The Nightly Owl

Tanya Green in Fredericksburg, Virginia is creating The Nightly Owl...

Why did you decide to do this project? I decided to do this project because I was tired of everything else in my life taking precedence over the things I've always wanted to do, but never gave myself the time to do. I am an art teacher by day and a mom of two highly energetic boys (2 and 4) whenever I'm not working. For the past seven years I've worked with children because I'm passionate about getting them to think creatively and solve problems their way. It's time that I practice what I preach. So much of my energy has gone into my students and my family, that not much creative energy has been left for my own artwork. That has changed now and I'm truly glad that I jumped off the cliff into this crazy creative initiative.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I am only two weeks into doing my yearlong/daily project and I think my body has become acclimated to getting much less sleep than I used to get! To be honest, over the last 15 nights a lot has changed. My family, my students, and people at work have gotten somewhat invested in my journey as well. I'm getting random things donated to me for future owl creations. One co-worker went home during lunch to get me a variety of tea bags to use for Day 13. She was so excited that her tea became art! My students have been checking out the owls too. They love to ask me how I created certain owls. When I tell them that I used my brain and my imagination, some are dumbfounded. After I showed a class my LEGO owl, a student said "Oh there's a kit for that!" My reaction was, "No there is not. I made that up myself!" Hmph...children trying to steal my thunder. Ha ha!

Overall, I am a much happier person. As I go through my work day, I have this sense of accomplishment and anticipation for the next accomplishment that keeps me uplifted and energetic. I'm realizing that "Yes, I can do Art!" After teaching for so long and not necessarily challenging my own creativity and skills, I forgot that I can create. I am amazing myself nightly. Sharing my creations with my students and people I don't even know has been pretty amazing too. My sons even ask to create art when I'm working on a owl. I am one happy "artist" and I feel like I can finally call myself one. Weird, I know!

See all of Tanya's owls HERE.

365 Diamonds

Abigail in the United Kingdom is creating 365 Diamonds...

Why did you decide to do this project? Because I needed a focus for my creativity but didn't know where I was headed. Since leaving University I had struggled with how to make creativity part of my daily life. The format of the project gave me freedom, within a structure, to try things.

I found your 365: A Daily Creativity Journal in a bookshop, bought two copies for my mum and I and then badgered her until she agreed to start it with me! Soon she she was the one badgering me to keep up!

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? It has forced me to relearn the discipline that I had for my creative skills at University (making Woven textiles). This is very important as all great creativity comes from discipline, hard work and lots of horrible mistakes/versions before something great happens! It has been a wonderful project to share with my mum who is a very talented artist, and without doing it together I think there are many times we both would've given up. Doing this project has helped me address how important my creativity is to me, I don't want it to be a tiny part of my life anymore, I want it to be everything! Currently I'm designing a range of cards and working on my artwork, the next step is to find the shops and galleries that will work with me.

See all of Abigail's Diamonds HERE.

365 Project - Birds

Julie Grimes in the United Kingdom is creating daily in 365 Project - Birds...

Why did you decide to do this project? To support my very talented daughter to get back into a more creative life which is so very important to her. I have such belief in her talents and felt she was stumbling and had lost direction after university. It seemed a small thing to do to show my total support......though it took a bit of badgering on her part to get me going.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Well in the beginning it was no small feat! Every day to produce a bird of some description,......some days it seemed just too much to try and think let alone actually create something which could be put onto my pin board .... As time has gone on I have really got into it and love being creative again, I have accepted that the finished daily bird does not need to be perfect as this is a journey back to creativity not about a polished finished daily piece. The project has stumbled periodically but through it all it was the thought of not letting my daughter down that kept me going, now we neither of us cannot believe we have reached day 200.

We have both grown from the discipline, we have leant on each other, learnt from each other and  through mutual support and encouragement we have both reignited our love of art and the creative process. My daughter, it turns out is more than a very talented artist! She has succeeded in helping me once again find my creative heart. Although Pintrest may not have been the best place to put the daily piece,  the first time one of my birds was re pinned was the most wonderful feeling ever! It was also wonderfully simple to pin birds whilst on holiday!

