30 Day Challenges- Challenge Your Creative Mind!
30 can be a pretty good number. In age it’s now considered the new “20”, and while your thirty you tend to have a better concept of yourself, well mostly. It’s said that it takes 30 days to break an old habit or to develop a new one. 30 day challenges are my favorite, when I think of the number 30 because they can often stimulate great creative practices. For example, last month I mentioned that was participating in the NaNoWrimo (National Novel Writing Month) 30 day challenge. I tried this challenge before 2 years ago and failed miserable. So I decided I wanted to try… try… again, and this time I reached victory. Now mind you writing a novel in 30 days is NOT easy, if anyone tells you it is, I must apologize in advance for their lies. Sure you can sit and write, but there is also other factors to consider, you know time, subject content, character development, etc. There is a common understanding that writing is really re-writing, but the challenge of first getting it down is a challenge all on its own. Therefore, I was very proud of myself for even reaching the finish line. According to the founder of NaNoWirmo, over 300,000 writers started participating in the challenge, in the end only a little over 41,000 finished. I am exhausted, emotionally and creatively drained but it was all worth it, it was my creative marathon.
30 day challenges can truly thrive the artist/creative spirit. At the end of my challenge, I developed the habit of writing a little bit every day. I recently came across a creative invite called “Fun A Day Los Angeles,” this event is being thrown on the west coast for the first time in January of the new year.
Fun a Day was originally inspired by a group of artist that resided in the east coast that wanted to push each other to create something every day(be it a painting, song, poem, etc.) during the winter month of January. At the end of the month they would install and share their work in a public event. Again by pushing yourself to do something every day for 30 days you can create within yourself a new positive creative habit. The other best thing about monthly challenges is that the don’t only have to be for creative purposes, they could be for health, or even career driven. For myself I think what I would like to start is doing a new 30 day challenge quarterly. I personally create my best work when I have a timed challenge or a deadline that I have to reach. Here is my impromptu idea for the week: Challenge yourself, the new year is approaching fast and resolutions will be proclaimed. Perhaps this year you can create for yourself your very own 30 day challenge. Why not let your first challenge be the challenge of instilling your favorite creative habit within yourself.
“Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.”
- George S. Patton