You Could Work Or...

Graeme McNee, creator of the daily Minimal Comics, in Kobe, Japan, has started another 365 project he calls: You Could Work Or... . He explains, "You could go to work everyday, or you could goof off and do something fun instead. I've decided to draw the 'something fun instead' every day. I post the pictures during morning rush time, to inspire workers checking out the site on their iPhones to hop off that train, call in sick and seize the day!"

Why did you decide to do this project? If you love your job, then you don't need to bother with my site. But if your job sucks, then you might want to check it out. I got tired of speaking to workers here in Japan who pull 12 hour days, take 20 minute lunch breaks, do stacks of unpaid overtime, and only use four or five of their 20 days annual paid vacation. They put in this extra effort not because they love their work, but because they are scared of losing their job and having no money. It's a real shame because if they just had a little more confidence in their abilities they could be making a much better life for themselves and enjoying more of what the world has to offer. Anyway, this site is for them. Or for people who have a day off and are trying to think of something fun to do.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? It's made me spend my own time more wisely! When I wake up and think about what to draw for the day, I often come up with something I can actually go and do myself. The site is still in early days, but as time goes on I'm sure I'll have to think of more exciting and unusual things to do with the day. Also, it means I have fewer of those "gahhhh, I totally wasted today" moments.

See all of Grame's alternatives to work HERE.

Anne-Liesje's A Pattern A Day

Anne-Liesje in Belgium is making A Pattern a Day...

Why did you decide to do this project? I started the project after I saw a little article about daily projects and your book and site in 'Flow magazine'. A new creative experience was very welcome in my busy life full of stress and studying so that's why I decided to start up my own daily project. I have now my little (or sometimes bigger) creative moment to relax, be creative and make some nice patterns. :)

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I just started the project but already I feel a big difference. I'm looking to the world with a much wider view and a open mind. Everywhere where I go, I'm looking around if there are things that could inspire me or that I can use for a new pattern. Also making the patterns helps me to relax and to clear my mind after a busy day.

See all of Anne-Liesje's patterns HERE.

Spotted in Sweden

My friend Peleg Top encountered the Swedish edition of my book 365: A Daily Creativity Journal on a recent trip to Sweden!

100 Milkteeth Follow-Up

Heidi Sabertooth finished her 100 day multi-media performance art challenge to create 100 songs in 100 days, 100milkteeth, on June 8, 2012...

What are the biggest lessons/skills you learned from doing your project?  I think the biggest lesson I learned was to create ways to fail regularly!  What is that saying I've heard before?  Creativity is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.  Haha - well, prior to the song-a-day-project, on those days when I would enter my music studio and not really progress with any great ideas for the first hour or two, I would say 'oh, gee, I'm having an off day.'  And then turn everything off and walk away.  I would end up feeling kinda bad about myself...sometimes I would really dwell on that failure and would be gone from the studio for weeks, reinforcing that deep fear that I think many artists have – that perhaps I am just not that inspired or talented enough..'who am I kidding?  am I really an artist!??'

So setting up a goal where I had to FINISH something every day and I had to release it into the world for others to hear, meant I had to push through that urge to walk away.  It allowed me to build a whole collection of methods and experiences of breaking through that barrier and get more comfortable with the fact that there are degrees of failure in every creation,  because nothing can be perfect -- but that should not mean that I stop creating!!   During the making of each and EVERY one of my 100 songs, I experienced a dark sobering moment, something of impending doom -- and here is pretty much the exact dialog that went along with it -- "OMG.  I'm gonna fail. This song is crazy terrible, just complete crap....wait a second, girl...hold on now...you went through this just yesterday...you started down the course just fine, were excited about an initial song idea...things were going well....but then something went wrong and the lens went out of focus and you started losing your way.  And then came the panic and the sweat.  And you let that fear start talking -- saying you are an awful musician and have no good ideas.  But, you shook that voice off!! Remember?  You forgot about it and just kept coming up with ideas and tightened things up and focused back in...and hey, pretty soon you were having fun again, in the zone, and a pretty cool little idea came through in the end!! -- so, don't give up!!  try something new -- it will come to you!"  Ha!  :)  Sometimes I even found myself saying these things out loud -- it was a pretty intense project to create a song a day :)   So, even though perhaps some of these songs might be a little rough around the edges, are any of them failures?  no...and YES!  all of them are a beautiful mix of both failure and inspiration that taught me how to move through my fears and as they say, CALM DOWN and CARRY ON...and do so regularly!!

In what ways did the project change your life? Well, the above life lesson has certainly changed me... and I find its pretty indescribable how life changing it was to release all of those ideas into the world.  I think I am still getting a handle on it.  Im not really sure if there are words - its more a feeling.  I am sure most creatives can understand that feeling.  It's why we create.

