This Crazy Daily Challenge
Thu, July 21, 2011 at 01:02PM 
3x5" index card #51, pitt pen, watercolor
The Index-Card-A-Day challenge is not about whether you have done precisely one card per day for a set number of days. It is not a choice between success and failure. This is not a guilt-inducing challenge. It's not fancy schmancy. It's simple, down-to-earth, easy. It's not about whether you have finished a series, followed a theme, whether the cards are color-coded, dated or numbered.
So...
- Are you having fun?
- Trying new things?
- Looking forward to your cards?
- If you skip an extra day, what do you do?
- Didja stick some cards and a marker in your purse?
- Is this index card thing getting old and faded?
- Has it taken you in a new direction?
- Enjoying the growing pile of creativity?
- Has your curiosity been sparked?
Thoughts...
- Working on this little lined canvas that is inexpensive and plentiful is surprisingly fun.
- I love the pile of blank cards.
- I've been trying things that I wouldn't have thought of doing big.
- And doing small things that I now want to do big.
- There's a growing stack of mini artwork.
- The massive number of cards created in a short period of time, by people all over the world, in different mediums... makes me smile.
- The lovely, supportive comments that the ICAD crew leave each other at flickr and on blogs everywhere = community.
Super Secret Advance Research...
Would YOU like to continue this challenge in some form after August 30? Would YOU be interested? I plan to continue doing index cards because it's such a fun canvas size. Please leave your thoughts on the challenge and in what form you would like to see it continue.... A June/July/Aug challenge next year? A December challenge to keep a spark of creativity during the hectic hollies? A 365 challenge? Flickr group only?
One thing is sure. If we continue, I will move ICAD to a separate section of Daisy Yellow to make it easier to follow {or not follow}.
UPDATE {07/31/11}: There's definitely support for continuing the index-card-a-day challenge, so now the decision is the format.
I'd like to do a monthly challenge so that people can jump in {and out} {and back in} on a monthly basis when they need a creative "push" or spark. Those who do the challenge every month could do ICAD as a 365 project broken into 12 parts.
Would you like an optional theme for the month? Weekly list of 10 prompts? More detailed prompts?
If we are going to make this a continuing challenge, we need to make it work!
I'm still playing with some ideas and I really, really, welcome and need any feedback and suggestions you have!
Reader Comments (29)
I will be continuing this. I have an unfortunate addiction to office supplies and years ago, bought a lifetime supply of index cards to map out a novel that never materialized. That hasn't stopped me from cutting up watercolor paper for this challenge though. :) I'll be continuing at least through December so I can give the pile of cards to my mom as a Christmas present. I doubt I'll be able to stop even then. I can't commit to a journal but index cards? No problem.
I'm LOVING the idea! I started off but was very discouraged 'cause I just wasn't seeing my cards as "art" of any kind...
Then I was in the midst of an online watercolor class and I had a mini 3x5 spiral book and I just started making a background a day, and some days I didn't make a background, I'd doodle on one I already made and "ruin" the page...
But either way, I was making art.
Whether I could retire off the proceeds or not was irrelevant - I was creating something! And the last two weeks have been less than productive (on vacation then back at work) but I really want to do this some more so PLEASE continue it somehow, someway...
I hope you'll continue as I want to sign up. I have index cards and a desire to access my creative side.
Soon after I joined in I realised that index cards were the perfect medium for the writing project I have been trying to do for a while, but hadn't found where the words would go. I will continue to make cards after August anyway. If you decide to continue the project, I would love to be part of it. If not, I 'll still be making them on my own, and will always be grateful to you and the group for the inspiration and the great fun of this summer! Thank you for all the work and enthusiasm you have put in this project!
I work in fits and starts... one or two afternoons a week I sit and draw a couple of cards and I love it... It is so quick and easy... no fancy equipment I can just sit with the kids and use their markers... love it!!! I will definitely carry on with it... but adjust my theme a little!!!
I didn't start ICAD until July 1st and I'm loving it. Sometimes I wonder what I will do on that little card today, but I seem to always come up with something. Some days I do one, some days I do none, some days I get carried away!!!!! I'm using up very old art supplies. I'm drawing more (I like folk arty things). In short, it's been very good for me and I plan on continuing even if it's just for me! ThanksTammy!
I'm going to continue! I have a tendency to work on a project until it's done and not make another thing for a month or more. This challenge has helped me to do something every day, even if it's just a few minutes. That, in turn, has helped me to work more on other projects. I'm also making myself use up some of my huge stash of supplies, which is great, because I can certainly use the space! So, if you continue with the challenge, that would be great! But I intend to keep on either way.
All good news so far! Keep it coming! I like the idea of using up older supplies, that gives me a few ideas!
Tammy
I admit I cheated on this by using an index card-sized Moleskine notebook, but it's been loads of fun experimenting with different media and prompts.
I have a demanding full-time job, but making time for a few minutes out of the day to do a something creative has been very satisfying, relaxing, and has taught me to be more attentive to detail and pattern. I definitely plan to continue. (and maybe with actual index cards!)
