Thursday, January 19, 2012

Did I Really Just do That?

What do these items: A blank pad, pencils, sharpener, eraser, a handful of bright, cheerful markers, and a black Sharpie have in common? . . . . . . . .

They are physical proof that I have, actually, gone completely insane.
SmileyCentral.com

Okay, I will admit, maybe not any more insane than usual, but sometimes I look at what I've gotten into and wonder, "What in the world was I thinking!"
As if agreeing to write a novel in a month wasn't enough, I've gone and joined another challenge. This one, however, is a bit different. It does not deal with words. It does not last a month. It doesn't hold the worry about writers' block. 
This challenge consists only of the limit of my imagination, the requirement of plenty of blank paper, well sharpened pencils, and a few ideas. . . . . and by few, I mean 365.
How did I get into this? 
Well. . . . therein lies the story. . . . . .
The bleakness of the outdoor world was beginning to grate on her nerves. Winter was long enough as it was, but to have the snow replaced by harsh, glaringly bare, brown landscape somehow seemed colder and more depressing than a blanket of fresh, glimmering snow would have been.
She felt restless, not an unfamiliar feeling, especially during this time of the year. Her family knew when it reached a rather critical point, for she would begin pacing about the house, bearing a forlorn expression.
The year was spreading out before her, fresh and new, and she found herself lacking plans. Finding something to keep her busy during the cold winter months was pretty much of a necessity, but what was that to be?
On the eve of New Years Day, as she was surfing some of her frequently visited websites, her eye was drawn to a particular thing she hadn't noticed before: 365 Sketchbook.  Hmm, intriguing.
Now, the title of the thread was pretty self explanatory, but did she listen to the little voice that was already buzzing with the sheer nervousness of such a large number? Did she stop to consider just how much work it would entail?
No, she didn't. She clicked on the link and was instantly sucked into a new challenge; to sketch a single drawing every day for the ENTIRE year!
Did she hesitate in joining this challenge? Did she stop and consider that that is a whole lot of paper and she is constantly in a state of "Oh no! I'm almost out of paper!!!!"
Nope, she didn't, she plunged right in with a growing excitement and overwhelming enthusiasm. Really, how hard could it be? Just one, simple sketch a day. . . . . .

Two and a half weeks in and the enthusiasm is still there, albeit a little bit dampened by the fact that I didn't actually take time to think about how many different sketches that actually is. I'm doing okay so far, but I know, at some point, the ideas are going to run out. So, to counteract inevitable Artists Block (apparently there is some kind of Block for everything. . .) a jar has been pulled out and set in a central part of the house. That way, when any of my family members (and even friends) have a spare idea for me they can jot it down on a bit of paper and drop it in the jar. When I simply can't think of a single thing to draw I'm going to pull an idea out of there and do it.
(I must tell you though, I've been having a hard time keeping myself from doing that, simply because I am so curious to see what kind of suggestions are in there!)
It is already helping me, in the sense that I'm forcing myself to step out of my very familiar zone and sketch things I'm not terribly comfortable, or good at, as well as showing me that I actually can pull off some fun sketches without a lot of frustration.

If you have any idea's at all please feel free to leave them in the comments, and I'll post them here for you to see! (If you do, please remember they are only sketches, not in-depth drawings, and therefore I'm asking for things that aren't too intricate:)
SmileyCentral.com

2 comments:

  1. A snowman, A Teacup, A pencil, A heart, A tulip, A snowflake, A baseball, A pine tree, A swimming pool, A drop of water, A cookie, A fire place, A pair of glasses, A smiley face, An elf, An ice cream cone, A chocolate bar, A muffin. I hope these ideas help. Elizabeth.

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  2. Thanks Elizabeth, I've actually already used one so I'm planning on getting it posted within the next couple of days:)

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