdle for me is the fact that I need a constant flow of new and dependable subjects because I must shoot and post every day. Logistics, scheduling, coming up with new and interesting ideas and compositions either beforehand or on the spot. All while juggling the next few day's people. It's a lot of balls in the air simultaneously. But I'm never upset that I have to shoot. It's more like getting my fix for the day. So I head to each one with a spring in my step.

The time commitment is certainly a big part of it and I feel that between the project and my paid editorial and commercial work, I don't have very many free minutes in each day. I should probably give the medal to my very understanding and supportive wife who has to deal with the daily ups/downs/sideways.

However the people I get to meet, the places we shoot, and collaborations I make are the best part. It's the experience of being with another person that's the prize. The portrait at the end of it is just the artifact of the experience. A couple week ago for example I ended up on the balcony on the 19th floor at the corner of the iconic Flatiron Building here in NYC. I was shooting a book editor whose offices are in the building and the big boss was out of town on business so we got to use his office. A place that few and certainly I would likely never have gotten to visit. It's a testament to the power of people and connections and the unpredictable collisions that can result.

See all of Bill's portraits HERE.

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The Wishful Artist

Elizabeth Struk in Hutchinson, Minnesota is doing a daily drawing project she calls, The Wishful Artist.

Why did you decide to do this project? I went to school for fine and graphic art. Spent lots of time learning to draw realistically. I actually found it easier to draw with realism in mind, if I had the time to spend. Drawing "what I see" had become pretty natural for me.

Fast forward about a decade and I found myself extremely rusty. It was both surprising and depressing. I had always though of myself as an artistic person with an above average ability to draw but when I tried to pick up where I left off ten years ago, I found I didn't even know how to hold a pencil. It felt like a huge part of my personality had died. I made it my goal to relearn what I had lost and even add on some new skills I didn't have before. Drawing likeness was one of those new skills I am aiming for.

So to really put my shoulder into it, I have set a challenge for myself: Draw 365 likenesses in the next 365 days. They don't have to be done one each day. Sometimes I will do a few in a day and then might skip a few days, but I will try to post a new face here on my blog daily. This is a hefty challenge for a mom with an active four year old and a 7 month old baby but I am sure it will be worth it.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I sometimes think to myself, "If I can show this much improvement while only getting 4 to 5 hours sleep and tending to 2 lovably high maintenance cutie pies, IMAGINE IF I HAD MORE SLEEP AND TIME! I would be so awesome!". Other times I think to myself, "What am I doing? This is crazy. You will never be at the level you want to be so just give up now."  I guess I have good days and bad days...well, more like good hours and bad hours.

I feel that tug-o-war when I see this sketch. Sometimes I look at it and think I see overall improvement and hope and then an hour later I look at it and wish I could do it over.

I often wonder what people think when they see my drawings. Are they really impressed? Are the just being nice? Does no comment mean they hate it? Maybe they haven't seen it yet? or Why do they like my stuff so much? It's not that good.

I guess that's just the type of personality I have; constantly striving to do a good job and receive recognition/reassurance but then feeling like I don't deserve it when I do receive it. Maybe by the end of this journey, I will not only improve my artistic abilities but  grow a little thicker skin and maybe even add more confidence to my personality in general.

See all of Elizabeth's art HERE.

Jag's 365 Illustrations

Jag Nagra in Vancouver, Canada is doing a 365 day illustration project...

Why did you decide to do this project?   I started this project as a creative outlet.  I work as an in-house Design for a corporate company, and needed a way to make sure I did something each day that was separate from my 9-5 job.  Something that would keep me connected and challenged outside of my daily work, and something purely for myself.  I wanted to improve my illustration skills, and thought if I began a 365 illustration project, I'd have no choice but to challenge myself on a daily basis.  And so it began on January 29, 2012

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Although I'm still only in the beginning stages of this project, it's teaching me to set a time limit for each illustration.  That doesn't mean I only give myself 15 minutes to create a portrait—but it means that I can't spend hours obsessing over it.

See all of Jag's illustrations HERE.

Too Much Lauryn

Lauryn Marette of Bakersfield, CA is spending 2011 creating a self portrait every day and she calls it Too Much Lauryn...

Why did you decide to do this project? I am a photographer, and have never felt really comfortable being on the other side of the camera. I don't have confidence issues or anything, I just don't think I'm very photogenic. But I realized that most of the people I photograph probably don't think they're photogenic either. If I don't think I can make myself look decent in a photo, how can I justify my photos of others? I figured this would help me become more in tune with how my subjects feel, and give me a betteer idea on how to make my clients feel more comfortable and beautiful through my lens.
 

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I've only just started, and I already have a better sense of myself, photographically speaking. I'm realizing that I am photogenic, just not from the angles I was used to looking at myself. I feel okay with exposing the side of me that doesn't feel pretty either, like when I wake up in the morning and have no makeup on. Everybody feels gross at that time of day, so why not connect with people on that level?

See a lot more of Lauryn on her site HERE.

365 Portraits

Brooklyn, New York based photographer Bill Wadman created 365 Portraits, each of a different person, in 2007!...

Why did you decide to do this project? I had done two other year long projects before 365 Portraits ( my first 365 Project, and then a weekly 52 Project).  Mostly it was a motivational tool and a natural anti-depressant. Before taking these things on I would say to myself, "You say you're a photographer or a musician or whatever, but if that's the case, why aren't you writing music and taking pictures right now? Put your money where your mouth is."  Though you realize in the end what a wonderful use of time it is. So much to show for your year.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? They've had a massive effect on my life. In fact it was because of 365 Portraits that I switched careers from art direction to photography. When I'm not doing them I feel a real sense of missing the satisfaction that comes with creating something each day, all the time. It's quite addictive. The trick is coming up with new challenges to keep it about the results and not about the rules.

See all of Bill's Portraits on his site HERE.