How Do I Get Started?

August 30, 2016 Kathleen Warren

As I mentioned last week, Serena and I are doing a Q&A on starting a creative challenge September 5-9. So it got me thinking who would even be interested in starting a creative challenge? And what exactly is a creative challenge? A creative challenge is simply where you challenge yourself to create something over a certain period of time. There is an infinite amount of possibilities. It isn't so important what you do. It is just important that you start something.

In my mind, it would be good for everybody to set up a creative challenge for themselves. I speak from experience. When I started the 100 Day Project making improv fabric art every day two years ago, I had no idea how this daily creative challenge would totally change how I see myself and how I create. Before this creative challenge, I would jump project to project with no real plan to try new things or learn more about myself as a creative artist. After this two year experience, I feel I have pushed myself to learn new ways of using color and design to express myself. Working in a series every 25 days has provided a much needed structure and framework for me to explore new color combinations and new design themes. I may not always know where I will end up with my art but at least I have a general direction.

What about people who don't even consider themselves creative let alone use the "artist" word? These are all just labels. The important thing is to do something. To create. Creating is a word about doing. Honestly, our culture can be geared towards consuming. As wonderful as reading and listening to podcasts(which I do on a regular basis) can be, it can be passive. It may get you thinking about things in a new way and learning stuff. I'm all for learning stuff. But sometimes you need the feeling of power in your life that comes from creating something unique made by you.

Some people will say, “Well, I can't draw or I can’t do this." Well, I can't really draw either. The point is to try something that interests you. And keep going till you find what really, really interests you.

Creating is a doing. It's not a feeling. It is a word about action. In a way, I think it is the doing or the activity that brings the power to these creative challenges.

But how do I get started? I don't think I have any talent. First of all, I would not agree with that. Everybody has some interest in some subject. You are deluding yourself to think you have no interests. Talent is overrated. If you are interested in something, you will put in the the time to learn it and get better at it.

If you are at a loss of where to start, I think one of the easiest things people can do is a photo challenge. Most people have cameras on their phone. Take a daily photo of something that has meaning to you. Set up a creative challenge to take a daily photo for three weeks. Yes, it can be that simple. The point is.. it gets you doing. You make a commitment to yourself that you will do something every day for a period of time. The amazing thing is that when you're done and you look back, you are going to find patterns. You might realize that at the beginning you really weren't so good at it. But the more you do it, the more you will refine your technique. The more you will learn. The more you will want to keep doing it. You have become a creator.

If your interest is in cooking, you can do the same thing. Pick something to do and do it for a certain period of time. Did any of you see the movie where a blogger cooked every recipe in Julia Child’s cookbook called Julie &Julia? That was a whopper of a creative challenge. It holds zero interest to me. I would never do anything like that. But we all have our own interests.
If your musically inclined it could be learning 10 measures of a new song every day or making playlists of your favorite songs in Spotify. If you are someone who is interested in creating order, it could be organizing your living space for 30 minutes a day for a month. If you're someone who is interested in knitting, it could be just sitting down and doing it for 30 minutes for 21 days.
You get the idea. This is not rocket science. This is just a way to get you to create on a consistent basis.

What about those who are afraid of failure? Welcome to the club. You may hate what you decide to do. Then you can cross that off the list. No harm done. Start another one. Set a shorter time. Maybe just seven days. Keep cycling through ideas. You will eventually find one because you will become more in tune to what you like. You don't necessarily know unless you try. It's kind of like a treasure hunt. You could call this a hobby or you could call this developing your creative side. It doesn't matter what you call it. It's the doing of this that brings a sense of power and honesty and being who you really are.

Day 239 of 2016. Moroccan Basket series. I am using this photo on my phone as the wallpaper. Interested? Email me and I will send the photo file.

Hopefully this has sparked some questions about how to get started. Ask your questions through email or comments on this article or on Instagram.

