My Arm: the Comic

Patrick Yurick in San Diego California is creating My Arm: the Comic He explained that it was, "conceived after buying a $50 Groupon for a tattoo and agonizing over commitment until the idea of creating a blank comic template came to mind. 5 months later, and a lot of teasing from artistic friends, the template was done and on July 1st "My Arm: the Comic" was launched with the goal of embracing daily creativity without the hustle and bustle that a graphically demanding comic project would entail."

Why did you decide to do this project? I am working on a 2 year long project called "American BOOM!" and it is really time intensive and requires a lot of patience. I sometimes work on a page 20 hours with my business partner, Alonso Nunez, and it is exhausting to do. While, at the same time, I am running a business: Little Fish Comic Book Studio Because of these two projects I found myself not drawing as much as I would like to.



When I got the groupon and brainstormed for the tattoo - it came up as a natural idea to get a blank comic section on my arm to fill in, and then it was a natural movement to make a goal of doing daily work with it. This is my relaxation project. I am encouraging my friends and fans to write me strips to do every day. It already is becoming a really fun conversation starter and I have really enjoyed the positive praise since beginning.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I have been only doing this a week. I think the biggest ways it has affected my life is that people love to talk to me about it. It is so easy to understand as a concept that people just love to come up to me and discuss the comic in a way that they never really did with my more serious projects "Hipster Picnic" & "American BOOOM!". So that is fun.

Follow Patrick's arm HERE.

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.

365 Days of Candy

Dana is a 20 year old from Israel who is using the Kindle version of my book to create 365 Days of Candy!...

Why did you decide to do this project? I was looking for something to reboost my creativity and inspiration to create (which was dead for a few months). I started reading, and decided to start my own project - 365 days of candy, aka A Candy a Day project. So far, I've been following the ideas in your book but I'm planning on collaborating with other artsie friends and also kids (my younger brother, who is 11, already asked to help).

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I've only started 3 days ago, and already I feel a change - suddenly I have new ideas, and I get so excited planning things out and making them. I already started to experience with new techniques and it really does boot both my spirit and creative inspiration.

Follow Dana's progress on Tumblr and Facebook.

Drink

Alex in Richmond, VA challenged himself to record every beer he drank across Europe "with as many awesome places in the background as possible." The result is Drink...

Why did you decide to do this project? Watched the Move, Eat, Learn videos of 3 guys traveling across Europe and thought they were pretty awesome. Decided to put my own twist on it and video every beer I had in our month long trip to Europe (or at least 1 per location).

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Well, going to Europe was awesome! I'd say it made me step out of my comfort zone. I wanted to get unique shots so I ended up taking some awkward videos in odd public places (like in an airport). It was a cool experience.

Kari's 365 Collage Follow-Up

Kari McDonald completed her yearlong 365 Collage Project on June 11, 2013....

What are the biggest lessons/skills you learned from doing your project? When starting a new piece, it's best for me to start and finish the piece in a couple days. I'm not cut out to do a new piece everyday (no pun intended!). It is beneficial for improving creativity to work on something everyday, I just have such a hard time starting and finishing one piece in one day. I also found that setting personal goals or deadlines can only do so much. If I want to complete something by a certain time, I need an outside accountability like setting a date for a show at a venue so that it has to be done on time. If I didn't do this, the project would have gone on for 5 years or I never would have finished.

In what ways did the project change your life? Having such a large body of work will forever change my artwork to come. It is such a diverse body of work that I can pull ideas from, continue themes that were successful, and rework those that didn't quite work. It helped me get out some themes and ideas that I probably would not have discovered if I was not forced to make so many pieces. It will also be a huge reminder for the rest of my life that I can accomplish big things with patience, persistence, and hard work. It's a nice bragging right! Now that the project is over, my life is changed by being able to spend more time with my husband again. He was just as glad, if not more, that it is finally over!

Now what? I started this project to keep me creative after I graduated art school in December 2010. I wanted something to keep me moving while building up my printmaking studio. Even though the project took more than two years to complete, the timing was perfect. I have more equipment now and have a body of work to glean from. Collaboration with my father-in-law has developed with his printmaking studio that is in its final stages of being built. My goal is to now create a new body of work with my etchings, woodcuts, and screenprints. It has been a long time coming and it has been eating away at me that I haven't been able to print for so many years. I'm really looking forward to printing again. Original collages and giclee prints of the collages will be available in my Etsy shop once the live show comes down on July 10th.

