Batter Up

Ryn Bruce in Richmond, Virginia is spending a year delivering cakes weekly and calls it Batter Up...

Ryn explains, "Batter Up is a blog, a social experiment, and a movement to encourage people to slow down, make homemade food, and share it with family, friends, colleagues, and yes, even strangers. Starting on July 1, 2013, I am committing to baking a cake every week for a year. Then, I will deliver those cakes to unsuspecting people who are doing something cake-worthy. The identities of the deserving cake recipients are a secret until the moment of delivery and I encourage readers to nominate cake recipients who are doing something that has some sort of social impact. In doing so, we all get to learn a little more about our neighbors and who’s doing what in our community."

Why did you decide to do this project? I've been looking for a cool independent "something" to do for a while. I was working all the time and the typical "hobbies" weren't filling the void I felt. Completely unrelated, there is a designer who's work I've been wanting to purchase for a while, but couldn't afford it. Late one night, I got a harebrained idea to contact the designer and offer up alternatives to payment—one being going around giving random people cake. Weeks went by and, while I didn't hear back from her, I couldn't shake the cake idea. There was a message there—not to mention it would be so much fun! After a few weeks I decided it was something that I would do anyway and I started to build out the idea and collateral needed to launch. Not long before launching before launching the designer contacted me, not knowing that I had moved forward with the idea. I told her what I was up to and and she loved it. She sent me the collection anyway. (Thanks Jessica Hische!)

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Some weeks are busier than others and some cake deliveries are logistically more complicated than others, so the time/physical impact varies. Some weeks are more of a challenge to get the test cake baked, photos shot, delivery details coordinated, delivery made, and blog post written. Other weeks it's smooth sailing. The emotional side of this project has been much more impactful, though. I'm getting to know the city and community by meeting some really incredible people and I'm humbled by all of the thoughtful notes, emails and press attention it has gotten so far. Every week I gain a little more momentum. In the first two months, I've been interviewed on the radio a couple of times, I've been invited to the local CBS morning show, Virginia This Morning, I've been mentioned by Richmond Magazine in their food blog, and RVA News did an awesome article which can be found here. Maybe I peaked early, or maybe there is more excitement to come. Either way, I'm having more fun than I can ever remember having.

Find out more about Batter Up HERE and on Facebook.

Artifacts and Alchemy

Mistie K. Jordan in Michigan is creating a project she calls Artifacts and Alchemy. She explains, "This is a yearlong commitment by me to: simplify, use the stuff I have, get rid of the things I don't, organize and create with what I have."

Why did you decide to do this project? I decided to start this project to help with gnawing goals that have lots of thought in my head but seem to have trouble finding their way to actual physical activity to being completed.  Your book made me think about how the days fly by and can be filled with the projects, ideas, and joy that we choose to fill them with, IF, we are willing to take action and commit to them.

Creativity is my goal. Respect, love, and delight in my creativity as a gift for myself and to share with others everyday. I will create with the materials I like (artifacts) , share what I know and learn and practice new techniques (alchemy). I will post on my blog at least once a week to record and share my progress. We are talking life change in little steps.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I say on my blog that I feel like I cheated to get started.  I read your book in the summer, and stirred around in my head while I had a bunch of other commitments to complete.  I pushed through the summer doing stuff that I realized I really DID NOT want to be doing.  All my creativity was pushed to the side and I was really frustrated and sad about losing myself in the projects of others.  Then I started thinking that I have been doing that for a long time.  So, in September I just dove in and started de-cluttering and rediscovering treasures.  It has been amazing so far the space I have discovered in my house and the creative ideas I have that keep flowing and the centeredness I feel in giving myself permission to accept and act on those ideas.  I have started documenting my progress on my blog now that I feel what my true goal for the year is, and that I feel really compelled to act upon my goal regardless of the other things that are happening in my life.  I have been able to say "no" over and over again to projects that seem to be taking my time, but that have no respect for my creative passions.  As the year goes on and there is less clutter and more creating space, I feel more excited rather than overwhelmed.

