on your instagram can be seen to continue 365 days of creativity challenge. How did this idea come about? Why did you start?
Hello Daniel 🙂 I will try to answer this simple question. But usually these are the most difficult to answer 🙂
I'm one of those so-called "art people". For as long as I can remember, I've always been creating something - drawing, painting, sculpting, knitting, colouring, crocheting, spinning, and I've tried many things. But it was rather fragmented, with no specific goal. A few years ago, when I started working on my own (probably one of the biggest challenges in life), I rediscovered the joy of creativity.
I am a professional text editor, and this work also requires a lot of creativity, so profession and creative work are naturally intertwined and complementary.
The idea of the 365 Days of Creativity Challenge evolved quite naturally. Have you noticed that when you're interested in something, the topics, activities and people you follow in a social network are mostly about that. So when I was interested in other people's work, I was drawn to challenges of this kind.
It doesn't matter what one's field of activity is, be it sport, creativity or mental activity, to stay fit and get better results, you just have to keep doing it. So I chose this daily "workout" as one of the ways of learning.
I am self-taught, so this method suited me very well, because every day I am finding out and discovering new things, and I feel that my hand and brushwork are becoming freer, and my creativity is being freed.
I am happy to share the experience I have gained in my workshops and encourage others to create.
And it's very interesting - you're a copy editor, but the challenge, as I see on instagram, you chose... Drawing? Why drawing? And did you have any ideas about what you're going to do with it? Is this just going to remain a creative challenge for fun and to exercise your creativity, or do you already have plans for the end of the 365 days?
As I said, I've always felt a little bit close to art. When I left school I wanted to study something related to the arts, but due to certain circumstances I chose to study philology. But the desire to create hasn't gone away. For four years I took painting, drawing and ceramics classes for adults at the Kaunas A. Martinaicis Art School, and after a break I returned to this school and now I am taking painting and drawing classes here again.
I do everything related to creativity First of all, because I really like it and it gives me great joy. I am also convinced that creativity can help you get out of even the most difficult situations in life in a creative way.
I chose this challenge to gain more experience, to gain confidence and to improve myself. I'm always discovering new things in my work, and when I have questions about how to do something technically, I want to answer them, and then I have to look for information, go to creative classes, etc. That's how all the creative experience accumulates. I've always dreamed of applying it somewhere or using it. It's also great when I find like-minded people, fans, and from there I get requests to create something or even share my experience. I have a lot of thoughts and ideas on how to apply my work and experience, so I'm slowly making my ideas and dreams come true. I draw, paint, create personal gifts (polymer clay moulding, crockery, etc.), and I am happy to be invited to give advice on certain creative issues. I love to create with children, who are simply fascinating with their curiosity. I organise workshops for children and adults. I have organised a couple of small exhibitions where I presented a joint project between myself and the children. So, in one way or another, I have applied this field in my life.
I often think about what challenge I will take up after this one, but I think it will also be creative. In the current challenge, I aim to create at least one drawing every day, using any medium or technique I choose. For the next challenge, I may choose a specific theme, say to learn how to draw a portrait, or a single medium, e.g. I might choose a medium, such as "taming" acrylic paint.
I must admit, I thought it would be easier. It seems like I know the answers to the questions, but when it comes to answering them, it doesn't seem so easy. Thank you for your patience.
Che, che, that's cool! And what inspires you to create? Where do you get your ideas from? And what kind of ideas do you find - are they mostly fresh, just from you, or do you try to replicate, recreate, mix up your favourite, seen works?
Inspiration is an interesting thing. As you create every day, you start to see it as something real and very whimsical, something you have to make friends with 🙂
In the beginning, it was really difficult to think about what to draw or paint every day, especially when you lack basic technical knowledge and tools, and the result is often disappointing. So I chose this tactic - draw very simple, very simple drawings in small formats.
Of course, I took ideas from books, the almighty internet, trying to replicate something, copying something, drawing from demonstration lessons, etc. After a little while, I felt that ideas and concepts were coming to my mind, and I was mostly already looking for information, just about how to technically solve certain things. There is a desire and a need to try new tools and techniques.
Now that it has been a continuous creative process for some time, I have to say that the biggest source of inspiration is nature, the surrounding environment and the change of seasons. I am fortunate to live in a beautiful place, surrounded on all sides by ever-changing natural processes. When you run out of ideas, colours, shapes and textures in your head, go for a walk. I get my ideas after taking classes, travelling, walking, looking at the work of women artists, and I love to create with my daughters, who are also a source of inspiration for me.
There are times when my head seems empty and I just don't know what to do, and then I just go and pour colours, try to draw shapes, and then I get hooked, and I create something anyway. There are some black days when I can't bring myself to pick up a brush, and then the next day I "give birth" to a few works as easily as that. One of the goals of this daily challenge is not only to move forward, but to slowly discover my own style, colours and character.
Is there anything else you'd like to add that I haven't asked?
I don't even know what to add, except that challenges diversify routines and activities, help to achieve goals, develop willpower and discipline, and some even bring tangible benefits. The steps may seem small every day, but when you look further afield, you can see the path more clearly and then you realise that you wouldn't have achieved it without that daily contribution.
An off-topic, but perhaps also on-topic question: what is most important to you in life? Do you have a mission? Or is it a state or a feeling? What do you value above all else?
When it comes to the important things, I may seem a bit mundane and unoriginal, but the most important thing for me is my family. It is thanks to the people closest to me that I am who I am and do what I want to do. It is also important to have an activity that gives you pleasure and that people around you can see you are happy doing.