You still have a few days to see all of Kari's project in person at Rockford Art Deli at 402 E. State Street in  Rockford, IL.

Read Kari's original 365 interview HERE.

See all of Kari's colleges HERE.

Cube Chandelier

Malissa D. Subhaw in Middletown NY is working daily on Cube Chandelier...

Why did you decide to do this project? I love small containers....something that holds something. These cubes are empty inside but the treasure is on the outside of it.  The colors, textures and messages all inspired by my day to day living.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? This journey although not yet complete has challenged me both emotionally and creatively.  There were times I had no energy or desire to create but I pushed though, the results were surprising and rewarding.  I'm a photographer and this project has me photographing everyday, opening my eyes to new projects and also new mediums.

See all of Malissa's cubes HERE.

The Motorhome Chronicles

Richard Radstone, who created the fantastic Project 365 and the new Operation 365 has another great project in the works and he needs your help to make it a reality: The Motorhome Chronicles...

After 2 years of interviewing 100s of absolute strangers, Richard Radstone’s Operation-365 sets sight on video interviewing the people of America for 100 consecutive days: “The Motorhome Chronicles,” a daily blogumentary dedicated to knowing our neighbors.

“I’ve spoken with 1000s of absolute strangers, interviewed and photographed 100s more... a great consensus is forming, one that can awaken the many to a desire to unite on common ground. Our path is open and our course is undefined, yet one thing is certain... we are all not that different at the core.

“Rich, poor, healthy, ill, old, young, man, woman, Jew, Gentile, white, yellow or black it matters not; we are all of the same blood and have something magnificent to share–”

A premise Radstone has proven through the countless words and intimate photographs he has published through Operation-365.org. It is through these loosely written and heartfelt blog entries that the beginnings of a united community is forming. Writings (grammatically flawed at times) that manage to communicate an awareness of one another.

“It’s time for us to lengthen our stride,” Radstone quotes, “and in a way we are all friends with so many common needs. The more we know of each other the more we can accomplish together,” a statement that directly relates to the reasoning behind Operation-365 and its proposed “The Motorhome Chronicles”. “I’ve funded this outreach on my own thus far, but it has grown to be greater than myself... and with only weeks to raise funds for The Motorhome Chronicles, I guess it’s time to humble up a bit. Time to reach beyond my own resources by asking for Kickstarter and community support.” Richard concludes with his signature sign off, “We were once “Strangers...” now we are “Friends.”

About Operation-365 24/7 – 365 days a year, Operation-365 is an interactive, growing and forward thinking community… a living, breathing society of people of all beliefs, circumstances and mindsets. Our culture is optimistic and inclusive, and our doors are open to all who embrace the embodiment of our mission: “To champion the individual voice, while building bridges towards a greater understanding of our neighbors.”

Want to help make The Motorhome Chronicles a reality? Get the details HERE. 

Bild & Mat

Camilla in Sweden was inspired by the Swedish edition of my book to create her own daily project Bild & Mat...

Why did you decide to do this project? I like food and I like painting and drawing. I eat often, paint and draw too seldom. Maybe one painting every second year. So after have read your book the 365: A Daily Creativity  Journal (Kretivitetskalendern i Swedish) I decided to start my own daily project.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Since two months ago I make an illustration every day inspired by what I have been eating or drinking, or something in relation to that. It really makes me happy although I´m not satisfied with the result every day. However, for me this is a part of the project too. Not having so high exceptions of my self. Better to make something than nothing. And to be honest I have actually been surprised, in a positive way, over the result many days. I just do it for fun. I don´t have any education in this field.

See all of Camilla's creations HERE.

365 TARDIS

Anna Hermanson in Kingsley, Iowa is using the prompts in my book to create 365 TARDIS...

Why did you decide to do this project? Art & creativity are a large part of my life and I've been in a serious slump for a long time. My job is stressful & I needed something to kick myself in the arse and get creating again.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Well, it's confirmed to my friends, coworkers & at least one family member that I am truly a Doctor Who Geek (and proud of it!). But to myself, it's given me a new outlook on things. I have something to look forward to & I sneak peeks ahead in the book to see what's coming up so I can start planning ahead. Some of them are quite challenging with my theme.

Why the TARDIS? Yeah. A third question. I figured you'd have that in mind. Like I said, I'm a serious Doctor Who Geed, and the TARDIS is a relatively easy thing to draw, make, etc. Plus...it won my polls online and verbally, beating out snail, rabbit, apple, light bulb and alligator. I must have a lot of geek friends.