As a reminder, our Q&A session will be held on Instagram the week of September 5-9, 2016.
We have a question theme for each day:
Monday, September 5: How to get started
Tuesday, September 6: How to make it doable
Wednesday, September 7: How to make time
Thursday, September 8: How to stay motivated
Friday, September 9: How to use what you learned

Go ahead and send the questions anytime before that week if you want. We will be answering the questions relating to the daily topics in the afternoon on this days.
Not on Instagram? That is ok. We will answer the question on Instagram and then email the written responses back to you.
You have a few days til the Q&A starts on September 5, so start thinking about your questions!

Find Serena @sirensfinds on Instagram and hello@sirensfinds.com for email. Her website and blog are at sirensfinds.com.
Find Kathleen @blueskyquilter on Instagram and kathlenwarrenstudio@gmail.com for email. My website and blog are at kathleenwarrenstudio.com.

To access the Spotify playlist for the series Moroccan Basket, click here.

Every Day

August 23, 2016 Kathleen Warren

A friend asked me, "So tell me the truth, do you just make seven squares at a time and then post them later one each day?" I was a little shocked. I do make the squares every day and then post them on Instagram. Yes, there have been times when I've been in the car all day and unable to machine sew or even hand sew. On those occasions, I do pre-make the daily squares and then post on the day but I could count on my two hands how many times I've done that in two years. But that's not really the point. The point is I create and post every day for selfish reasons. I am glad my Instagram followers enjoy a burst of color on their screen every day. But I truly do this for myself because the daily creative habit is like a steady current running through my life, like a flowing river.

I used to think that it would be much easier to create on the days where I have less going on. I do enjoy the days in the studio where I have time to daydream and play around. But I found the days that are stressful or full of activities can be just as rewarding, if not more. It allows me to do a "reset" no matter how busy or stressed I am. When I walk into that studio, I leave all that behind. Turn on my iron, get out my fabric and start thinking about possibilities. Everything else stays outside the studio.

You can create when you're angry or sad or mad or frustrated. But in my experience, these strong emotions fall away as you start creating. There's no room for drama in my studio or at least not in my world.

So... full disclosure, last weekend we took our son to college. We had 3 busy days so I pre-made three days worth of squares and posted them on each day in order. But instead of thinking... "What a relief, I do not have to create a daily square!" I missed that time in the studio where I step out of daily concerns and worries and enter the world of color, fabric and thread.

So if you are resisting a daily creative habit because you think it'll be hard to fit in your schedule because things are a little too busy right now or a little too stressful, I encourage you to rethink that and consider adding creative time in your day as the time to put those feelings aside and focus on making your art of choice.

The key is making it just part of your daily routine and to make it doable.

Need help starting a creative habit? Creative challenges can help kick start your creative habit. Creative challenges are not complicated. You decide what you want to do and for how long. Then just do it. The hardest part is just starting.

Serena from @sirensfinds and I are hosting a Q&A session to help others start their own unique daily creative challenge to see the benefits for yourself of adding creativity into your life. We will be chatting together on both of our Instagram accounts answering your questions. So ask us anything.
Our Q&A session will be held on Instagram the week of September 5-9, 2016.
We have a question theme for each day:
Monday, September 5: How to get started
Tuesday, September 6: How to make it doable
Wednesday, September 7: How to make time
Thursday, September 8: How to stay motivated
Friday, September 9: How to use what you learned

You can ask us questions through Instagram comments, email or comments on our blogs. Our contact information is below.
Go ahead and send the questions anytime before that week if you want. We will be answering the questions relating to the daily topics in the afternoon on this days.
Not on Instagram? That is ok. We will answer the question on Instagram and then email the written responses back to you.

Start thinking about any questions you may have about designing your own creative challenge.
You have one and a half weeks til the Q&A starts on September 5, so start thinking about your questions!
Find Serena @sirensfinds on Instagram and hello@sirensfinds.com for email. Her website and blog are at sirensfinds.com.
Find Kathleen @blueskyquilter on Instagram and kathlenwarrenstudio@gmail.com for email. My website and blog are at kathleenwarrenstudio.com.

