The creative challenges we post monthly in The Good Place can be an excellent way to boost your creativity, improve your skills, and connect with the larger community within Creative Commune. However, they can also be daunting and anxiety-inducing, not to mention time-consuming. The pressure to produce quality work consistently can take a toll on your mental well-being. In this blog post, I aim to share valuable insights gleaned over the years, helping you engage in these challenges with less anxiety and more enjoyment.
Stay true to your unique body of work
This one might be a new realisation for you! I have found after doing so many of these challenges, from 30 day challenges to 100 day challenges and even a year-long 365 day challenge in 2017, that the most beneficial and enjoyable way to do these challenges is simply this:
Apply the challenge to your work and style NOT the other way around. Many artists make this mistake! They take part in a monthly challenge and make 30 random pictures that do not feel like they fit into the broader body of their work. For example: If they are an abstract landscape painter, and they take part in a challenge that gets them to draw animals and mermaids and cartoon characters, are they really adding to their creative goals, or distracting from them? The creative challenges we set on The Good Place are designed so that you can easily apply them to your current body of work in order to explore different ways of working WITHIN your specific mapped-out and formulated body of work. So, taking the landscape abstract artist once again as an example, they can use the prompts such as ‘two colours, make something twice as big as you usually work, or repetition brings meditation’ to stretch their creativity within their body of work.
This approach ensures that your participation genuinely enhances your distinctive style and artistic journey. Essentially, you are exercising and growing your innate creativity in the most beneficial way.
If you are at a loss for what your authentic creativity, style or artist voice is, and you still don’t feel like you have a clear, exciting and motivating body of work, maybe it is time to consider committing to finding this out! I would suggest booking a mentorship session with me to start this process. I would love to work alongside you for a season to help you discover this for yourself. You can book this here: https://www.goodplace.co.za/booking-calendar/creative-mentoring?referral=service_list_widget
Consider your Capacity:
If you’re like me, you have a fear of FOMO. Any art challenge peaks my attention and makes me want to commit. This is a great attitude to have, but can be a creative downfall. Before you decide to take part in a challenge take a serious look at your capacity.
Your time capacity: How busy are you currently? Would you be able to fully invest at least one hour a day comfortably to this challenge without it derailing all the other important ‘to-do’ items of your upcoming month? If you answered YES - Go for it! If you answered NO - Consider skipping it this time round.
Your mental capacity: As artists we put ourselves under so much strain to constantly be working and making. I believe this is rooted in insecurity about our creativity identity. This workaholic mentality reflects our need to prove to others and ourselves that our artistic career should be taken seriously. This in turn, makes us all work and no play. And with no play it means, no rest. With no rest, our mental wellness truly suffers. So when it comes to monthly challenges they can work in two ways:
They can positively affect your mental capacity: Maybe you are realising you are overworked and need a rest. Then take a break from your work and do this challenge. But approach it with the idea that it is a playful engagement for you to unwind and enjoy your creativity for the month. Don’t turn it into WORK.
They can negatively affect your mental capacity: If you’re already taking on too much work, adding more to your load is simply going to push you to burn-out faster.
But they can also just be a fun ‘break-away’ daily project for you to include an hour of play and rest within your work schedule.
Your creative capacity: How you approach these challenges will directly impact your creativity. By going into the challenges with the intention for them to be a way to carve out daily time designated to exploring, playing and learning more about your creativity then they can be so effective and beneficial for you. But, if you approach these challenges as a project in and of itself, expecting it to turn into a body of work that you will exhibit after 30 days you are placing unrealistic expectations on your creativity - you are essentially abusing your artist-self. This is like writing a novel in 30 days and expecting it to be a best seller.
Set Realistic Goals:
One of the key reasons artists experience anxiety during challenges is setting overly ambitious goals. While it's great to challenge yourself, setting achievable objectives will ensure you don't burn out or feel overwhelmed. Start with a manageable daily or weekly goal that allows you to maintain a consistent pace. Some goals to set out before the challenge include:
Time: What time period are you dedicating daily to this challenge? I would suggest at maximum 1 hour. Set a timer. Do not let yourself go over the time limit. Then, schedule exactly when you will do this challenge. Is it over your lunch break? Is it first thing in the morning? With structure we are better able to complete what we set out to do. Without a dedicated time daily to do it, chances are you will avoid it and start to fall behind.