See all of Julie's birds HERE.

Claire's 365

Claire in San Francisco, CA is creating a daily project inspired by the prompts in my book...

Day 7 -- a stencil. I made it at a concert out of a baseball card and took a picture of the sky.

Why did you decide to do this project? I decided to do this project because I was feeling uninspired and directionless. I knew I wanted to use my brain every day and rebuild the creative muscle I know exists in there somewhere.  When I saw this book, I grabbed it and bought it hoping it would bring me back!

day 5.  this one was hard. i went and borrowed some hockey cards from 1986 from a friend. then i walked around putting them places and asking people to hold them and took pictures. at one point i found a busted newspaper dispenser and went crazy. then i put the rest of the cards on all the cars parked downtown (that was sort of a weird day).

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I have been doing it for 8 days. It is changing me every day. Doing this and being excited about it when I wake up reminded me that I do have focus and energy to work on things that I'm inspired by and interested in. And I am proud of my work, even though it's not expert... It makes me happy.  

day 4.  i went to the grocery store and made this when i got there.  it's a heart made out of peppers.

A Collage A Day with Louise Hay

Laura E.C. Stukel in Denton, Texas made  A Collage A Day with Louise Hay... 

She explains...
My goal was to create a collage every day starting October 1, 2012 using mixed media on 11x15

• watercolor paper as a background, including:
• scrapbook paper,
• magazine photos (mostly Interior Design, National Geographic, and Real Simple),
• watercolor and acrylic paint,
• Sharpie pens and stencils,
• and other found objects.

I used positive affirmations quoted from the work of Louise Hay in You Can Heal Your Life, and her website.  Louise is/was one of the first modern luminaries to key in on the connection between mind and body wellness in a way that is accessible to the masses.  She writes about how our thoughts can impact our physical wellness or our experience of dis-ease. 
 

I also used the book 365: A Daily Creativity Journal by Noah Scalin to help guide my themes and techniques each day, and to give me the extra push on days when creative inspiration was needed. 
 

Why did you decide to do this project? I spend most of my days as a facilities designer and project manager in a Fortune 50 corporate headquarters in the US.  Moving people and furniture around an office complex can, at times, be challenging and thankless work.  I was looking for a way to help focus on the positive, to find a new way to unwind from my day besides turning on the TV, and to encourage more creative expression in my typical day.  This project was a way for me to better balance aspects of my life, so that my mind and time were not all focused on work.  

The only other time I've taken on the challenge of a daily project was in 2011 when I wrote a thank you note a day for a full year.  I’d heard an NPR interview with John Kralik about his book, 365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life, and thought I would like to try it.  I had to be creative toward the end of the year in order to complete the full 365, but I count the experience a good one and an exercise in gratitude and discipline that I'd recommend to anyone.  Each note required a moment to pause and reflect on something I could feel grateful for, and an action to reach out and thank someone for that moment.   

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? This project has been a self-exploration and endurance race that I've found immensely rewarding.   It has had ups and downs.  Some day's the collages turned out better than others, but it has gotten me back in touch with a creative aspect to my personality that I had set aside in service of a steady paycheck. 

Each day as I sat down in my work area, I knew I'd have at least an hour to ponder a positive and affirming thought.  As I started the project, I wrote a full year's worth of Louise Hay’s affirmations into Noah's Creativity Journal without thought to what they said or how they might work with the Journal exercise.  As the days progressed, I marveled at how the affirmation and the technique of the day (or the affirmation and some experience that had happened earlier in my day) matched up, as if by design…  Divine guidance?  Perhaps.

This project turned out to be a scratch for some unexplained itch that I felt as December 21, 2012 approached and I felt my anxiety rising.  Of course, that date has now come and gone without visible incident, and I look back now at my collages as helpful Art therapy in working through my feelings at the time.

This project also helped me through the tense days that followed my first and only trip to the Boston Marathon, during the one year in its history where the Marathon was targeted for homemade bombs and chaos.   Made it home safe and sound... and got back to work.   