Tale of Two Creatives Part 2 and Announcing a Q&A September 5-9

August 16, 2016 Kathleen Warren

Serena and I found each other on Instagram and connected with each other over our shared view of the importance of a creative outlet in our lives. Our first interview is in the weekly article Tales of Two Creatives Part 1. We had more to say so we decided to interview each other a second time, specifically about our respective daily creative challenges where we create every day and document it.

Our next adventure together is a Q&A session to help others start their own unique daily creative challenge to see the benefits for yourself of adding creativity into your life. We will be chatting together on both of our Instagram accounts answering your questions. So ask us anything.

Our Q&A session will be held on Instagram the week of September 5-9, 2016.

Monday, September 5: How to get started
Tuesday, September 6: How to make it doable
Wednesday, September 7: How to make time
Thursday, September 8: How to stay motivated
Friday, September 9: How to use what you learned

We will be answering the questions relating to the daily topics in the afternoon on those days.

You can ask us questions through Instagram comments, email or comments on our blogs. Our contact information is below.
Go ahead and send the questions anytime before that week if you want.

Not on Instagram? That is ok. We will answer the question on Instagram and then email the written responses back to you.

Now, the interview...

How did you find your particular creative challenge?
Serena: In February the author of the Steal Like an Artist Journal challenged readers to do and post a page a day on social media throughout the month of February. I started then and continued working on pages on my own afterwards.
Kathleen: In April 2015, I found out about the 100 Day Project organized by Elle Luna from the Creative Morning website which had a list of good newsletters that they recommended to read. I read about this creative challenge project in one of those newsletters. I had never heard about it but liked the idea. It started in just a few days. I just decided I would do it and jumped in. I had no time to over think it.

Describe your creative challenge.
Serena: The journal is filled with creative prompts that help you put in to practice some of the notes from Steal Like an Artist in different ways such as sketching, writing, brainstorming, scribbling, or playing with your tea. I do or redo a page every day then take time to brainstorm on or fine-tune a project I have based on the idea presented in the journal.
Kathleen: You pick a creative activity to do for 100 days and post a photo or video of it every day on Instagram to the hashtag #The100Dayproject. I selected a doable size of art at 6 inches for improv fabric art. I sewed fabric pieces together to make a daily square. I select a color and design theme for each 25 day series. I sew 25 daily squares into a large 30 inch square piece which is backed with fabric and batting and quilted together.

How do you keep yourself motivated to do it every day?
Serena: I try to treat time in the journal as a treat rather than a chore. It gives me an excuse to play with ideas and actually have something to show for what I come up with. I credit the fact that in the past few months I’ve managed to make a lot more progress on things because I’ve been taking time to create or write every single day, which definitely motivates me to keep going.
Kathleen: At this point it has just become a routine. But initially I set a timer on my phone to create fabric art at the same time every day. I also keep my studio very organized and have the supplies I need all ready to go from when I walk in the studio. The 25 day themes keep it fresh and interesting so I feel like I'm always trying new things and never get bored.

What benefits have you seen from doing this long-term challenge?
Serena: Now I work a little faster (and harder!) on bringing my ideas into actuality. At the beginning of the challenge I’d struggle to come up with answers or on figuring out what I’m really trying to accomplish on a piece, but now things become clearer a little more easily.
Kathleen: My art practice has become a regular habit. I have been so much more prolific. The best part is I enjoy the process. I no longer feel overwhelmed with all my design ideas because I can use it in my daily square that day. I make decisions quicker and take more risks in my art.

Why do you choose to share progress throughout the challenge rather than only results?
Serena: For me sharing is great for figuring out how to progress, what’s working and what’s not, and whether I should continue. I’ve connected with other makers through sharing and hearing their feedback as well as seeing their journeys inspires me to keep going. Sharing your work throughout its stages is one of the most raw and real ways to show what you’re really about.
Kathleen: I have become happy with daily progress. It takes many little steps to make fabric art. By sharing each day's progress I get to feel a sense of accomplishment each day. If I waited to finish a larger piece I would only post once a month which is not enough for me. I like being a part of the community of artists on Instagram.