See all of Anna's Tardis's HERE.

365 Days of Creative Canning Follow-up

On Monday 20th May, 2013 Megan Forsyth in Perth, Western Australia completed her 365 Days of Creative Canning!

What are the biggest lessons/skills you learned from doing your project? I expanded my knowledge of preserving recipes, using many new fruits and vegetables and preserving in a variety of ways - learning how to use all of the fruit. Canning is all about following what is in season for your region, growing your own fruits and vegetables or getting to know your local orchards and farmers markets. My biggest lesson was building a relationship with local orchards/growers, and meeting people all over Perth in the process. I have met so many wonderful people, of all different ages and backgrounds. Food preservation is a science, so my goals were simple: GROW SAFE, PREPARE SAFE, PRESERVE SAFE and STORE SAFE. Preserving is a skill that I can teach to my daughters to pass on to the next generation to live strong, self-sufficient and independent lives.

In what ways did the project change your life? My life has changed in so many ways! It was very busy - between my family, working and life in general - however I found it quite therapeutic having time to myself in the kitchen each day, creating something that I can then trade with or pass on to family and friends as gifts. I also started up Perth Jams & Preserves Classes, community cooking classes that I teach once a month, as well as private lessons. I quickly filled my notebook with my recipes, tricks and twists on flavours and ingredients. My family have enjoyed homegrown (or locally sourced) fresh produce all year long, preservative-free and artificial-ingredient-free.

Now what? Now I have time to write up the rest of my recipes to add to my website www.365daysofcreativecanning.com, and I am starting to put my recipes together to write a cookbook, as well as a few other community (teaching) opportunities in conjunction with my monthly community classes. I am still preserving and creating though!

Read my Megan's original 365 interview HERE.

See all of Megan's canned creations HERE.

Lonesome Liz's Mojo Sideshow

Elizabeth Bissette in Nashville, Tennessee created Lonesome Liz's Mojo Sideshow...

Mojo Sideshow Sign by Wes Freed

She Explains, "The Mojo Sideshow began as a series of poems I composed for National Poetry Month, (they have a poem a day challenge each year). Each day in the month of April, I wrote a poem about a different Sideshow character. I later approached Richmond's Gallery 5  with the suggestion it be added to their Carnival of 5 Fires. The result was a multi-media show that included art by Wes Freed, Molly Crabapple, myself and others based on the characters. I added a central thread to the poems, creating a Southern Gothic Faust tale with my Outlaw Country persona, Lonesome Liz, as a modern Faust, in this case meeting the Devil at the Crossroads. The play also featured an Outlaw Country/Gospel score performed by JB Beverley, (Hank III) and myself, along with other talented local actors and dancers.

Why did you decide to do this project? I wanted to see what would happen if I wrote a poem every day!

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? During the course of the writing, I had the amazing opportunity for feedback from Beat Poet Charles Plymell. A few months ago, I took the play back out with the idea of revising it as a Wild West show. I not only again had his marvelous input, but he introduced me to another Beat Poet, who is a Grandson of Cole Younger. With their encouragement, a new production is almost finished. This time the central tale is that of the James/Younger Gang. Coincidentally, Cole Younger and Frank James had their own Wild West Show for a time. Bob Ford, James' killer, made himself a Sideshow act.

Deanna Danger as the Magician's Assistant

See more of Liz's Sideshow HERE.

Beth Nyland is Making 365 Somethings

Beth Nyland a "writer/consultant/mama" from the Western Chicago Suburbs is Making 365 Somethings...

Why did you decide to do this project? Answering an item on my wish list, my husband gave me 365: Make Something Every Day and Change Your Life for Christmas 2012, just as I was finishing a year of writing a poem a day. I chose to save this creative project for my birthday, May 1. That day, my daughters (ages 8 and 10) began the Make Something 365 project together. Every now and then, my 15-year-old son contributes as well.

My theme is words, because I wanted to stay close to my passion for writing while stretching into new creative territories. My daughters chose cats and mustaches as their themes. Although they don't make something every day, they conceive of something every day. When they do produce something tangible, the results are always clever and often hilarious.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I'm just 23 days into this particular creative journey. But I think I may be developing an addition to daily discipline:

• In 2011, I participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), which taught me that through daily visits to the keyboard, I can generate more than 50,000 words in a month!
• In 2012, I wrote a poem a day. Thanks to the leap year, I composed 366 poems. Not bad for a business writer.
• At the start of 2013, I engaged friends and strangers in Just 99 Days: Daring to Dabble in Daily Discipline – an exercise I plan to lead again, tweaking the process and my support so the experience is better every time.
• Then I learned that April is National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), so I wrote a poem a day in April 2013. Another 30 works in my growing archive.
• When my birthday arrived on May 1, 2013, I began Make Something 365, along with my children.