Noah's book was invaluable at keeping me on track and out of a creative rut.  I appreciated the encouragement/directive in 365: A Daily Creativity Journal to post my project to an online blog and share as I went.  (Would probably have never done it otherwise.)  Hope others have enjoyed seeing the progression throughout the year at http://interiarts.blogspot.com/   Had to work through my self-consciousness about whether my Art was any good or not.    Ironically, I found that staying true to the 365 day project regardless of whether anyone was paying attention online was also key. 

On days when inspiration was flagging, I found that working with dogs as subject matter always pulled me forward.  Before this year, I used to think that ‘dog art’ wasn’t really serious ‘fine art’.  However, I also learned through the course of the year that if dog art makes me feel good to make, then as subject matter it’s as good as anything else.  (The two basset hounds that slobbered and snored at my feet as I worked through this year were patient muses.)

I spent a lot of my collage time listening to a range of audio topics that helped me learn and open my mind as I worked.  Thanks are due to the Paranormal Podcast, Darkness Radio, Mysterious Universe, The Honoring Hour, and Essential Oils Experience, and others on Blog Talk Radio.

I see this past year as an extension and expansion of my original 365 thank you note project in 2011.  I still write an occasional thank you note, but I feel that this year has been a catalyst to continue on in visual and expressive Arts.  I’m excited to try new artistic themes and techniques as I move forward, and to keep up a daily creativity habit.  Make Something Every Day and Change Your Life!

See all of Laura's collages HERE.

Heart A Day

Lori Mulligan in Fairport, New York a Heart A Day...

Why did you decide to do this project? I was out of a creative routine , was fresh out of inspiration and needed a kick in the pants - thought this project would solve all three.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I love knowing I have to get my brain working and create each day! ...maybe not on those' out of town late nights', I may panic slightly but I feel a sense of accomplishment once I complete the days project. I really try to make the heart each day but there have been times that even in the middle of the woods - a heart will appear - feel like I've been given a gift (this happened twice, the latest being day 35). Maybe you can always find the things you want if you're committed to them.

See all of Lori's hearts HERE.

Coffee Cups and Grocery Bags

Sophie Therrell of Eugene, OR is creating daily in Blog with Daily Watercolor: Coffee Cups and Grocery Bags. She explains, "Everyday I make a 3x5 water color painting and write a short essay about whatever I'm thinking about. And I report how many people emailed me that day to say they used a reusable coffee cup to buy coffee.  For every reusable cup used, I donate $1 to our local recylcing company.  So far, we're up to $12, I think."

Why did you decide to do this project:  I bought your book! And after about a three months it hit me that a daily watercolor would be doable and fun.  I am NOT a trained painter by any means, but felt that exploring painting would be a challenge and probably fun.  Also, I'm sad about how many coffee cups get thrown away every day, so I thought this might be a fun way to get people to switch to reusable cups.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Its been 19 days so far, so I'm not sure any major changes have taken place.  But I am for sure LOVING every minute of time I spend on this, and it has given me a feeling of energy and accomplishment. Also, having to write something every day is helping me somehow to feel more balanced during the day.  I am hoping to get more readers and more people to quit the disposable cups!!!

See all of Sophie's daily posts HERE.

ZOELAB 365 Follow-Up

Zoë Edmonds completed her yearlong ZOELAB 365 project on August 31, 2013...

What did I learn? I learned that even though I am a mother, and live off the grid in the desert, and can be disorganized, I really am able to discipline myself, and that creativity is a constant flow always available that just needs to be tapped into. I have learned how to let go of perfectionism (for the sake of getting that post out there according to my committment) but at the same time... I learned that regular creative work on something that I care deeply about leads to a happier life. (The original impetus of the project was that it was a Happiness Project, inspired by Gretchen Rubin's book of the same name.) Having a daily discipline reconnected me to the old fashioned value of hard work, which when applied with compassion (instead of judgment and punishment) is very satisfying. I developed some great techniques that allow for optimum creative flow. And, rather than making myself focus all my energies in one particular art form, I am learning how to focus, instead, on how to connect my ideas, while using a variety of art forms to develop them--essays, free writing, songwriting, guitar, photography, video, poetry, acting, drawing. I also developed a system of organization to allow for greater creative productivity. I will be teaching this system, as well as the creative techniques I have been developing in my creativity classes and with my creativity coaching clients with Art For Life here in Baja.

