A month ago the #28 To Make Challenge was issued by CreativeLive. I signed up and so did several followers of this blog. Thanks for joining me… how did it go?
Were you like me and started out with great enthusiasm and commitment. The early exercises were to take no longer then 20 minutes each. I appreciated that and knew I could commit to this.
You have seen my coffee cup from Day One…
On Day Two we were asked to draw a house plant. I chose a small succulent.
Day Three meant to draw an Album Cover. I kept it simple: Duran Duran – All You Need is Now
And then came the “draw the contents of your purse” challenge.
Followed by “draw a receipt” challenge.
Day Six was a day to observe the neighborhood, write down words based on observations to create a new sentence… this one didn’t get me too excited. I live in a remote area – ice fishermen come and go and it didn’t really get to busy. Needless to say, when this exercise was repeated every Saturday – I skipped it!
Day Seven was a day of rest. This was repeated every Sunday and I felt it broke the flow a bit… but then again – rest is important. It helps us fill the proverbial well.
On Day Eight the 30 Circles Challenge was issued which took nearly three times longer then my allotted time…
Day 9 wasn’t so easy either – no small children in my life that provide me with doodles… so, I closed my eyes, made some scratches on paper and then altered them into simple sketches inspired by the “scratches”.
A blind contour self-portrait just shows me on a bad hair day. 😉
The photo doodle from Feb. 11th was a little more of interest as I have done these before and love creating them!
Week three introduced letters and script into the challenge. I played with this on the airplane where I took an excerpt from a page featuring Old Montreal restaurant reviews.
After taking the weekend and several days off to pack for my trip and to work on new Kantha pieces I participated in an all day mixed media and drawing class. I am sure you remember this image from Feb. 20th.
And here is a close up of one of the four Kantha pieces I have completed in February.
…and one more close up of another Kantha piece from February.
We engage in challenges to get inspired. Not following through on one such challenge can be viewed from two angles: Did we get bored or frustrated with the challenge? Or did the challenge catapult us into new work where we didn’t feel the need to complete the challenge?
I decided to funnel my energy into actual new textile pieces. The #28 To Make Challenge was great to get the new month off to a creative start and it didn’t take long to run with new ideas and embark on my personal creativity challenges.
How did everyone else do? Share your experiences in the comment section if you are so inclined. I like to hear about your February creative endeavors.
Anna Hergert, Art & Design 
I sent you an email, I MUST have your book!!
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Hi Amie, I have replied to your email. They must have crossed each other in the ether…
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I enjoyed the challenge and followed it through to the end, although I did miss one project. I was taking part in it with another person, which added to the accountability aspects of it, and I am in a few art classes as well, so I wanted to get used to doing something different that I didn’t necessarily enjoy. It was a great experience though, and I did think about dropping out to follow some of the ideas; I think it was even a suggestion at the beginning of the class to do so. All of your work looks amazing though.
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Matthew – way to go. You saw the challenge through despite temptations! That is something to be proud of. I am working on a photo-a-day-challenge this year and have committed and followed through on other daily creativity challenges (one in 2012 and one during 2014 – they are found in my archives). When other commitments pushed in and I had to get ready for a business trip I brought long the drawing supplies but only pulled them out once for the “sentence” challenge which I enjoyed very much. It was easy to do on the plane. I lead a creative life style that I am trying to balance with writing, creating art, teaching and lecturing. Sometimes I over extend myself… and I am comfortable at identifying and omitting things that are taking time and energy from deadlines that are career furthering. Good luck with your art endeavours. I have signed on to follow your blog and look forward to seeing your latest creations along the way. All the best, Anna
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I began the challenge with enthusiasm but never received the daily emails and after trying unsuccessfully to have the error corrected I gave up. I completed all the challenges the first week and the thirty circles was the one I had the most fun with. For the rest of the month I went back to my comfort zone. A landscape done entirely by couching wool, several hundred tumblers cut out and made into two baby quilts and an adult quilt were part of my fun month. New glasses next week will allow me to get back to handwork. It amazes me how far I have pushed myself and the three challenges you have introduced me to are a big part of my journey.
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So sorry the daily emails didn’t arrive. Had I know I would have gladly sent them along to you, Katina. Mine arrived early each morning. Maybe yours’ ended up in the spam folder. None-the-less it sounds you have been very creative throughout February. New glasses will just catapult you to new creative heights!
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Thanks for this Anna. I’d love to give it a try when things slow down for me. I hope others share too! I’d love to see more. Please share.
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We shall see who will share…. not sure how to access the participants directly through CreativeLive. Will keep you informed in case I can figure it out.
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