I want to continue, but without the support of a group like this and a wonderful leader like you I'd probably not bother. I'm the sort that needs to take part in something in order to have a purpose to create for. Just the way I am I guess. I love looking through all the ICADs and 'liking' my faves... and it's wonderful to get comments back on my own - it surprises me that others like the cards I least like myself!! So 365 would be the best format for me!
Leaflet, I have a 3x5" moleskine in my purse with pitt pens "just in case" I am stuck somewhere. I'm in no way giving up luxurious paper, watercolor paper. I love paper! There is something uniquely carefree about the fact that index cards are plentiful and inexpensive. I like the challenge of finding out the limits of index cards!
Loving it! The ideas you give us are fantastic too!! I'm up for continuing....this means I need more cards or I might start doing the same size in a little book - I have many half started sketchbooks....
Thanks for your ideas Tammy :)
I Love this indexcardproject and I would love to continue with it. You can spent a few minutes or more if you want to and do something creative. The seize of the cards make them easy to pack in a bag or take on holiday or just sit in front of the tv and do some drawing or writing. Please continu!
I'd love to continue this is really addictive, I admit I like the prompts though, I do mine all in one go usually on the Thurs/Fri and then I'm done. I didn't know they did an index card sized Moleskine, that sounds neat! If I continue I'm not sure what storage I will use but I'm going to see what's around. Thanks for doing this, I appreciate all your hard work!
If we continue we'll definitely need to put our heads together and learn how to make an index-card sized box --- perhaps with decoupage around the sides!
So happy to hear the positive response. I figured if I liked the cards so much, you guys would too!
Tammy
It's the first challenge I've done, and I love it! Not knowing how it would go, I bought just one spiral book of 50 cards and definitely want to get another. I like that it's cheap and low-tech and pushes me to do something creative almost every day, even if I only have 10 minutes. No advance planning, no spending hours sorting through materials (both of which can be big time sucks and impediments for me). Throwing a magazine in the recycling box? Flip through the pages first, cut out 3 or 4 images, make a quick collage. Almost time to make dinner? Grab the closest box of colored pencils and doodle some starbursts first. Had an event-ful day? Scribble a few words about it with markers. I'm not sure about sustaining the momentum for an entire 365 days, but shorter bursts with prompts and comments might be fun. And, of course, we can all keeping working on cards at whatever pace works for us.
I have not done as many of these as I would have liked, but I so enjoy this medium. It is easy to not worry so much about "wasting" good product on a beginner like me. I love the inspiration. I need to pull the cards out again and give it a whorl. I will follow from the blog reader!!!!
I am totally digging this challenge, and would love to continue! It gives a little creative outlet every day, and I really look forward to creating my card and seeing all the wonderful, creative cards everyone else has made!
Hallo! The reason I love ICAD is because I get to try lots of different things each day and there's no pressure to create a masterpiece. I'll certainly continue for sure! I agree with Emma's comment - with the support of everyone and a "reason" for doing it spurs me along. I love to look every day to see what everyone has done. I've made ICAD my daily habit :D
You guys are making my day!!! Index cards rock.
Tammy
I found your blog in July, so I haven't done this the whole way. I have very much enjoyed what I've done. I find that when I'm home, I do it daily. When I travel, so far, not as consistant. When I return home, I'm hit with a burst of icad energy though and pretty much make up my days even if I don't keep track of the dates.
I have tried new things. I have loved seeing all the work by others during icad. It's been very inspiring. I hope you continue it. I would like to continue it and I'm sure I will. I hope you don't make it exclusively a flicker thing because I don't do flicker. I put it on my blog, though I don't have one of your buttons on the blog yet.
By the way, I love your blog! It's amazing.
Sharon
I will continue for sure, so easy to make while watching tv. I think we do a dec1 to dec31 , I think that would be fun. I have never tired of making the cards, ideas come to me and I write them down. I have . I have created so many I am well past August 31. I find it very relaxing to work on this size.
So I am in for whatever you decide
I would love to continue in some form or other. Maybe a spiral bound set of cards would make a mini art journal? I haven't seen any of those but really want one after seeing some participants of ICAD had them! Green eyed monster there! Oh yes and a Christmas sharing challenge sounds good. 365 days might be a bit tricky to fit in with everything else - it may be that short challenges like this one suit some people and 365 days projects suit others more. Maybe we could have both! However it looks I think I'll stick around. Thanks again.
OOPS! I just discoverd I left my comment on this subject on the wrong post. Anyhow, I am loving doing the index cards on a daily basis. It has made me realize that I don't get so cranky when I am creating something every day. So, besides discovering this wonderful group, it has also gotten me excited about getting back into my journaling, and other "artsys" on a regular basis. I'm even unpacking my long neglected rubberstamps. Plus wanting to use up all the existing supplies I had forgotten I even had!
I love this challenge, but I have to say that for me it feels really long. I would personally love to see it a few times during the year maybe at a month long. It's a great creativity booster, though I need it in smaller doses. A change up to index cards a few times a year with time in between to really feed on that creativity would rock.