I’ve been playing with the idea of doing a 365-day project for a while now. You know, the kind where you say you’ll make a painting, book or photograph every day as part of your journey as an artist. I’m still working out my details, but in the process of considering this as an artistic challenge, I came across a lot of interesting art making.
I’ve already told you about 365:Make a Book a Day by Donna Meyer. Her blog chronicles her daily book making; her use of recycled materials is interesting and inspiring. Donna says on her blog site, “The idea is to stretch myself in many ways as an artist and a person, to set up a discipline, stick with it and see what that teaches me.”
[One of 365 Jars by Kirsty Hall]
One of my friends in the Bay Area Book Artists, Pati Bristow, recently sent me a link to 365 Jars, an ambitious and interesting year-long project where Kirsty Hall makes and then places a piece of art, safely sealed in a jar, out in the world for someone to find. Her work has created some interesting side-journeys, including having people who make it a family event to search for her jars, people who re-release her jars out into other areas of the world and people who sponsor jars in various ways.
Here are some other artists who are using the concept of 365 that may interest you:
And for a terrific list of 365 projects in every possible format, check out the blog that chronicles 365 projects: 365 Make Something Every Day and Change Your Life!
Interested in the idea of a 365 project, but not sure how to structure it? 365 Project.org “… is a photography project where you document a year of your life by taking a daily photo.” They provide a variety of tools to support your journey.
How about you? Have you done a 365 project? A 52-week project? A month-long project? What did it do for you as an artist? Did you stick with it? Feel free to post links to your project in the comments section.
~Ginger
Midnight Musings 
Haven’t done one. Actually was a bit skeptical on Monday. But I have an idea!
Well, I’ve got the plan 95% laid out. The uncertainty won’ t crop up for months and I can resolve the final 5% by then. First day was today. Away we go.
I did a drawing project in 2008 which I think you can still see at http://thedailydrawing.blogspot.com We’re not talking major works of art here, just little 7cm x 7cm drawings in black and white on thick etching paper. They were fun to do and surprisingly informative: at the end of a year it was interesting to look at all of them and see what sort of things I drew by choice! And they were a visual diary of the year’s events too. They went into a 2010 curated show in the US too called “One Unit per Increment” at Alicia Bailey’s Abcedarian Gallery in Denver, CO. I made up rules: I tore up the paper squares on December 31st 2009 and I only gave myself one square per day so I wasn’t allowed to ‘edit’ my drawings – if I really didn’t like the result all I could do was turn the square over and start again on the other side! It was a very liberating project, and I am thinking of doing another 365 day project next year… but different. I love the ones you’ve highlighted here – thanks for a thought-provoking post!
I took a class at the SF Center for the Book at the end of 2007 where we made Daybooks. Journals with one page for each day in the year. Two books were necessary to include 365 pages. By the end of 2008, I was incredibly stressed trying to fill in each page with collage, photographs, ephemera, thoughts. So in 2009, I reduced the number of pages and made one book for the entire year. Still a lot of stress to complete. Reduced the number of pages further in 2010. For 2011, I purchased a blank journal (rather than making one), labeled the first page “2011” and decided to complete a page whenever I felt like it. So much more fun and liberating. And I’ve almost filled that journal. I have to admit after all the whining, I love to look through those “Daybooks” and remember all the fun and interesting things that happened during the year.
Interesting post. Thank you!
I did one in 2008 with a picture every day. Recently I’ve started a new one where every day of the week has it’s own theme. You can read it here if you like: http://klaartjesartworld.blogspot.com/p/365-days.html