2015 Creative Challenge!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!

Out with the old, in with the new!

I hope your 2014 was filled with wonder, happiness, joy and other great things and that the new year brings you more of the same and also a lot of opportunity to be creative! I talk about creativity a lot here on my blog, because I think the word artistry scares people. More often than not people tell me they can't draw or they aren't artistic and so often they are so very wrong. 

Last year I made a pact with myself that I was going to create 300 or more pieces of creativity. It sounded like a really big goal, until I realized something. I'm basically creative EVERY day... 300 things is just doing what I'm doing while taking over 2 months off!!!

Wait, what?

No, really. Let me say that again. I bet you do something creative every day without even realizing it. It might be a small doodle in your margin, it might be a silly song you make up in the car or something you draw for your kids. It might be making a spectacular dinner you found on Pinterest, or it might be a much larger work of art. So, why would you stop? Why not push yourself to do it a little bit more and then document it so you can see how much you really do?

My main personal focus these days is Zentangle® because of many reasons, one of which is that I can create a piece of Zentangle inspired artwork in a very short period of time, relax and really enjoy myself all at the same time.  I'm not asking you to use that method unless it's what you would like to, although you will probably see a lot of it here, you should work in whatever makes you happy. 

So how is this going to work?

Those that participated in my June challenge know that I put up a Mr Linkey thing for each post, you simply add your link to it. Please link directly to your piece of art, whether it be on your blog, your Pinterest, your Instagram, facebook is tricky and doesn't always work in the Mr Linkey so if need be you can send to me via email at whimsybykelly@gmail.com and I'll add it in for you.
Please add in the site specific url, don't just link to your pinterest or your blog, because I won't be able to find you.
Please use #whimsybykelly2015 when you post stuff, that makes it easier to find things if I'm searching

Make friends with those participating! Encourage one another too!

I am going to post 1 prompt or "challenge" per week for ideas, you are free to use it, or to not use it. You can do several variations on the same thing or not. That will most likely be on Thursdays.

Works in progress count, you don't have to finish something every day, you can post part of it, but... don't use that as an excuse to not challenge yourself either. :)

You can add art to any day throughout the year, if you miss say, March 13, but you know you did something on March 13th and finally get time to go back and post it in August, go for it! (But know that it won't count towards any monthly prizes unless it gets posted by the end of that week it just gets too hard) It will count towards your total goal!

Be nice. If you can't say something nice about someone else's art, don't say anything.

That's it I think. 

Here's MY personal goal. I am striving to create something for all 365 days.
Now, I've done a couple things here to hopefully help me suceed. I've ordered a daily calendar, which will encourage me to create a tangle every day. I've joined an art journaling group, because that's something I've always wanted to do, and I will continue to work on The Diva's weekly challenges as well.

In addition to that I'm going to keep creating, because that's where I find my happiness.

I'm not going to ask all of you to create something every day, that's asking a lot. I am going to ask if you could create something 300 times this year though and every time you do, to come share it with me. Remember, that's over 2 months of the year that you don't have to do anything! LOL
Some ideas are...

• Completed challenges (for mine or other blogs or groups you belong to)
• Practice pieces as you perfect a skill
• Gifts you make for others
• Music. :) I love to get music!
• Pictures of incredible baked goods or great meals! (YES, cooking is creativity!)
• Paintings
• Knitting
• Videos
• Sewing
• Scrapbooking
• Decorating
• Stamping
• Sketches

That's the tip of the iceberg when it comes to creativity everyone. I could list millions of ideas, but I don't want you to feel confined by what I'm asking for. Only rule is no porn. Something tasteful with some nudity would be acceptable, but please remember, I'm family friendly and kids may be participating too.

If you need help posting, please don't hesitate to ask, I'll be happy to walk you through it. If it's easier for you to post 1 time a week, then please do it that way.
I do ask that if you want your entries to "count" that you have them uploaded by each Sunday night at midnight (EST) because I will be compiling entries on Mondays.

I will make a piece of Zentangle inspired art with your name on it for everyone that completes this challenge. There will be a small prize every month for those that have participated the most each month.
And there will be a bigger prize at the end as well for the top 3 participants of the year.
Please note I am waiting on confirmation about product availability at the end of 2015 before I announce prizes. :) They WILL be fun stuff though!

Come play with me. The more you create, the more creative you get. 

Creative Challenge coming in just a couple days!

