While it sure is nice to feel constantly creatively motivated, sometimes a little nudge can help. Working with other people and following prompts or assignments can get us thinking in completely new ways and take us in new directions. This week I have a list of seven interesting projects that you can participate in. Try one or try them all and see where your inspiration takes you.
Free Projects
Illustration Friday: Every week a topic is posted and you can join hundreds of thousands of people from around the world in interpreting the topic and submitting your illustration. You can send in your artwork for a chance to be featured on their blog, or you can just post it to Twitter or Instagram with #illustrationfriday.
Hit Record: You may have seen Joseph Gordon-Levitt's intro video floating around Facebook lately. He created this social media platform that's meant to build creativity and community. You can browse through people's projects, respond to challenges, and make contributions to finished products. It's pretty cool!
Express it Month: If you want to try a daily challenge, Tara is running a project in March that's all about using whatever medium you like to express your feelings. You can sign up to get daily inspirational emails and share what you make on Instagram using #expressitmonth2016.
Drawing Project: My own creative project is almost halfway through and still going strong. The goal is to take the pressure off and learn to make drawing fun again. Sign up for weekly drawing assignments to be sent to you by email and share what you make on Instagram using #eadrawingproject or in the private Facebook group.
Paid Projects
Mail Me Art: If you're as intrigued by mail art as I am, you will love this project. People from all over the world send small pieces in by mail and are compiled into group shows and books. Your fee pays for one of the previous books, which comes with instructions on how to submit. Who knows, maybe you'll end up in the next book!
Sketchbook Project: This project started out as a way to collect filled sketchbooks from all over the globe, and now houses the largest sketchbook library in the world. While their current round of sketchbooks is closed, you can sign up for their mailing list to find out when the next one will happen. In the meantime they're running a print exchange. You send in eleven handmade prints with the theme of "Lightning bolts in the night sky" and get ten back from artists around the world. Sounds like fun! Sign up by April 1st.
Outside the Envelope: A similar project is being run by the Alberta Printmakers Association (a little closer to home), this time with the theme of "Letters from home". Participants will have their work in a non-juried exhibition, and receive postcards from other participants. Deadline is April 6th.
(P.S. If you want to learn how to make simple prints to participate in the last two print exchanges, I'm running a Linoleum Block Printing workshop on March 3rd at Metro Continuing Education here in Edmonton. Registration closes Monday!)
Do you know of any fun creative projects that I've missed? Leave a comment below!