See all of Mistie's artifacts HERE.




 

Love Songs for a Year

Maya Anjelica Murillo in Phoenix, AZ is doing a weekly project creating Love Songs for a Year...   



Why did you decide to do this project? I turned 18 years old last spring and fell in love for the first time. I gave up my friends, my music, everything to be with him. I paid the price because after three months, he broke my heart. I was devastated. There was a couple months of "love sucks" mourning, but then I changed my attitude. I've always been a musician and creative type and I forced myself to pick up and move on in the most positive and hopeful way possible - by doing what I love most: Singing love songs. In order to bring fresh energy into my life and send it out to the universe to counteract the negativity I decided to sing a new love song every week for a year. I play my ukulele, guitar or piano, or just sing along with karaoke. It's been so fun choosing each song.



How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? It's forced me to hear songs in a new way and really soak up the lyrics and meanings. It's also inspired me to write original songs and I plan to release my own EP very soon. I also got invited to be featured on a TV show for my singing, so it already has positive results!  I feel like I learn something new about myself everytime I post a new installment. I've met new people and am excited to continue on this journey!


See and Hear all of Maya's love songs HERE.

The Toothbrush Chronicles

Heather Rigney "outside" Providence, Rhode Island is creating The Toothbrush Chronicles. Which she explains is "a mini-novella told in fifty-two entries. My main characters are (She) & (He) and they are both toothbrushes looking for love. Their story is told through photographs and captions once a week for a year."...

Why did you decide to do this project? The idea to do something about the secret life of toothbrushes has been in my head for about ten years. However, I just wasn’t sure what I was going to do about it. Then, just before the start of 2012, a friend gave me the book, 365: A Daily Creativity Journal. The timing was perfect. I knew I had to make a blog chronicling the life of two toothbrushes.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Well, beyond friends and family thinking that I am completely insane for playing with toothbrushes, I have learned to be more focused and dedicated to something I believe in. I have a history of starting things and then never finishing them because I felt judged by others. Often I felt my endeavors were viewed as ridiculous or frivolous, so I would just give up. I’m done with that. The toothbrush blog is a way to prove to myself that I can go the distance on behalf of my own creativity and for that I am thankful.

Follow Heather's Toothbrush Chronicles HERE.

52 Weeks of Urban Exploring

Samantha Hartman in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is doing 52 Weeks of Urban Exploring...

Why did you decide to do this project? I am doing this project because it has always been something I've wanted to try, and after constantly looking at other people's daily or weekly projects, I finally gave in and decided to take on the challenge. Recently getting a new camera was the perfect motivation I
needed; I am attached to the thing. I would like to improve my photography and by spanning it out over the course of a year, this is a great opportunity to do so. Exploring abandoned buildings and desolate spots has always been an odd interest of mine, and being able to bring them to life through my camera is such an awesome feeling.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Although I am only on the third week, I already feel so accomplished looking at the photos I have taken so far. Some of them turned out really well and it has brought a great feeling of self satisfaction, and also gets me excited to scout out a location and work on the next set of photos! I feel so inspired and am excited to show my photos off to others. This is definitely a project I would like to stick with throughout the year.

See all of Samantha's explorations HERE.

Pax and AK Follow-Up

I'm periodically checking back in with some folks who have completed their 365 projects...

Kris AKA Rakka has been doing 365 projects one after the other for several years now, but last year she took on a weekly project Pax and AK in which she planned to partner with her 2 year old nephew.
She finished the project the last week of December 2011...

French Bulldog

What are the biggest lessons/skills you learned from doing your project? Never work with children? Ha. Nah, I guess I learned that partnering with someone on a project is always a tiny bit complicated.

Whip It Whippet

Now what? I'm continuing with Excheckerd, the daily collage project that I accidentally stated in the middle of last year. It will be daily until I run out of old journals to collage.

Also starting Jessica Sketcher which is going to revolve around all 264 episodes of "Murder, She Wrote". No firm start date yet on that one but more than likely mid January.

