Sub Header

9th Annual Art-a-Day Challenge, January 2018!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

The Art-a-Day Experience - or - What a difference a year makes.

Last year I accepted the art-a-day challenge with great enthusiasm. And then, quite frankly, I didn't follow through. So this year I really had to think things through before I said "yes". I tried to figure out why I fell flat last year, because I didn't want to repeat that experience.

Last year I approached the challenge by planning what I would do for the month. I had some wonderful, glorious plans!! Long lists of projects I would do and new techniques I would learn. And I think this is what choked me. My grand plans were too impossibly grand. I was paralyzed instead of motivated.

So this year I have a very different "plan". It is simply to let each day inform the next. In other words, when I am actually engaged in working on something, I begin to see the next steps. So the idea that occurs to me one day is what I try the next day. And this approach is working wonderfully!!

I have been teaching myself thread sculpture, I have taken a beading class and learned some new techniques, and I have an exploration of flexagons. It is quite amazing to me that a simple change in approach or mindset is having such a profound effect on my creativity and motivation.

I hope to have some pictures soon to share.

Thanks so much Bobi for issuing this challenge. You've made a huge difference in my life.

2 comments:

Laura Gable said...

Susan, Your work is so thought provoking with much mental effort put into it, yet it has such a beautiful freedom and playful quality about it. Hope you post the thread sculptures soon.

It's great to hear about your process.

Bobi Wilson said...

Good to see you here Susan! I hope you can upload some pictures of your work soon!