Make Something 365 is different, and I'm loving it. As a writer, I usually compose on screen via keyboard. Make Something is pushing me to work with my hands in different ways, to exercise my creativity in more tangible, three-dimensional forms. I'm no Picasso or Rodin, but the exercises are fun.

To keep myself accountable for daily results, I'm posting each day's work on my blog. I became accustomed to this discipline during my 2012 poem-a-day exercise. Still, publishing unpolished, fast work is, well, character building. But for me, this journey is not about turning out works of art. Instead, I'm enjoying the daily commitment to play, solve problems, think differently, and live true to my believe that we are all creative -- regardless of age or skill or confidence level.

Having my children along for the ride may be the best part of this experience. We talk about Make Something at breakfast, dinner, in the car, all the time. They are wildly creative in generating ideas for their own work and mine as well. They work fast, without fear or hesitation. Their bravery and wisdom are inspiring me to return to that childlike state as I approach creative challenges at work, at home, in relationships.

See all of Beth's somethings HERE.

365 Hands Follow-Up

Kim Knapp completed her yearlong 365 Hands project on Saturday May 4, 2013...

What are the biggest lessons/skills you learned from doing your project? I’ve learned much over the past 365 days… here’s a list of the highlights

•  Success …. Reached my goal. I can do anything I put my mind to. 
•  Support … I could not have done this without the support of my wonderful husband who had to live with my daily “hand” chatter, antics and photos. 
•  I found the artist in me… I’m an Artist… commissioned the first 50 hands for Art-O-Mat 
• Time … NO EXCUSES… I found the time daily to be creative and blog. I learned that there are enough hours in a day. 
• JOY … I found joy each day … from creating, making a mess, the smell of paint, glue, crayons and markers, working under pressure, feedback from family, friends and strangers, to the simplest hand finds which brought a smile to my face, as I went out and about my daily activities
•  Sharp … my mind is clearer, I make business decisions quicker and easier and I am not so hung up in details and the “what ifs”. I’m more creative with my business and daily tasks at work. 
•  I love hand prints in concrete… if I drove a cement truck and laid concrete for a living, I would leave a hand print in my work at every job. I’m sure they have rules about that. I wouldn’t make it long on the job! 
•  I learned to Blog… this was my first…. Blogging is fun! There will be more blogs in my future 
• I appreciate my right and left hand… they are of value and I don’t take them for granted.

Now what? Four ongoing projects as a result of this blog:

• Lend A Hand Project (helping others) 
• The Inkspot Family (children’s book) 
• Art-O-Mat (hand sculpture for sale) 
• Hand Art in Concrete (calendar and wall art) 

Read Kim's original 365 interview HERE.

See all of her hands HERE.

 

365 Days of Basset Hounds

Lisa Northrup in Colorado is creating 365 Days of Basset Hounds...

 Why did you decide to do this project? I have two pure bred year old basset pups referred to in my work as "the boys". They are such a ray of sunshine in my life that when I was looking for an idea it came to me while I was thinking and scratching them on the head. 

I am a perpetual planner and love daily tasks.  For the last two years I have posted a "prompt of the day" on my FB wall to inspiring my friends to take a moment and think about something every day.  It is very popular apparently because people think something has happened if I miss even a day.  I also post up on my FB wall a post quote/picture each day.  This reminds me and hopefully others to start each day of with a positive thought.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? On a personal note, I embarked on a lifelong dream to learn to paint and draw this year. I now belong to an art group. This challenge has been instrumental in keeping my creative juices fresh and flowing every day.  While I don't always have the time to paint or draw I can always find time for a craft project.  On another side note, I am loving following others who are on their journey and supporting them.  I found a 365ers - 2013 FB group and follow your 365 Day Project FB page.  I have made some great new friends.

While I am only 62 days into my challenge I am absolutely certain that after I complete this 365 Challenge I will be ready to start on another one.  Thank you so much for the wonderful book and idea.  It's great!

See all of Lisa's Bassets HERE.