Often it is the articles I am not quite sure about that have created the biggest resonance with readers and compelled them to write comments or email me their thoughts.

It makes me wonder sometimes if my judgment is a bit off.  How can I really know what my readers will find the most helpful and relate to the most? After writing about 70 weekly articles in my Studio Notes so far, I  think it's the articles that come right from my heart that resonate the most. The articles that show more vulnerability and openness about universal topics we all share, like fear and overwhelm, are the ones that I question myself most about even posting on my Studio Notes. Is this relevant to people reading this? Should I share this? Ironically, these articles that I doubt the most are the ones that connect with my readers the most. It has happened so many times. I think this article may be too specific to what I am just thinking about right now. It may feel too vulnerable to share. I post it anyway and then I hear from readers who said they get it. Vulnerability and honesty foster true connection. 

What makes a good long-term project idea? I've written a little bit about this before. However, I decided I would dedicate an article to this topic since it will be helpful for people interested in starting the 100 Day Project or a similar type of challenge project of your own design. 

The two words I will leave you with are Constraint and Freedom. You need some limits to reduce decision fatigue but you need some freedom to explore. This tug and pull of artistic freedom within self-imposed limits is what I create for myself every 25 days with each new series I create. If I looked at the realm of possibilities without reigning in some of my wild ideas, I would get nothing done. Guaranteed. 

The main parameters for a project are the size or scope, materials, colors, design, and a framework. 

Several times in my past articles I've mentioned Jonathan Fields and his The Good Life Project.  I recently listened to one of his "best of" podcasts where he interviewed Elizabeth Gilbert in 2015. The podcast is entitled Creating your Life in Real Time. I may have even listened to this podcast before. But this week when I listened to the podcast again, it was like a lightning bolt of clarity. Handling fear may be a bit of a heavy topic but it does relates to creativity in that often times fear can be a stumbling block. Fear of showing you art to other people. Fear of thinking your current work is going to look like crap. Fear of people not even caring about your art. All yucky things. Handling fear can help you clear your mind so you can focus on your art without the negative voices. In addition, fear can sneak in to your daily life and you just become accustomed to thinking it may be "normal" to worry this much.  All fear. 

I am finding that one of the best ways to be inspired to make meaningful art is to talk to other artists, even artists who create in a totally different art form than you. Early on in the conversation you usually find out why they create what they do, what drives them to create in their unique way. If you feel creatively stuck, talk to other creators.  It will help. You will start thinking about why you create in the way that you create.

I had an opportunity to talk to an artist a few days ago. Our son played a gig at an Open House at a jewelry gallery and studio with his guitar teacher in Evanston, Illinois last weekend. We, of course, went to see him play and when we walked in to the store, we felt like we were in a magical underground cave in the ocean. The jewelry gallery and studio is called Eve J. Alfillé Gallery . Eve has run her jewelry gallery and studio for 35 years. Her work is exquisite. Her longevity in business is inspiring. Talking to Eve was fascinating. 

My first job out of college was as a project manager at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency working on hazardous waste cleanups called Superfund. This job was intense like being thrown into a hot frying pan or a pack of wolves. The wolves were the powerful corporations I had to work with to get them to do the cleanup. They were older very experienced attorneys, scientists and project managers who had a very different agenda than me. Mine was cleanup. Theirs was cost savings and reducing the scope of the cleanup. This was how I learned to become a project manager on the fly. By nature, I prefer to be a little more free-form with my time but all that changed in my first job at the U.S. EPA. Then three small kids really put me over the edge and I needed some serious time organization skills just to get everyone out the door on time. When I say I have been looking for a time management system that works, I mean I've been looking for decades.

First, you may be thinking, but what does this have to do with creativity? Everything. 

I spend a lot of timing thinking about why we create. It seems to be a human trait that we all share. Some of us wear our creativity on our sleeves. Some deny they are creative, but always to their detriment. Creating in your own unique way is one of life's greatest joys. 

As I have written before, I am fascinated by other people's way of being creative in the world. It never ceases to amaze me.

Last week, my daughter Maggie and I had an Open House for our joint art show Abstract Ecology. We decided to interview each other about what we learned.

What message did you want to get across with your art in the show? And did you feel you did?

Maggie

During the art show, I wanted to get across a message of inspiring conservation action and spreading awareness for different species in our backyard.  This illustration series focusing on Midwest flora and fauna is more about spreading awareness to conservation in our own backyard and I think people are going to have a newfound appreciation for species that they see every day. Making those personal connections makes the art pieces more effective.

Kathleen

My mission is to encourage creativity in all of its forms. I started my Every Day Project to bring creativity into my daily life in a consistent way.  My hope is that seeing my art may get people thinking about how they can use self expression as a tool for joy in their lives. I set up my Every Day Project to reduce analysis paralysis.  I explained how every 25 days I start a new series with a color palette and design parameters. Using these guidelines reduce my decision fatigue. Studio time is all about playing with the parameters and testing the limits of the designs all while using unusual color combinations. This makes it fun. If it is not fun you will not want to do it every day.  I am so grateful people got this idea of create more and stress less.  

As I was preparing for this Abstract Ecology show, I reread some of my first articles on my Studio Notes blog from January 2016 which focused on my art show at Congregation Solel last year. In this article So, tell me about your art? Umm...Ahhhh... I focused on the preparations for the show. In another blog post, What I Learned from Writing an Artist Statement, I talked about writing an artist statement and the questions I asked myself in doing so. By the way, I still dream about designs. For this Abstract Ecology show, Maggie and I both wrote a combo bio and artist statement, sort of mingled all together. We wanted a more informal feel given the audience.

I'm always on the lookout for articles, books or podcasts about creative habits and daily rituals. Recently, I came across a podcast, Good Life Project devoted to this topic dear to my heart. This episode is called Uncertainty Anchors and was posted just last month in March 2017. I've listened to Jonathan Fields for several years and highly recommend anything he is involved with. He is just that good, wise and articulate. Click the highlighted episode link above to take a listen and find out for yourself. He mentions most of my favorite authors on the topic of creative habits, Twyla Tharp and her book Creative Habits and Steven Pressfield and the War of Art. All in an 11 minute podcast. Most of Fields' podcasts are interviews about an hour long but he disperses in shorter length podcasts with just him talking once in a while.

I am currently on Spring Break on a college tour visit with our youngest son. Everyone needs a break now and then. So I have put the Every Day Project on hold for the week. I have big plans for when I return because it is time again for the 100 Day Project which will start on April 4 , 2017. Like last year's 100 Day Project and the year before that, I have a four part design in mind.  To get people interested in starting their own 100 Day Project, I am including an article I wrote last spring to encourage my readers to jump in and join me. It really is a game changer. I created such a strong creative practice that benefitted me in so many ways that I never stopped (except for Spring and Winter breaks😄). 

If you have any questions, feel free to email me. The key to success is defining a do-able scope of what you will be doing every day to be able to keep going and how you will use it at the end for a satisfying conclusion.