Scale: How big are you expecting your creativity to perform within the allocated time?
How many of the daily challenges are you going to attempt? Just because there are 30 doesn’t mean you do them all. You can choose to pick your favorite 10, 5 or even 4 (do one a week, working a little bit on it everyday). This goal is why when we design our art challenges for The Good PLace we never include weekend challenges. Weekends are for you to rest and recoup! Or maybe, to catch up on some challenges you may have missed (only if this makes you happy on the weekend!)
Plan Ahead:
Preparation is essential for a smooth art challenge experience. Create a schedule or a content calendar outlining what you'll create each day or week. Having a plan in place reduces the last-minute rush and eases your anxiety about meeting deadlines. These are some tips on good planning ideas:
The art challenges we set on The Good Place are very open ended. This means that you can pick a theme for yourself at the start of the month and then apply all the challenge prompts to this theme. For example, you might choose CATS as your theme. Within your theme you can then apply the prompts, e.g. Texture, Pop Art, Miniature, etc… to daily drawings of cats.
Do some basic pre-planning of what you’re going to draw. For example, if you are going to do 20 of the challenges, create a folder on your computer with 20 cat pictures that you will use during the challenge. You could even sketch these out before hand, and when you get to the challenge you can relax and enjoy creating.
Prioritize Self-Care:
Remember that your mental and physical well-being should always come first. Don't sacrifice sleep or skip meals to meet your art challenge goals. Adequate rest and a balanced diet will help you stay focused and reduce anxiety.
Always allow yourself the option to STOP and TAP OUT. No one is going to judge you. You don’t have to keep going if the joy has stopped. If this challenge is not bringing you a sense of creative happiness when you do it, stop doing it. If you don’t - this is a form of artist abuse. Nurture your creativity.
Find Your Motivation:
Identify what motivates you to participate in an art challenge. Whether it's improving your skills, gaining exposure, or simply enjoying the creative process, knowing your motivation will keep you driven throughout the challenge.
Use the Creative COmmune community as an encouraging platform. Post your images on the group and comment on other artists’ work. This sense of being a part of something bigger than yourself will keep fueling your ambition to continue.
Embrace Imperfection:
Perfectionism can be a significant source of anxiety for artists, and demanding it from your creativity is a form of artist abuse. Understand that art challenges are about growth and experimentation. It's okay to produce less-than-perfect pieces during the challenge; it's all part of the learning process.
Seek Support and Accountability:
If you aren’t already a member of Creative Commune, consider joining our Whatsapp group or finding an accountability partner. Sharing your progress, challenges, and victories with others can boost your morale and help you stay on track.
The link to join our group: https://www.goodplace.co.za/thecreativecommune
Take Breaks:
Don't be afraid to take short breaks when needed. Stepping away from your work for a while can refresh your mind and prevent burnout. Use this time to gather inspiration, relax, or engage in a different creative activity.
Learn from Each Experience:
Reflect on your art challenge journey. What worked well? What could you improve? Every challenge is an opportunity for growth, so take the lessons learned into future endeavors. Your daily Morning Pages are a great way to do this self reflection.
Celebrate Small Wins:
Don't wait until the end of the challenge to celebrate your achievements. Acknowledge and reward yourself for completing milestones along the way. Positive reinforcement can reduce anxiety and boost your confidence.
Equally, if you choose to stop and tap out because the challenge is no longer joyful to you, celebrate that you have been kind to your artist-self and go on a much deserved artist date :)
Participating in The Good Place creative challenges can be a fulfilling and transformative experience for our artists. By setting realistic goals, prioritizing self-care, and seeking support, you can minimize anxiety and make the most of these creative goals. Remember that the journey is just as important as the destination, and each creative challenge is a chance to learn, grow, and connect with the vibrant world of art and artists.
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