There was a time when anyone who asked me “What will you be in life?” received the rather confident and totally serious answer “I’ll be an Artist”. I studied Art at college you see. In fact I recently stumbled across some photos of my old college artwork, including a rather disturbing 6 foot tall crucifix! (Photographs of said artwork are embedded below; more for nostalgia than anything) Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that I made a mistake or even that I was particularly good at Art – it’s just that I was so certain.
Somewhere along the line fate intervened and I ended up in software development. Whilst i’m certainly out of practice, my creative streak has never really left me. However, I now find myself increasingly frustrated that skills I once possessed have become dulled. “Get to the point” I hear you cry. Ok, scroll on past the pictures…
I recently stumbled across this really cool project called The Sketchbook Project 2011. The idea is that you’re sent an empty sketchbook to fill with whatever you like. To help ignite your creativity, you can choose a theme that loosely represents your sketchbook. You have until January 2011 to send your sketchbook back to the organisers. This is where it gets interesting. The sketchbooks are then barcoded and exhibited at various galleries and museums across the US. You can log into the site to track how many times your sketchbook is viewed and where. At the end of the tour they’re handed to the Brooklyn Art Library to be part of their permanent collection.
I’ve hastily handed over my $25 and am eagerly awaiting my sketchbook. This could be just the kick I need to get me back into art again. As for my theme… I chose “Happy Thoughts”.