Now what? Well, I am currently playing the milkteeth LIVE show -- a solo show featuring songs and video from the project - it's a fun process to develop a live show because I have had to figure out new ways of playing these songs – I can't bring my whole studio out, so I had to reconfigure songs – I also like to perform a seamless set, meaning no break between songs – so I added some good beats and ambient sounds and samples to the mix.  So basically I think I have a leg up on the remix album!!  But no kidding, there will be some remixes coming up down the road - and of course, I do plan to release a milkteeth EP in the near future, which will likely feature milkteeth mixed with some of these new ideas.  I have also been commissioned to do some video work for a record label – which I am super excited about.  I am blessed, I have a good life and good people around me - so I just plan to keep on enjoying it and do the best I can. 

Read Heidi's original 365 interview HERE.

See & hear all of Heidi's milkteeth HERE.

A Boat A Day

Luna Staple in Bristol, UK is making A Boat a Day...

Why did you decide to do this project? I wanted a challenge; I read loads of other posts on the blogspot and got inspired! Then I realised it would be great to see if I could actually do something for a whole year. I have never done anything like that before; things like New Year’s resolutions only work for about a week on me. I also want to get into the deep dark corners of my studio and use the things I have been squirrelling away for years, and to try out some different techniques in my art.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? So far I am only on day 11, mostly I have just had a bit of direction every day. I wake up and I know I need to do a boat. It has been getting me out of the house a bit more, and I am really good at unfinished projects, so for me I have managed to watch myself complete something every day! Also my friends all think I’m crazy and are putting bets down to see how long I last! Aren’t they lovely…

Oh and I see boats almost everywhere I go.

See all of Luna's boats HERE. 

The Daily Amigurumi

Jackie Bartelmo in Woodstock, Georgia is creating The Daily Amigurumi...

Why did you decide to do this project? I decided to share a skill and a craft that I love, which is crocheting. So I thought it would be fun to make a different amigurumi everyday for a year.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I am only on day 6 of my project, but it has been fun. It has made to go out and search for new project and try different levels of crochet. It is a great way to test my abilities and advance my skills and knowledge.

See all of Jackie's amigurumi HERE.

The Project 365 Journey

Reg in New York is taking daily photos in The Project 365 Journey...

He explains: I am an amateur photographer that's decided to actually get serious about learning photography. It all started when I took a photography class about two years ago. The instructor made us all get a camera. I purchased a used Canon Rebel XT. It was a great purchase and the class was fun, but I still didn't know what I was doing with the camera. So I put it down. Earlier this year I went to Mardi Gras and took my camera with me. Prior to that I watched a video that explained some of the features of the camera and how to of photography. I took some great pics. Then I heard of the "one a day" rule and gave it whirl. What fun. Then while playing around one day someone asked me to shoot their wedding. I got scared. I couldn't believe that someone would actually pay me for taking pics. I did my homework and ended up not doing it but it made me think that maybe I should really learn how to use this thing. I have a 50mm/1.8 prime and a 55-250mm on the way. This journal will be a chronicle of my project 365. Wish me luck.

Why did you decide to do this project? I have always been taking photo's. I heard about the 365 concept in a podcast and decided that it was a great way to improve my skill level. I wish I had known about this type of challenge a few years ago but so be it. Even though the blog seems to be in it's early stages I have been doing 1 pic a day for about 3 months. I just did the blog to make it more official and to share my pics.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? It has made me more serious about photography. I pay more attention and anything that you pay attention to you get better at. It is actually a type of Kaizen method of improvement that I learned about a few months ago. Small improvements over a long period of time makes for gigantic change. I have taken some pics that I am going to put up as art on my walls, and I have been approached by a few people about photography.


See all of Reg's photos HERE.

365 Days of Creative Canning

Megan Forsyth in Perth, Western Australia is doing 365 Days of Creative Canning. She explains it as: "A new canning-related creation each day. Preserving fresh fruits and vegetables. Delicious jams and jellies. Lovely relishes and spreads. Healthy soups and stews. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Snacks. Photographing stages from ingredients to method to final product. These photographs accompany a review of each recipe with the source listed so anyone else can follow what I have done."

Why did you decide to do this project? For many years I have made jams and the occasional chutney or sauce. Only a few months prior to beginning this challenge, I learnt how to safely process (hot water bath canning and pressure canning) more produce - so when fruits and vegetables are in season I can preserve them so our family can enjoy them year-long! Undertaking 365 days of canning was important to me to teach myself more about these canning methods and to learn to use local, fresh produce.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? It hasn't been too hard to incorporate into daily activities - I find it quite relaxing pouring over a recipe and seeing the final creation, photographing stages to share and inspire. Every day we are using jars of something I have canned - whether it's puree fruit for my youngest, canned fruit for my four-year-old or meals and sides for dinner for my family. I am learning more and more every day, it is very exciting to see what you can can and makes it very handy after a busy day working! I have made so many friends and connections worldwide from sharing my experiences and exploring more about this craft.

