self-assignments

Lately I've been feeling a little blocked creatively. I'm still doing the work (because when it won't come and a deadline is looming one must force it) but it doesn't feel fun or alive when your heart isn't in it. So I've challenged myself to do 10 self-assignments to mix things up and help me think creatively without being tied to what I normally do... No dwelling on outcome. Just loose creative for fun. ("Think outside the box, Pen." my mom always says.) I've completed one so far. Assignment #1 was to create a work of art from found natural objects. So I went on a walk and gathered anything I thought was pretty: sticks, spanish moss, leaves, bits of bark, berries, seed pods, pine needles. Then I went home to start on my piece. Here are my materials:

I laid all the materials out on the counter and put a white sheet of paper down on my work table. I started putting the objects together in different ways. At first I tried to use everything I had gathered, but then I started to edit it down to more simple pairings. I ended up doing four different arrangements. See results below.

This assignment was a good start I think. It made me slow down to look around me when I was on my walk, noticing the textures and colors instead of zipping by. It forced me to be in the moment. Then I got to come back and create something totally out of my realm. The results aren't smashing, but the push out of my comfort zone was just the thing to shake off some dust. I'm looking forward to the next nine assignments...