My Challenge: A Painting A Day

Challenge, Dare, Double-Dog Dare, Triple-Dog Dare

No matter how you say it, it is a call to bring on your A-game!

Challenge: a call to test your abilities in a demanding but stimulating undertaking.  

Within the challenge there exists an opportunity for development to a higher level than previously achieved.

My new Little Gems Collection (Not the complete set.)

My challenge to myself was done on the spur of the moment. 

I typed it out and hit publish! 

Public humiliation was both a threat and a great motivator!

I knew if I did it publicly I would work my hardest to complete the task.  

So here I am with 38 new pieces of artwork to add to my collection at the end of my 6 week/6 days a week challenge.  So where am I now with this and what did I learn?

The first week and this last week were my two most difficult weeks of the whole challenge.  The first week I had to work out my plan of action and learn my limitations.  This last week with school ending and the changes taking place in my home life there are demands put on my physical time both at school and  at home that have to take priority but all for good.  On days when it looked like I was not going to get my work done I mourned the loss of my creative time.  At school my students rose to their own challenges as well and I saw a marked improvement in their work as well.  They stopped by often to see what was on my table, often stood over me to watch me while I painted, asked questions but most importantly they  recognized the value I place on being creative.  Some of them followed my lead and started working smaller in order to complete a larger number of works in a shorter amount of time.  
So here it is my top ten list!

Top Tens List of Things I Learned From my Challenge:

1. After the first week painting became a habit. Habits, even good habits are missed if it does not happen.
2. Working smaller and faster helped me to focus in on what is important and leave off the unnecessary.
3. Photographing for the blog helped me to see where more contrast and brighter colors were needed.
4. The timing does not have to be perfect nor do you have to be "in the mood.".  I can paint most anywhere; inside, outside, with people looking over my shoulder, with others talking to me, with the television on or off, music on or off, anywhere as long as I have enough space to put out my paint palette and my paper.
5. Procrastination is a killer to creativity.  It is the big Satan of creativity.
6. Plan to work!  Work your plan!  If you don't plan ahead, the work does not happen or it suffers.
7. The approval or praise of others may boost my ego but is not a necessity to my achievements.
8.  In like manner, the lack of praise or criticism can only sabotage my progress if I allow it to.
9. If your work makes you happy, it does not feel like work.
10. Creativity begets creativity. 
     

In summary:  I will not stop! I plan to work a little larger so faces are not just a little dot here and there so I may not have a painting a day but I will paint every day.

My 38th remains unpublished at this time.  It is in the center of the pile of paintings in the photo above.  It is a little larger and although I am now farther than the photo shows I wanted to give it a little more attention.  It will be published at completion.

Thank you to all of you for hanging in there with me and seeing me through to the end.
It was fun on my part, I think a growth experience. 
I challenge you to find your creative self!