See all of Megan's canning projects HERE.

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.

An Elephant A Day

Sheila Singhal in Ottawa, Canada is making An Elephant A Day...

Why did I decide to do this project? I picked up your book, and it inspired me to give a 365-day project a try. This was something I'd never considered before.

How has doing this project affected my life? It's made me finally try things I thought I'd never get around to, such as carving a watermelon, making drawings with sparklers, and trying just about every weird Surrealist technique there is. It's been exhausting, and there have been a few days when making anything and writing about it is just about the the last thing I want to do.

Thanks for the idea! I get about 400 hits a day, and my blog is currently being read in 122 countries around the world, with a total of 58,000 or so hits (at last count).

See all of Sheila's elephants HERE.

The Neptune Collective

Elise Mahan in Oakland, California is doing a painting a day project she calls The Neptune Collective. She explains that it's, "a continuously evolving visual narrative that spans one year and is devoted to my love of research and exploration into the study of astronomy and cosmology."

Why did you decide to do this project? The act of creating a painting every single day allows me to research and explore the vast and complex universe through a collection of visual studies. My paintings are also inspired by my work with children. I am an Art Studio Coordinator for a East Bay non-profit called Habitot Children's Museum, which has served a wide range of children and families from different countries and socioeconomic backgrounds in the East Bay for 14 years.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? My experiences developing art projects for this program has shown me that anything is possible and there are no constraints or boundaries in the art making process.

See all of Elsie's paintings on her blog HERE and buy her work on Etsy HERE.

Anna's A Pattern A Day

Anna Johansson in Sweden is making Ett Mönster Om Dagen AKA A Pattern A Day

Why did you decide to do this project? There are a thousand things I want to do, but I get tired just by thinking of all that is possible. Instead, it becomes nothing. But last Christmas I received a book; 365: A Daily Creativity Journal. One project. One year. Ok, let's go. My 365-day project starts here, January 2012. A pattern a day, for one year.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? First of, the insight that creativity has its ups and downs. All the time. Always. I'm more confident that my passion and ideas will endure.
Secondly, the best way to make room for new ideas is by executing the current ones.

See all of Anna's patterns HERE.

Elaine's Flower A Day

Elaine Greywalker is in the midst of her 4th 365 project(!), this time it's A Flower A Day...

Why did you decide to do this project? I started the first project because I like making something every day whether I want to or not. Having a daily mini-creative project gives me a sense of accomplishment and keeps the creative source open."

I did the "Morning Pages" for years before I did my first Make Something 365 project: "Archives", which was an attempt to cull the morning pages. It was a failure. Probably because it wasn't about making something. Then I started "Skies" which was successful. I only missed 30 days.

Flower a Day is the best so far: the most fun and freeing. Having a concrete object makes it easy to create. I tried making "Spirit Boats" but that was too broad.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? It's about being in the now and seeing possibilities. I find a lot of similarities between making art/being creative and meditating or being present. Art/creativity transforms by opening up childhood wonder and appreciation of what is. So, it is about being fully me. A daily project keeps me in touch with the my source.

I come to this with a lot of training and experience in art, a lot of practice with hand-eye coordination (which is about being present and noticing), years of making abstract expressionistic works (which is about how I feel and relate to color, shape, and gesture). And also many years as a graphic designer. I want to unlearn a lot of formalized training and dig deeper in to what resonates with me. The daily project makes that happen.

During the "Skies" project I generated some really cool art. The "Flower" project looks to be going the same way. I'm happy and thrilled to be embarking on another year of discovery.

See all of Elaine's flowers HERE. And read more about her 365 projects HERE.

Celeb A Day

My friend Nate "Igor" Smith in Brooklyn, NY is posting a Celeb A Day He explains, " I have photographed so many celebrities in my job as an event and nightlife photographer. I am not a paparazzi and I don't really intentionally shoot any celebrity stuff but I decided one day to make a list of all of the famous people I have photographed and the count was over 300 so I decided to try to post one a day for a year."

Why did you decide to do this project? I though it would be a fun way to show off my celebrity work and possibly gain some new fans of my photography on Tumblr.
 

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I guess since I am not exactly creating new things (although I have shot a bunch of new celebs since I started) it hasn't changed my life in any real way, however it has managed to completely stress me out. I have also not really gained any sort of following for the site so the whole thing has been pretty disappointing. That being said it is a great exercise in persistence and discipline and I am very determined to see it through to the end. It's because of this that I rarely do auto posts and I try to take the time to update it every single day.

See all of Nate's celebrity's HERE.