How did my life change? Having grown up in Brooklyn, and being a city person my whole life, my life already had changed quite a bit when I moved to the desert, in Baja, Mexico. Doing this project allowed me express and explore exactly what this life means to me that I am creating here, and why I made this choice in the first place. I must say the changes in my life were not all positive--it was hard on some of my relationships and on my sleep-level--to be that dedicated to my blog every night after a full day of house work/parenting/work and commitments. But it also increased my sense of satisfaction and was well-worth the effort. My life feels more full--I am reading more, thinking more, feeling more inspired, more engaged, and am living my goal--which is to live life as art. A bonus: I cured (through substitution) my addiction to watching videos after my kid goes to bed.

What's next? I have decided that I don't want to continue doing a daily blog as the pressure to publish daily and the time commitment was quite intense, and I want to explore creativity away from my computer. For my next project, I have committed to playing music and writing every day (and doing blog posts every once in a while), but I will be posting a video every week, hence my new project, which starts in October 2013, will be called ZOELAB 52: Videos & Assignments. My goals for this project are to have more involvement from friends or other creators through collaborations, and to return to my love of performance. One of my goals for ZOELAB 365 was that it would lead to a book idea (or a few) and/or publication. I did come up with a book that I have started writing about creative motherhood, which is very exciting.

Read Zoë's original 365 interview HERE.

See all of Zoë's projects HERE.

Explorations of Life and Death

Christine Davidson in Lawrenceville, Georgia is spending a year on Explorations of Life and Death. She explains that she will, "Explore life/death/life to death/death to life with no constrictions except the challenge of sticking with each day’s suggestion in the 365 Journal"...

Why did you decide to do this project? Life and Death are mysterious, interesting, miraculous, global, internal, external… The journey will surely be fulfilling, exciting, transforming, fun…

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life?  Day 3…..so far, I have begun a spiritual revival within myself (great start!), discovered a new & incredible pocket in the park right down the street, a sense of beginning to come out of depression, and finally doing art again!!!

 See all of Christine's explorations HERE.

Starlight 365

Aliza Bignami in Sacramento, CA is creating a star themed daily project called Starlight 365...

 

Why did you decide to do this project? As a gift for my 30th birthday my amazing godmother gave me the 365: A Daily Creative Journal.  I had looked at similar journals over the years and always thought “maybe next year.”

Well it’s 2013 and I’m not getting any younger

So why stars? “Reach for the stars,” they say.  Throughout the history of man we have looked to the stars.  Whether searching for the answer of where we came from or how to get where we’re going, stars inspire us to expand our horizons creatively.  I’m hoping this “Year of Stars” will do just that.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? While I'm only two weeks in, this project has already started to bring me out of the funk of my quarter-life crisis.  I feel like I'm more creative than I've been in years, not just in my "Year of Stars" but in my life as a whole. 

And by sharing it with others, it inspires me to keep going.  Friends, family and now even strangers  look forward to seeing what I'm going to come up with next, giving me a sense of purpose again.

So here it goes.  Fingers crossed.  Wish upon a star for me.

See all of Aliza's stars HERE.

365 Guitars

Barbara Parker in Maryland is creating 365 Guitars. She explains, "Each day I form a guitar - out of, well, anything at hand - as a creative warm-up for the ensuing job of painting.  In the past I had painted six or so sketches of a guitar, but the process of reaching to create one from things  has proven to be a wonderful and transformative challenge."

Why did you decide to do this project? I read about 365 projects, and your book in a blog posted from France.  I bought the book and loved the concept of challenging myself to create something different and the same 365 times. 234 guitars later, I am beginning to worry about finishing...