Also this seems to be lining up to be the year of sketchbooks for me. I've got several shows revolving around them next year. Updates will be HERE.

Flying Squirrel

See Rakka's original 365 interview HERE.

Laser Pointer

See all of the Pax & AK project HERE.

Unicorn

 

Tephyr's Garden

Tephyr Burgess in Hancock,  Massachusetts is going to try to do one different challenge a week, starting this week with 5 Days/ 5 Canvases...

Why did you decide to do this project? Ten years ago I was diagnosed with Leiomyo Sarcoma: considered a terminal disease. I went through a lot, as you can imagine, and when done feeling sorry for myself I made a 180 degree turn in my life and returned to doing studio art. (I’d been a teacher of Medicinal and Metaphysical Herbalism and ran a small herb business).

I’ve been working even harder to get my creativity kick started and had heard of other artists doing similar projects and always thought I’d like to try one but felt daunted by a year commitment. Partly as I go through stages where I don’t feel well or going through treatment and so really can’t commit. But I realized I could do small ones when I am feeling up to it.

I also did Julia Cameron’s Artist Way and worked with a Face Book group doing the same and have found a lot of inspiration to step out of my comfort zone. I’ve had my blog for some time but it had never occurred to me to write about my art work. I’ve also started posting my work on my Face Book page as well as an online Art group I belong to.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Well.. I just started. This is only my second day. But so far I’ve loved it and I look forward to sitting down and getting one done. And rather then get in the way of other projects I seem to be able to focus on them more. Like the little canvas projects are warm ups.

I’ve been so enthused about getting into the studio to do them I changed my daily schedule of getting my house hold chores done before the studio and now head to the studio first. Then, after, I do all that stuff we have to do so the house doesn’t fall apart; which so far it hasn’t. I think it’s good for me to change my perspective that the art comes first; mundane stuff can wait.

See all of Tephyr's canvases and future projects 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.

Making Something New Every Week

Pat Naylor in South Buckinghamshire, England (near Windsor) Making Something New Every Week...

Why did you decide to do this project? I love new and different, I love making things but I'm a chronic non-finisher.  I have a 4 generation household and a job so I knew it would be too much of a challenge to make something new every day. I wanted to find a way to encourage myself to not only be creative but to finish each project I start, so I'm posting photographs and instructions on how to make each project and that is keeping my integrity intact.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? So far, I've finished everything I've started!  I have found that it is the part of my week that I look forward to the most. Some of my makes have been less than perfect and I've found that is ok too.

See all of Pat's new things HERE.

Skull Diggery + Pax & AK

My friend Kris AKA Rakka, from "outside of" Seattle, Washington, is not content to rest on the laurels of her last daily project Stupid F'ing Awesome (which was featured in 365: A Daily Creativity Journal) and so the day after finishing it she started two new yearlong projects! Both are weekly rather than daily, but somehow I doubt she'll only be making two pieces of art a week.

She says, "Skull Diggery is a behind the scenes (read: character design and notation, lots of sketchbook work) look at the creation of an illustrated story. Pax & AK is a collaborative project between me and my 2 year old nephew.  We're separated by 2,670 miles and 35 years but we both love to draw animals."...

Why did you decide to do these projects?  Skull Diggery is a project that's designed to keep me honest.  I've been planning an illustrated story for about a year now and hadn't gotten around to making faces to go with names.  Being responsible to an audience should help me get my butt in gear.

Pax & Ak is an attempt to make sure my nephew gets some sort of Arts education.  (He lives in a very rural part of the U.S.) Plus, I never see the kid.  Basically, I'm trying to be a good aunt.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? As a 365 veteran (2 1/2 years worth! + these two new weeklies) I'd have to say that life is very different than when I started my first project.  The main things are dealing with my email inbox + having to keep up with prep work, post deadlines, etc, etc while I'm working on pieces for shows that are unrelated to the projects.  THIS YEAR I'm getting an intern! 

Follow Rakka's progress on her two new projects HERE and HERE!

Hello, The Future!

