That is, 7 months to the day since I started this blog last summer. On July 3, 2016 Rob took me on a date to the local library for an adult coloring event, in which there was a prize to be won. The prize was a book about creativity projects by author Noah Scalin. After excitedly reading this book for only a week, I decided to do it. On July 10 I made the first one: because the theme of the coloring event was kawaii cuteness, that's what I did - I took a black marker and put a cute face on my coffee cup. And then I promised myself (and others) that each day I would find a new & creative way to make a new one. And I mean that.
Now that's it's February 10, we've made already more than 200 (yes, you read that right) kawaii projects, including sidewalk art, faces made with food, cuties in the sand, modelling clay friends, digital art, coloring sheets, 'tattoos' and many other creative daily projects.
Since the beginning of this project, I have been so blessed! I've had the honor of being featured on Noah Scalin's blog, various features online from other amazing bloggers and artists, gotten chosen to participate in Alberta Culture Days' sidewalk chalk festival, met many interesting people in the art community in our city, and even opened a shop on RedBubble called KawaiiNMore
I admit I didn't even know what would become of this daily Make Something 365 project. I only knew that I was feeling excited and inspired. I admire all the people featured in Noah Scalin's "Unstuck" book and I might fail, I might even get arrested, but it's something that seems like it's worth a try. Just let my artist flag take flight!
Anyway you may have noticed there was no post for yesterday and it's being combined with today's. And that's okay. It's been a hectic time with work schedules and a family emergency, so I'm doing the best I can. The sweetest and most caring of you will understand 💙
 |
| A 'winking face' made from magnets that I made (available from my Etsy shop) |
 |
| Spent a lot of time doing bathroom cleaning and it feels great that it's clean! The mouth is a hair tie. |
1) Let Go of Preciousness - Noah explains that one of our biggest issues with creativity is expecting perfection, and that can lead to fear of sharing if it's not perfect. When we learn to let go of that, we can open up a lot more.
 |
| Scary blobby cupcake face! |
2) Freedom Comes from Limitations - He says that when we have endless time, materials, money, etc. that it can be hard to get started. But when we have limitations in time or things to use, it forces our brains to think differently and work harder.
 |
| Only had empty lunch stuff to work with, and a marker. |
3) Get Out of Your Environment - Noah writes that there is only so much creative inspiration we can get from our regular office space (or wherever you happen to work on your projects). It can make a huge difference in our ideas to go somewhere new, even if it's just a coffee shop or something.
 |
| Coffee cup in a shopping cart. Because I don't have cute kids. |
4) Get Out of Your Comfort Zone - He advises that when we open to the concept of possibly making a fool of ourselves, we open our world to whole new possibilities.
 |
| I gave away hand-made bracelets to strangers. Their surprise made me sheepish. |
5) Get Things by Giving Them Away - Noah says that if we keep our own projects for ourselves only, then we probably won't get as a great a response. You may not get rich or famous from it, but you will for sure have a very interesting experience by sharing your project, including gifts from fans, lots of compliments, and even fun collaboration!
 |
| I made some cute tree ornaments and gave them out; I got so many compliments I almost passed out! |
6) Collaborate - He writes that there's just no substitute for what happens with your creative project when friendships & sharing are developed. More brains equal more creative outcomes.
 |
| I started a small movement with leaving mostly blank notebooks in places for strangers to continue the art. |
7) Inspiration is Everywhere - Noah explains that even when we feel 'stuck' in our brains, time constraints, environments or other limitations, that if we really just open up to it, we'll see inspiration all around us, from shapes & colors to new ideas.
 |
| Such a happy box! I saw it right away :) |
So thank you each and every one of you (yes, even the haters!) because your attention and comments have made this project so much more worth it! I love creating for you each & every day!
BTW, the #KaraokeChallenge will be starting soon - we only need some more poll-takers to help choose a song to sing. Song list here
xoxo
*The notions from "Unstuck: 52 Ways to Get (and Keep) Your Creativity Flowing At Home, At Work & in Your Studio" (Voyageur Press publishing) are paraphrased; Noah Scalin's original words were not used in this post for legal reasons.
No comments:
Post a Comment