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? As a creative, the discipline of repetition has proven to be an amazing kind of training, but more than this, it has opened my eyes to a great many ancillary activities.  Forcing myself into the blog format every day (which is sometimes more difficult than creating the guitar) has improved my writing skills and has brought me enough notoriety that as of May I am teaching a workshop on journaling for artists, at least a part of which is going to include the concept of the 365 project.   Almost above all is the conversation I am having with other creatives about the process.  I have met many, many wonderful people through this project and cannot say enough about how it makes me think creatively every day - no slacking.  It is also a kind of daily success that keeps me going - kind of the B12 supplement of art :)  I have gained a lot of self confidence through watching myself stick with this every day.

See all of Barbara's guitars (and give her encouragement to finish) HERE.

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.

And the Bead Goes On...

Sandy Snowden from Bracknell, UK is creating daily in a project she calls And the Bead Goes On…

She explains, "I am doing a daily project using beads. Every other month I stitch beads onto fabric beads which I make (by wrapping a fabric strip with fusible web round a knitting needle, then sticking the layers together with heat).  On alternate months I stitch beads onto something different. I have stitched onto star washers, ribbons and fabric-covered small playing cards. This month I am adding beads to springs.

Rules: Anything with a hole in it can be a bead. If you can put a hole in something, it can be a bead. Every day is a different combination of colours or beads, even if there are one or more constants these are built around."

Why did you decide to do this project? I had been following a couple blogs with daily projects and then saw Jeanne Crockett’s 365 Dresses project. I really liked the idea of using something like this as creativity prompt to get me in my studio. I chose beads because I enjoy stitching beads onto something – quite meditative.  If I could succeed for the year, I would have unique embellishments I could use in my wearable art garments. I tried it out for a week in the previous year to see how I got on. One blog commenter gave me the idea for a project title which I think fits just right. ‘And the Bead Goes On…’
 



How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I am nearly 2/3rds of the way through the year. I thought I would get bored  just doing fabric beads, so added the option of having a different ‘item’ to bead onto for alternate months. However, I think I could possibly do another year of just fabric beads.

I am the sort of person who puts my all into a project. However, I was increasingly getting discouraged about some health issues that made it difficult to proceed like I wanted. With this daily bead project, I have the benefit of knowing that even when I have been too unwell for other projects, I have produced something.

I have experimented by using unusual items and unusual methods I would never have attempted otherwise. Most of those methods work well enough to choose to do again. Also, I have been discovering things about colour combinations that I may go on to use in larger projects. And new things about using tools and materials that I can use in my other work.

Even if you have a large drawer and a large size plastic container full of a variety of containers of beads, you never have enough of the colours you have chosen to work with!

I am already considering continuing this project for 2014 because I have more ideas than I have months left in 2013! I have had some interest from others in teaching workshops based on my bead project. I am looking at the idea of presentations or exhibitions and possibly submitting to publications.

See all of Sandy's beads HERE.

The Me Project

Jamie Kerr Weinstein in Richmond, Virginia is creating daily in The Me Project...

Why did you decide to do this project? I was inspired by the Skull-A-Day project around 4 years ago. I put it on a mental “To Do” list and two years later started doing a 30 minute drawing a day. Then life got in the way and I quit. I then found myself in a retail job selling Noah Scalin’s cardboard skulls and thought, “This is all wrong. I should be creating.” I quit my job and am pursuing more suitable opportunities. My website and blog are part of the journey.

How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? Doing the daily project has affected my life because it gives me a venue to display my voice. I am a very visual and sensory sensitive person. I don’t know where my blog and website are leading me but I have a newly found confidence, that I lost after focusing on being a mom of two boys under 4. Now, if I need a “pick me up”, I can look online and see a tangible, cohesive set of thoughts, paintings and projects that are mine, all mine! Despite the fact that I love playing the piano, drawing and writing, I don’t like to perform. Making this website gives me a chance to voice my opinions, tell stories about my family and interact with the world while still maintaining some solitude. 

See all of Jamie's work HERE.