365 Project: A drawing a day for a year
365 Project: A drawing a day for a year
We’ve all seen the fads of a 30-day, 60-day or 90-day challenges – where you do something every day for that period of time. A 365 is the same – but a much more substantial commitment – to do something every day for a year. A few years ago, I attempted doing a 365 photo project, but after about 90-100 days, I quit. I found it quite a struggle, the battle with my ego about what kind of photo “counted” toward the project, being that I’m a photographer for my profession. I felt it had to be “good” – whatever that means – in order to maintain my “reputation”. … It was too much pressure – so I quit. Fast-forward to 2020. I’m living alone. I’m working from home. It’s the coronavirus pandemic. I find myself feeling creatively “stuck” – uninspired with my professional work, not sure where to go with photography, but having an interest in developing my illustrative and design skills. That summer, I had tried to develop a daily digital illustration practice with an app that provides a suggested drawing prompt; it didn’t stick. But, something changed in November: I had the idea to combine this interest in illustration with a “challenge” – and thus the 365 drawing project was born. I began on my birthday, and now, I have completed all 365 days. To say it’s been easy would be false. I’ve even done my drawing when I’ve visited friends in faraway places, gone on vacation in a foreign country, on overnight work trips, days when I worked 10-hour weddings and at times I’d rather have been sleeping. All the drawings are in sketchbook journals, dated and numbered. It has been a very rich experience, forcing me to develop a discipline around creativity and shed the ego and pressure of it needing to be “good” – whatever that means – what’s important is to do it (just like my yoga practice). To go in for the exploration of what to create, and create it. To develop the craft of finding inspiration anywhere, in anything and to see what comes of it.
