In early December 2022 I made the spontaneous decision to try and create 250 pieces of artwork in the month of January 2023, raising money for Berkshire Vision as part of their #takeon250 campaign. I kicked off my fundraising by asking for donations on my birthday. It was hugely encouraging to receive £100 on donations before I had even started my challenge.
Way back in December it seemed like a substantial challenge, I started the new year positive about the month ahea, by the middle of the month it seemed completely unrealistic, but, as you can tell by the title of this post, I actually created 360 paintings this month. Accompanying all those pieces of art were over 300 poems. This means that I made..... over 630 pieces of creativity in one month. And I didn't have to give up sleep.
And what about the fundraising?
I had hoped to raise £250 and was thrilled to meet this goal in the last week of January, something which I've not taken for granted considering the economic situation right now.
I am hugely thankful to everyone who donated.
My aim for this challenge wasn't just about raising money though; it was also about raising awareness of sight loss and the benefits of creativity for everyone, including those of us who are visually impaired impression, disabled or chronically ill.
Which brings me to my other creative undertaking this month.... The January Challenge
64 Million Artists asked me if I would like to facilitate a creative group for The January Challenge this year. I thought about it for maybe a millisecond before saying yes and suggesting I could lead a group for chronically ill and disabled people. I called the group "Being Creative Together". The group grew to over 70 people between a private Facebook group and a what's app community.
As we have come to the end of the month it's been wonderful to hear how much people have enjoyed being creative together, encouraging each other and sharing their lives and creative outlets. Hearing that was fantastic, but I think I'm the person who gained the most. Throughout the month I have been inspired by the way group members have thought about the daily challenges, responded to them in different ways and revisited them. There is no way I would have created quite so many artworks without the inspiration from this group.
I wanted to share here all the artworks I created, but there are a few hundred too many.
Instead I've shared a collage at the top of this post, with thumbnail images of about 150 of the artworks I produced over the month. As you can see there are abstract paintings, 3d paintings, mandalas, line drawings, architectural paintings, portraits, illustrations, zentangle and neuroart creations and even some mixed media artworks.
For those of you who have the time and inclination, I've created a Google folder with every single painting and poem I've created. You can find that by clicking HERE
You can also find all my artwork and poems on my instagram account if that's easier for you, and of course you can leave comments there if you'd like.
As we head into February I'm left with just one question.....
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