A Bite-sized Tip For Creating a Series of Art
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”
— Vincent Van Gogh
The thought of doing a 365 day daily art project can seems daunting. What will I do for that long? What if I get bored or run out of things to draw? What if I quit after a week, like that diet I tried last year? I had such good intentions and high hopes, but at the end of the day, it amounted to nothing, except a reminder that either i’m a failure, a quitter, or I just seem to be missing something in my DNA to enable me to complete the task at hand.
I learned early on that I needed SMALL projects. I can’t think in 365 day chunks. But I can do 30 days. Or even 100 days. So after a little bit, I started to identify a topic that I wanted to tackle for 30 days. 30 days of self portraits, 30 days of pets, 20 days of toes, 30 days of faces... you get the idea. I started to incorporate Instagram and social media. I would sketch people’s photos who would show up in my feed. I would then tag them so they could join in the fun too. It was a great way to be held accountable because I was posting publicly, as well as meet new friends. I started to sketch celebrity photos they posted on Instagram, and tagged them too. Some of them even liked and shared (and occasionally commented to my delight as well) I mean, who wouldn’t like to be included in being sketched by an artist, right? Most people consider it an honor.
I also joined in a 100 Day Project that was being hosted by another artist I was following on Instagram, Elle Luna. She threw out the challenge to join in with creating or making anything for 100 days straight. We would all start and end together, posting and hash tagging so we could all follow along and encourage each other. I did this project twice. The first time, I sketched a black line drawing based on the photos of others, using only my iPhone and a stylus. The second time I did the same, only this time, adding in color to the background and key parts of the drawing. Every day was a new adventure. I would look for inspiration, and others would follow along wondering what I would post next. And some, hoped that they might make it into my project. (In the spirit of full disclosure, I did attempt another 100 day project recently, but I got behind and the subject matter wasn’t engaging me enough, so I only made it to day 60 or so. You've got to choose carefully, or you won't follow through when things get tough.)
It was always a thrill at the end of the 100 days, to create a photo montage of all the images. One giant image to chronicle the past 100 days.
I talk about the importance of this process and gaining momentum in an art making practice, more in depth in my video course “Your Artists’ Journey”.
Check it out if this sounds like something that would be of interest.
What bite-sized tips have you discovered along the way that helps in your art making practice?
Why I want to Help You on Your Artists' Journey...
Are you an artist who struggles with the idea of finding your voice or style?
Have you ever found yourself wanting to get back to a place of creating your art, but you just don't know where to start?
Do you find yourself wishing for a creative comeback after a long hiatus?
Do you struggle with finding the time to devote to your passion of creating?
Do fear and excuses stop you from creating your art?
Are you an artist who struggles with the idea of finding your voice or style?
Have you ever found yourself wanting to get back to a place of creating your art, but you just don't know where to start?
Do you find yourself wishing for a creative comeback after a long hiatus?
Do you struggle with finding the time to devote to your passion of creating?
Do fear and excuses stop you from creating your art?
That's exactly where I was 5 years ago. And it SUCKED. I knew that I needed to embrace my art again. I just wasn't sure how to do that. I desperately wanted to ENJOY my art process and create with confidence. But that was far from my reality. I vividly remember watching other artists excel who seemed to have some sort of map that I was missing. And it was so frustrating and discouraging.
Can you relate?
It was at that point when I stumbled upon something that radically altered the course of my art making journey forever. As a result, I'm in my fifth consecutive year of a daily art making practice.
Through talking with fellow artists, I realized I was not alone. The things that I was experiencing were common plagues. So when my art making finally started coming together, I knew that I had found a solution that wouldn't just help me on my journey, but others as well. That's why I created a self guided video course called "Your Artists' Journey: Finding Your Voice & Style Through Daily Practice".
In this course, I share from my own struggles and experiences, along with several principles I learned during my 365 daily art making practice. (As I mentioned, I'm now in my fifth consecutive year with no plans to stop!)
I let you in on my step by step plan for you to start your own creative journey through this course...
Your Artists’ Journey: Finding Your Voice & Style Through Daily Practice
>> http://theartistsmentor.com/yajmikebrennan
In this self-paced course you will:
- Find your own daily art habit
- Learn new insights and gain confidence in your art
- Discover tools to maintain your momentum
Click the link to meet me inside and enroll (you will get immediate access)!
>> http://theartistsmentor.com/yajmikebrennan
There's even a bonus: After you enroll, you will also get exclusive access to our private community group and discussions only for our students!
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
Cruise over to the link above and check out my intro video. If you have any questions, please feel free to let me know. Remember, the reason I created this was to be a tool and a HELP to artists. Feel free to share with any artist friends you know who might benefit!
So is today the day you take ACTION? It would be my honor to come alongside you on your own artists' journey!