WEEK 47 - Collaborate with your past self
Hey there, thanks for joining us for Week 47 of HOMwork 2020!
[Note: This is the last HOMwork for 2020! Read all the way down to the P.S. to learn why. We’ll be back in January though!]
PHEW it’s been a year, hasn’t it?
There’s always one or two half-started projects going on in the Hom Sweet Hom studio, but this year there have been a few more than usual.
I had so many ideas and projects going at the front end of 2020, completely lost steam during the summer, and have only recently started to feel the creative drive that usually fuels those endeavors.
This week is all about picking up an abandoned idea or piece of art or supplies and breathing new life into it.
Whether you had something fully fleshed out and already started or you were just toying with a fun idea, this is the week to revisit and make some solid progress on something you’d set aside.
Break out that canvas with the light pencil sketch or the embroidery supplies you never actually opened and use them to feed your creative spark!
See what happens. It may result in a (long) straight line where you finish the painting you sketched out months (or years) ago. Or it may result in something entirely new and unexpected.
I’m a firm believer that creativity is always “there” but I also know that trying to force yourself to create when you’re not feeling it is THE WORST.
So I want to clarify that this assignment isn’t about pressuring yourself to complete a project. It’s about taking the bits of past projects that still speak to you and seeing what you can (or want to) do with them in the present.
Imagine that your slightly younger self was setting you up for a successful creative venture! You knew (then) that the creative mojo wasn’t really working, so you set the supplies aside to try again another day.
And today’s the day.
Err...I guess it’s more like “this week’s the week!”, but you get the point.
Your assignment: Revisit an old piece of art, idea or creative thing that you never quite finished. Or dust off those art supplies that you bought but never actually used!
For me, it’s picking up where I left off with this hand painted orange dress I’m wearing in the photo above. I started it in mid-2019...and didn’t finish it until like two months ago :)
Thought starters: For me, this kind of process is usually about exploring my physical creative space - the studio - and seeing what projects or supplies I have hanging around. When I abandon an idea or project I often save my notes, sketches, or supplies in the hopes that they’ll be useful to me again someday.
You can do a similar thing. Work through notebooks, boxes, or drawers and see what speaks to you. When you find something, don’t feel like you have to stick to the original project! You can use whatever you find to revive an old idea or get started on something completely different.
Caption ideas: When you post this assignment, explain what got you started. Did you pick up an old sketch that you *immediately* thought of when you read this assignment? Did you dig out that box of mural painting supplies that have been completely untouched since you bought them?
Try to answer the question: How did this project “start” back in the day, and what did you do to breathe new life into it? Explain the journey from there to here.
Creative tip: Don’t force it! This assignment is about revisiting creative works without any agenda other than “see what happens.” If you just aren’t feeling it that’s okay. In fact, it might be really valuable to your audience to know that you are struggling with creativity right now!
Don’t forget to use the hashtag #HOMwork2020 and tag me @homsweethom when you post your work on Instagram. I’ll be sharing my favorites in my IG Stories all week.
I can’t wait to see the ways you breathe new life into old art, ideas, or supplies.
x Lauren
PS: This is the last HOMwork for 2020. This year I’m very purposefully taking a “business break” from most things for the month of December so that I can focus on refilling my personal and creative tanks. I want to see what happens when I’m not constantly busy, and I want to give myself some time to figure out what *I* want to make. I’m prioritizing giving myself that space.
I know this kind of break isn’t available to everybody, and I am fortunate to be in a place where I can create and prioritize this kind of break for myself.
Regardless of your resources, I believe it is important to give yourself some kind of break every once and awhile. Even if it’s only for a day or a week, giving yourself an extended rest from deadlines and requirements is a proven way to refresh yourself and get into a positive headspace for the new year.
HOMwork will return in January for its FOURTH year of creative prompts. See you then!
