Aspiring to daily creativity

Last year I saw someone on Instagram who was creating a short piece of art everyday. I loved the idea. I've always wanted to do a 365 project but somehow never quite managed it in reality. Something has got in the way or I'd get diverted, fall behind and then just stop.

Doing a small piece of art a day, or aspiring to do that, is good for me in a number of ways. Being a mama to two toddler boys who no longer nap, I often don't have time to sit down and do large, planned pieces of art. Or even to study new techniques. Keeping a small, daily project means it's more likely I will keep going.

Even with this life sometimes gets in the way and I fall behind. But for the first time since trying this type of project, I'm giving myself grace when this happens. AND importantly, I'm using tools to help me get back on track. I'm in a season where it's easy to firefight and get caught up in the everyday. But then -well, couldn't every stage be like this? What if I never took the time to develop my creativity, find my own stamp and voice in the world? I want to be a good role model to my boys. Creating is something that both speaks to my soul and also may be a door that opens to income, later down the line.

People have asked before about how I work on my daily pieces and what works for me, so I thought I'd share a few thoughts. Would love to hear how you keep going on this kind of work.

A moleskine diary.
I decided it was important I create my daily art in an actual diary, which gives me the accountability of written dates at the top of each page. It means if I stop creating, I can see exactly where, and how many days ago, and that means I can see easily that I need to catch up. Although I wanted a blank diary, I ended up with a lined one, It's not too bad. It's thick enough that I can stick a few bits in, or use acrylic paint in it, although sometimes things bleed through or show through to the next page. I embrace this as much as possible when this happens. I tend to use a colour block behind my image I am creating to reduce the view of the lined paper.

The downside to this is the book is getting BIG! I'm already having to use an elastic band when it's on the left hand side of the page to be able to keep the pages apart! I'm not sure what it will look like by the end of the year!

Small bursts of time to create
I usually don't have a big amount of time to paint, unless I have help, at the weekends or when the boys are at nursery. That's just a fact of the stage the boys are at right now. I aim to paint when I can and often layer up my paintings step by step to take advantage of this way of working. A background. A splash of extra colour. Inks. A pattern. Do it, let it dry. Repeat. 

When you're happy and you know it, share your work
I like sharing my work - AND it's easy to get over excited and want to share before I am finished! Sometimes I do, and that's more of a work in progress piece. But, I'm learning through my art just how impatient I am. How I want everything to be done, ready, finished, amazing, right here, right now. I can't wait! I'm trying to use my everyday painting to learn to slow down, to unfold, and to only share when I am happy with my work. That's both the actual work, and that I have good light to take a picture of it. That's taking some getting used to! I think this is part of my journey though, to unfold who I am as an artist rather than forcing it. 

Catch up don't give up
Often I'm a few days behind. A month ago I fell well behind! Poorly boys, tired mama, and visitors all combined to suddenly feeling it was too much. No time to be creative, although my soul was seeking it. Just time to keep going. It was calling me though. And because of the fact I'm using the diary, it meant I could see how much work I needed to do in order to show up and keep going. And I'm really prouder of that. Actually prouder than having kept up day by day, as it's showing me that when I have the right tools, it's easier to persevere.

Catch up rather than give up

I'm doing a daily art project of completing one piece of art a day in 2015, in a Moleskine diary. Well, at least that's the idea anyway!

Recently I fell behind. Like - really behind. Sometimes I do fall behind - toddler twins will do that for you! For me it still fulfills the purpose I set out with, which was to be creative more regularly, to complete a 365 project (I've tried it with photographs before and always got lost early on) AND to help develop more of a sense of my own artistic style and voice.

All good.

Except sometimes in reality, one day not completing a goal/task, even the most fun, can easily turn into two or three, and from there into a week or more.  I know once I'm there, it's easy to stop and quit.

This time I carried on. I recommitted to some regular art time at the end of the day. I used colours I loved. I used motifs, like mandalas and spirals, that I loved to paint. And the sheer fact that I was completing in a diary, with dates on, held my hand and got me back to a space where I knew I was behind, and gave me opportunity to catch up. 

I got the job done. I'm up to date and proud that my diary is expanding to show the work I have done this year. It's real and visible both as a sign of a commitment to the work and to myself to show up, get things done, and give myself grace when I am falling behind.

Feeding the soul, one day at a time.