Last April I started a project called #100DaysofPhotoshop—you can check out the gist here—where I attempted to do 100 photoshop projects in 100 days. I only got through about a month and a half, but I loved the exercise in creativity, and spring seemed to be the perfect time. So when a friend emailed me at the start of April this year to tell me about #CreativeSprint, a challenge to make something every day of the month, it seemed like fate. I signed up, and like that April became my “Try Something Crafty” month.
So what is Creative Sprint? Every day a new prompt shows up in your inbox, encouraging you to try a new medium or make something outside the box. The goal is to get people to be creative in new ways, and is in particular aimed at organizations that can motivate and inspire their employees by encouraging more creative moments.
My favorite creations of my own all involved hand-lettering, something I haven’t dabbled in much before. The prompts were great for getting me to find inspiration in different places and try some things that I was sure would turn out terribly. I had so much fun with it I was even inspired to pick up Jessica Hische’s lettering book, In Progress.
Make something while you are in the bathroom or with materials found in the bathroom, today.
Getting inspired by bathroom materials had to be my favorite day. I came home from a long day at work, so daunted by the thought of doing anything creative. I left my headphones in while I rummaged through my drawers, and when I came up with a tube of toothpaste all I could think of was the Kanye West lyrics blasting in my ears. Once I started playing with toothpaste I realized how much fun this was going to be, and dug for more and more materials to play with. Needless to say there were some Clorox wipes involved in the cleanup.
Create something inspired by an email, text or other message that you receive today
One of the best parts of the whole experience was browsing #creativesprint on Instagram and seeing the different ways each prompt came to life . From total novices to more serious artists, everyone seemed to draw in completely different ways. It was a great reminder to me of just how inspiring other people’s creativity can be if you just remember to look.
Make something inspired by the last song or piece of music you listened to
I'm hoping after two years I can call creative Aprils a trend and continue to make it a way to slough off the gloom of winter and usher in spring. If you want to get crafty with your April (or get started now) check out The 100 Days Project and #CreativeSprint.