Have you heard about 12 week diet challenge or taken a 8 week running challenge? These challenges help you be more focused and disciplined to achieve a goal. At the end of the challenge, you feel proud about successfully achieving your target and discovering your own potential that you never thought you had. Sometimes, it finally ends with getting used to the activity even after the challenge is over.
Creative challenges help you try out the benefits of indulging in artistic activities by committing to a challenge and religiously pursuing it.
An art challenge that changed my life
This is an experience from some time back and was my first creative challenge. I can easily call this as a life changing moment for me and I would love to share it with you to encourage you to follow your creative instincts. You will be surprised by how good it makes you feel.
One fine day, I got a call from RAW artist organisation asking if I’d be interested in displaying my artworks at their Brisbane art exhibition. Not being a full-time professional artist, I had my moments of nervousness, self-doubt, time commitment and confusion but I finally said ‘Yes’ to them for a new experience, for a new adventure.
The countdown began – 3 months to go
I was ecstatic and filled with joy. Most of my initial time went in planning my art projects, looking for inspirations from any & every observation – people, flowers, morning & evening skies, other art objects. I was happily obsessed!
I vividly remember the weekend when I went bulk shopping to various art & craft stores in Brisbane. It was like a childhood dream come true, to pick canvases big & small, several bottles of paints, tools that I required and what not. It felt like a dreamland!
Next came the challenge of creating so many artworks in a short span of time and managing that with a full time job. Weekends were not going to be enough, so I started working late nights after I came back from office – surprisingly with the energy & happiness of a child, not feeling tired at all.
I knew I enjoyed doing art & craft but I realised how much I loved it when I saw myself working on projects for 8..9..10 hours at a stretch. This was a revelation for me about myself.
On the D day – Living the celebrity moments
Both my husband & I took day off from work. The morning began with wrapping & packing all art objects and décor items carefully in different boxes and reaching the venue by noon.
The atmosphere at the venue was electric. There were more than 50 artists with their own little display area, decorating their stalls and rehearsals going on stage for other performances. Creativity was in the air!
My husband & I were there, setting up our fairy lights, fixing the light directions, setting up the table, hanging the decorations, enjoying some of the most memorable & fun moments together.
The evening was all about dressing up, photoshoot, walking on the ramp for introductions, meeting fellow artists, receiving compliments from audience, seeing friends & colleagues who came to support me and a lot of celebrity feels!
After about 8-10 hours, we ended the day at a high node, also with some sales in the kitty. There was fun, adrenaline rush & lots of memories – a day I will always remember & cherish.
The 3 months completely changed my life. Apart from the fun aspect of the whole adventure, I started relating with art in a different way. I observed how much difference it brought to my life when I regularly pursued it. It taught me patience, made me realise the benefits of art meditation & introduced me to mindfulness with art. It was calming & energising to make art a part of my regular life.
What challenge can you take?
If you want to start at a basic level, download and print these colouring sheets and take a 30 day challenge to spend 15-20 minutes in the day towards filling it with either colouring pens or pencil colours.
If you are interested in a more advanced art challenge, you can experience mandala painting for mindfulness.
More art experiences that may interest you…
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Neha is the ideator behind Colours & Smiles. While working full-time, she is trying to make more space for art & craft hobby in her life. She strongly believes in the therapeutic benefits of practising art & craft and wants to encourage more & more people to pursue artistic hobbies.