Blue in Washington, DC is recording herself performing a new song (many of them originals) every week for a year (while sitting on her kitchen table). She calls it Hello, The Future!...



Why did you decide to do this project? I used to be a musician, and I got tired of not being one anymore.  More specifically: I knew that if I started a project like this, something interesting was bound to happen and I'd be a changed person by the end of it.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Doing Hello, The Future! has, surprisingly, made me much more honest both with myself and with other people.  There's a phenomenal change that comes with realizing that people are actually listening to what you have to say (or sing, in my case).  If you put something out there and someone listens to it, the next thing you put out there is that much more honest and true.  And then you realize that people connect to honesty and authenticity, and it's so amazing for a person like me who was always a little afraid of being herself. 

I have made so many friends and met so many wonderful people doing this project.  It's also opened up a number of performance opportunities; I even released an album, Infinity Right Now, and there's likely to be a second album in 2011.  The whole thing has been just a gigantic amazing wonderful experience; and "hello, the future!" is exactly the best title I could have given the project. 



Watch Blue sing all of her songs on her site HERE.

Make A Thing A Week

Kit McSmash in Virginia decided to pull herself out of a creative rut and Make A Thing A Week...

Why did you decide to do this project? I was having a bout of art block that made me think I'd eventually slow down on sewing altogether (it will NEVER happen!) and knew a change was needed. This was just sort of a fun idea I had been kicking around. I started it after spending 2 weeks in Japan and having my head get crammed full of ideas for stuff to make. I just wanted to do something for a fun creative change.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I've always been an artsy craftsy kind of person since childhood (thanks, mom) so making things has always been part of my life. But I was getting a little bogged down with the daily grind, etc. It was time for a change of project pace. So I started Make A Thing A Week. At this point, there isn't a day that goes by where I'm not thinking up ideas and scribbling them down on whatever paper is lying around if I'm not in my studio. Before Make A Thing A Week, I hadn't been drawing as much, but now scribbles and sketches are coming out which lead to more projects and sometimes pulling bizarre ideas out of thin air. This project also is helping to shave down the incredibly massive amount of fabric I apparently had been hoarding since college as an added bonus. I find myself looking forward to doing projects, even if they're small ones, and the joy is back in creating for fun (even with self-imposed deadlines) and more non-Make A Thing projects are coming out too. I currently have a closet full of costumes that would make my 7 year old childhood self green with envy.

See all of Kit's Things on her site (and even buy them if you like) HERE.

Jonathan Coulton's Thing a Week

One of the things I've noticed about 365 projects is that they are an amazing way to make things happen if you're clear about your goals. When Johnathan Coulton decided he wanted to become a professional musician he quit his job as a computer programmer and spent a year making a song a week. The result? He's achieved his goal and then some! The delightful music he made in that year led to a bunch of incredible things like having his songs used on TV shows and video games and touring the country with bands like They Might Be Giants! Not bad, eh?

Be sure to listen to his particularly brilliant cover of Sir Mix-A-Lot's Baby Got Back.

And also the cleverly spooky original song Creepy Doll. 

You can hear all of the songs and more on his blog HERE.

Look for an exclusive interview with Jonathan in my new book 365: A Daily Creativity Journal which is officially being released on December 15th, but can be pre-ordered now at your favorite local independent bookstore  and at all major online book retailers.

365 Inspiration: Robot a Day

What I love about 365 projects is that they can be adjusted as you go. While Erin Wilk originally set out to make a robot a day for a year a few things got in the way of that plan (not the least of which was having a baby!) so instead the project shifted to once-a-week and then once-a-whenever! Now she's even doing a challenge with another artist where they both work on a similar theme. The important part is she's continuing to create amazing pieces when she can and by keeping track numerically she'll still make her way to robot #365 eventually...

See all of Erin's amazing work at Robot a Day. 

Look for an exclusive interview with Erin in my new book 365: A Daily Creativity Journal which is being released on December 15th, but can be pre-ordered now at your favorite local independent bookstore  and at all major online book retailers.

p.s. Erin is not the only daily robot maker out there, so expect to see more on this topic soon!