How long do you plan to continue and what are your next steps?
Serena: I’ll continue the journal until I’ve absolutely exhausted the pages, and I’ll definitely keep creating something every day long after that. I’m currently working on physical versions of ideas I came up with when I first started the challenge. This next part is trying to keep up with myself as I both create new ideas and finish the ones I started in February.
Kathleen: I don't know why I would stop when this daily square system is really working for me. It is easier for me to just continue than to stop and have to start again. I plan to just keep going. I made 250 daily squares in 2015. As of today, I am over 225 in 2016. I see it as I get to do this, not I have to do this.

After reading about our daily creative challenges, what resonates with you? Are you interested in developing your creative side? You have two and a half weeks til the Q&A starts on September 5, so start thinking about your questions.

Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone and Selling my Art

August 9, 2016 Kathleen Warren

Sometimes you just need to change things up to make things more interesting again. I was on vacation last week in the Northwoods. This means that I take my daily square on the road and do some hand sewing. I had to go out of my comfort zone in photographing the daily squares. When I normally post a photo of my daily square, I iron it super smooth. I use special color-correct Ott lighting. I crop the photo to fill the full photo frame. Well, I could not do that on vacation. So I stepped out of my comfort zone and decided to utilize the beautiful birch tree right in front of our cabin. I pinned the daily fabric art square on the birch tree. Then I took a photo of the square in the natural light including the surrounding woods in all their splendid greenness.

It was a different approach for me. I like the natural light. I like the contrast of the green and the purple against the bark of the birch tree. It makes me open to the idea of changing things up when I photograph my daily squares in the future.

Good things can come from going outside of your comfort zone. As I was thinking about this birch tree, I came up with a new series idea. I could use white, tan, gray, and black fabric with hints of green for lichen and blue for the sky. The design would be horizontal trending imitating the horizontal lines of the birchbark. I don't know when I will make the series, but I will add it to my Evernote book of design and color ideas.

What are some ways that you could get out of your comfort zone? I am not talking about changing to a different media like all of a sudden starting to take up oil painting. But secretly, I do kind of want to try oil painting. I am talking about things like, if you always knit scarves maybe push yourself to try to knit a sweater. If you were a scrapbooker and you have only been scrapbooking family vacations, push yourself to try a new thing like all black and white photos from your family's past or something like a scrapbook of all your favorite doors. Maybe that last one sounds a little weird, but I have a lot of photos from our trip to Europe of really cool doors. Let's say you are a big reader but you always read detective mystery books. Maybe try a book from the New York Times bestseller list. Or ask a friend what was their favorite book last year. These "outside your comfort zone" things may be a big flop. But they may lead you to another idea that leads you to another idea that you love.

Curiosity makes life interesting.

Upper left: Zipper  Upper right: Blue Skies  Lower left:  Chaos  Lower right:  Horizons — Upper left: ***Zipper*** Upper right: **Blue Skies** Lower left: **Chaos** Lower right: **Horizons**

Speaking of getting way out of my comfort zone, I have decided to start selling my art. I create so much art with my daily square and 25 day series that I have no more wall space or room in my studio. So I am testing the waters of the best way to start selling.

I am currently posting one fabric art piece for sale every Saturday this summer on my Instagram account. These pieces are from my “10 Blues” series and are wrapped around a 10 inch square stretched canvas. For you special people who read Studio Notes, I'm opening up the whole lot. Here's a photo of the 4 remaining pieces. Each one is $75 with free shipping to the USA. If you're interested just email me.

Like what you see but interested in something a little bit different, email me and let's talk. I'm available for commission work.

Find my Green and Purple series playlist on Spotify HERE.