Looking to inspire yourself this coming year? I hope so! Every year resolutions get made, and discarded and this year, I hope to change that.
I am inviting you to join me in a creative journey for 2015. It sounds like a huge commitment, but honestly I'm not really going to ask you for much in the way of time, I'm asking you to commit to yourself. What would you do if your creativity had no rules?
In June I launched a 30 day challenge and that was pretty successful! I had a number of people play along and I learned some things I want to do MORE of and somethings I want to try differently.

Full details will be posted on New Years Eve, I hope you'll join me and check it out. Tell your friends to stop by, encourage them to come hang out. I hope this turns into something fun for everyone!

Art supplies, shiny stuff, Dear Santa.... sketchbooks....

I am obsessed with beautiful art supplies. I don't even necessarily need to own them, I just like to know that they exist. It makes me happy to know that incredible pieces of paper and gorgeous, luxurious pens and sticks of graphite have been crafted and that someone, somewhere is using them.
I mean, it's not that I don't want them... lol.. I just don't really need most of them.
They're wants.
I'm ok with wanting instead of needing.
I have wish lists and I know I'm a lucky enough girl that I'm probably going to get something super cool off my Christmas list just like I do every year! THANKS SANTA!!!!!
I'm curious though do you have certain art supplies you have to have?
Your go to equipment?
Is there something you've been craving that you are hoping to get this holiday season?
I love to know what people are hoping for (plus it gives me new ideas for my list too!)

One thing I don't know how to decide on this year is a sketchbook. I've joined a group that will be doing a year long sketchbook project! WOOOHOO! I KNOW!!!

Part of my new year will be working on another 300 project personal goal. I've mentioned it a few times, but I'm inviting all of you to join me in that starting in January.
I thought the sketchbook will be a good building block for that!

I'm considering the Fabriano Quadrato right now.. in a 6x6. Small enough to take everywhere... big enough for little frames. :)

Thoughts?

December is a BUSY month!

First things first... a little note about orders and cut off dates. I've been sharing this on some friends facebooks with their permission so you may have seen this before. 

It's been a busy couple weeks. I have orders going out pretty much daily and coming in that way too! Happy Happy Holidays right?!!?? It's exciting! 

Another really exciting thing is that my art was in ArtVoice this week. 

For those that aren't local to my area, ArtVoice is the local "What to do, What's going on in the area" magazine. It's fairly well read and it's pretty cool that this is a thing!
Here's a picture from that! 

In other news...
I have a Zentangle workshop next weekend. I still have space if you are interested, it includes a catered lunch and beverages, all supplies and the complete introduction to Zentangle. If you are interested you can email me at whimsybykelly@gmail.com
I have some orders to complete and some advertising to do. Tomorrow my Buffalo Etsy team is having a gift wrapping party for the gifts we have for our adopted holiday family. :) That will be a lot of fun!
I also need to decorate. I am one of those people that doesn't decorate til around the 2nd week or so of December, mostly because I don't like feeling like I want it down before Christmas gets here. I only like the decorations up for a fairly short period of time. I'm weird. :) 3 weeks is about perfect and they stay up til just after New Years.
I'd love to see pictures of everyone's decorations if you want to share!!!

Also starting January 1 I'm going to be kicking of a Creative Challenge for the entire year.
I am going to have a little giveaway every couple months and anyone that completes the challenge will get a little something from me and I think I'm going to make certificates. :)

It's a big.. a 300 or more creative challenge. All the details will go up on New Years Day, but basically the short version is you know I want all of you to keep being creative every day right? I believe that staying creative not only keeps you creative but actually inspires creativity. With that in mind...  I want you to make something 300 times. I will provide some prompts here and there, but mostly it's going to be up to you to make something and share it. 

I look forward to seeing what you do. :)

Better run. Time to get out my paints!

Ok, Web changes are up and running!

Hey! You've found your way to the new site! You can get here now simply by going to www.whimsybykelly.com
I've made some changes to the shop, there are pages above that go to various sections of the site.
You can shop, you can see classes, learn about Zentangle and connect with me on social media!
I have a newsletter sign up that asks where you heard about me or got my art so that I can add you to my map. (The map will be coming soon!!)

I'm really excited about the various things that are going on here... and with the holidays it's been VERY busy.

I did update my sneaker collage to show all of you.... which is something I've been adding to for a while. Some of these are older work, but it does showcase some of the variety.