My goal is to create a
collage a day starting October 1, 2012.
I'll be posting here to
keep track of progress as I go.
Why?
I spend most of my days as
a facilities designer and project manager in a food division of a Fortune 100
corporate headquarters in the US. I try to focus on the positive, to
tune out negative office politics and world news, and to inject more creativity into my
mind and my days. This project will be a way for me to better balance
other aspects of my life, so that my mind and time are not all focused on work.
The only other time I've
taken on the challenge of a daily project was in January 1, 2011 when I wrote a
thank you note a day for a full year. I had to get creative toward the
end of the year in order to complete the full 365, but I count the experience a
good one and an exercise in gratitude and discipline that I'd recommend to
anyone. Each note required a moment to pause and reflect on something I
could feel grateful for, and an action to reach out and thank someone for that
moment.
365 Thank Yous: The Year a
Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life is
a book that tells the story of the writing of 365
Thank You Notes by John Kralik, and how his life was changed by the people who received
them.
http://365thankyounotes.com/http://www.amazon.com/365-Thank-Yous-Gratitude-Changed/dp/1401324053/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_z
While I'll be sharing the fruits of my efforts here, the real work goes on behind the scenes in the daily practice. The physical act of synthesizing idea to object. Taking a thought from mind to paper and capturing a moment of positive thought that I'll ruminate on throughout the minutes (or hours) each piece will take to construct. I've not tried anything as ambitious as an Art project that requires consistent, daily effort. Can't wait to get started. Wish me luck!
Resources?
I'll be using positive
affirmations inspired by the work of Louise Hay in You Can Heal Your
Life. She was one of the first modern luminaries to key in on the connection between mind and body wellness in a way that is accessible to the masses. She writes about how our thoughts can impact our physical wellness or our experience of dis-ease. Besides, Oprah called Louise Hay one of the founders of the
self-help movement. Who am I to question Oprah?
I'll also be using the
book 365: A Daily Creativity Journal:
Make Something Every Day and Change Your Life! by Noah Scalin to help guide my themes and
techniques each day, and to give me the extra push if I find creative
inspiration flagging over the long haul.
