On Instagram? Join me for the #ArtistDateChallenge for Creatives!

Now that summer weather has moved in, I feel like engaging in some Artist Dates to keep my creative juices flowing. And I am inviting you to join me!

Starting today until July 2nd,  I am inviting everyone to join me on the #ArtistDateChallenge on Instagram so we can share our activities, root each other on and hopefully move past any creative blocks (or spur new ones) during the next several weeks!   And, I will be selecting a few to feature on my Instagram and Facebook page.  And…everyone who participates will be placed in a drawing to win……drum roll please…The Artist Way Starter Kit by Julia Cameron!  Here’s how to participate:

• Follow me on Instagram at @sjbcreativeart

• Take a photo or brief video of your Artist Date, upload on Instagram and tag it with #ArtistDateChallenge and tag me @sjbcreativeart.  Not sure what an Artist Date is? Listen to my podcast for more information.    Need ideas?  This is a great article to help you kick off your plans!  Each Friday, I will be posting some Artist Date prompts to help you as well!

• Make sure to describe what you are doing on your Artist Date, why you selected it and how you feel it will help you with your own creative pursuits.

• You can post as many times as you wish, however, you will be entered into the drawing only once.

• By participating you give me permission to repost your photo (public accounts only).

• The grand prize winner will be announced on July 5, 2017 on Instagram!

DISCLAIMER:  This is a promotional giveway and is in no way sponsored, endorsed, affilitaed by Instagram, Inc.  By entering you are confirming that you are at least 16 years of age, and fully release Instagram of any and all responsibility and are adhering to Instagram’s Terms of Use.

Now, let’s go and have some creative fun!

 

Online Challenges: Jump Starting a Daily Creative Practice

 

Okay, I know when you read that heading, you scratched your head and said, “yeah right, a DAILY practice?  You are out of your mind.”  I might be, but I bet I’m not.

As a busy professional, it is has not been easy for me to keep up with my own creative practice.  At times, I would longingly look to my studio space and feel guilty for neglecting it…after all that is what it is there for right?

How could I possibly fit one more thing in a day that is packed with meetings, appointments, social activities, gym work outs, family, pet duties…the list goes on and on….art will be there when it all “settles” down.  The sad thing is…you and I both know that it doesn’t tend to settle down (if you are anything like me, it tends to revive up even more!).

One way I found that has been very helpful for me is online creative challenges.  This keeps my mojo flowing, allows me to experiment with different mediums and at I would not normally focus on in my own art practice.  A few years back, I started with  Art Everyday Month, a 30 day challenge started by artist Leah  Kolidasthat occurs every November that encourages you to create something, anything, related to a daily prompt.  If you scroll through this blog, you will see some of the creations I made with this challenge.

One that I started last year (unfortunately did not finish) was Spectrum facilitated by Hali Karla Arts  which not only challenges you to create on a regular basis, but you get to “sample” a variety of artists from across the country in various modules focusing on self development.  I have benefitted greatly from these kinds of challenges because I explore who I am and new mediums in the process.

HeArt Space facilitated by art therapist, Kate Leppard is another one of my favorites.  It is an ongoing creative challenge with different topics each month to spur your artistic practice.

The additional benefit is that most of these challenges create community….a commnity of like-minded artists and creatives that are working through the challenge with you.  I have made many friends and colleagues through the process since all of them include a private Facebook group to show your work or even at times vent about your creative process.

There are virtually 30-day or daily practice challenge in just about every creative field, whether it is writing, poetry, culinary arts, etc. you name it.  A google search on any of these topics with “daily challenge” or 30 day challenge will open you to a world of other creatives and can help jump start your practice.  There is nothing like seeing how others are juggling careers, kids, etc. and posting every day of their progress with a challenge.  If they can do it, you can too!

Lately, I felt that I needed to do a daily practice around the topic of gratitude.  I was bringing more attention to what others were doing and my challenges and I felt I needed to ground myself on all the magic Sharon has going on her own life and celebrate it.  I started off considering a written journal of the 3-5 things I was grateful for each day….however, I wasn’t motivated to write anything or would forget.   Enter the 30 Days of Creative Gratitude Challenge  (my journal cover above).

Artist, Priscilla George has this 30 day creative challenge complete with the Facebook Group and daily prompts focusing us to concentrate on things we take for granted as subjects for our art journaling practice.  I don’t do every prompt every day, but I do find that I am creating space not only for my art practice but to focus on the prompts as a way to feel gratitude for the everyday things that matter.

What creative challenges have your tried?  How have they enriched your creative life?