365

"Make something every day and change your life!" -Noah Scalin

The only rule is: there are no rules!

Most Important: Don't stress out. Remember, this about taking little steps. When doing your daily project, focus on the current day and don't think about tomorrow, next week, or next month. Big projects can be incredibly daunting, but you'll be amazed at what you can do when you break them down into a series of tiny, manageable pieces.

The key to a successful daily project is deciding on a subject or medium that you will enjoy exploring for a year.

Keep in mind that a simpler idea will go a lot farther than a complicated on. If you choose a consistent subject matter (skulls, stars, smiley faces, chihuahuas, etc.), pick something you already like. You probably have plenty examples of it in your environment to inspire you, and you'll be less likely to get tired of it before a year is over.

and lastly, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT DOCUMENT!!!!! take pictures/video of not only the finished product. maybe take some of you in the process of making the project. and if it is something that will change over time (snow melting, food rotting), document that as well.

~-~-I will post the day's prompt early in the morning. when i finish my project, i will upload the documentation. in the evening i will post tomorrow's prompt to give you a head's up with the spoiler alert. ~-~-

all prompts and the above introduction rules are from the book A Daily Creativity Journal 365 Make Something Every Day And Change Your Life! by Noah Scalin

DAY 78

PROMPT: make up a name and write a back story for a stranger you see today. Bonus: create something based on what you've made up and give it to them.

BORED!!!!! That was my only thought as I rolled on to my back. I had been laying here by the door window for HOURS waiting for my human to come home. I am Avocado, and I am NOT green. Don’t listen to a word that idiot cat next door tells you. I am actually an orange tabby, but my human had a weird sense of humor.
But every morning I wake him up early for our breakfast, then chase him around after we have finish eating. He always rushes around the house gathering up things in several bags, and then stashes them away in the moving monster. I hate that monster. Whenever my human puts me inside him, I end up at the strange place full of people with sharp needles. And with things that like to stick up my butt.
But I chase my human around for awhile each morning, and then he leaves, always wearing the same outfit. A gray t-shirt, and noisy blue shorts. Though sometimes when it is cold he wears noisy blue pants. They swish swish when he walks. I don’t like these pants though. The noise annoys me, and it is no good for climbing. Every time I try to climb up my person’s leg my claws tear holes in his pants, and I get yelled at. It’s not my fault he wears such poor climbing pants. Really, you would think he would have learned by now and wear something different when he leaves in the morning.
For hours each day he is gone, which I find horribly annoying. There is only so much sunbathing and shadow chasing a cat can do before becoming completely bored out of their mind. Sometimes if my human forgets to close one of the windows, I go and visit the cat next door. But I never stay for very long. He is rather dull and stupid in my opinion, the cat next door. I do believe his little humans dropped him when he was a kitten. And allowing them to carry him around upside down cannot be good either.
But at last, I hear a humming throughout the entire house, and the floor vibrates underneath my paws. I roll over quickly and dart towards the bottom door in excitement. But I pause, a wicked scheme coming into my mind. Instead I rush back upstairs, out of sight just as the door creaks open and my human steps inside. I hear him call my name as he takes off his boots. I crouch, hidden behind a basket, ignoring his calls. I hear him set his bags away in the closet I am forbidden from playing in, as he continues to call me. I could hear confusion creeping into his voice now.
I decided to answer his calls. I howled, as if trapped and in pain. I heard him call me again, this time his voice laced with worry and fear. I howled again, and then fell silent. I heard him race up the stairs and race down the hallway, searching for me. I flattened down as flat as I could behind the basket. I flattened my ears, wiggled my butt, revving myself up as he came closer, still searching for me.
Just as he walked past the basket, I leapt with a mighty yowl. I latched myself onto his leg. My human may leave every morning wearing that horrid swishy pants, but he always comes home in a different outfit. Thick cloth all of the same blues patches. Like a blue calico’s coat. Now these pants are perfect for climbing.
I climbed my way up his pants, holding on tightly as he jumped in fright. Mission accomplished. I had successfully scared the living daylights out of my human. I made my way up his jacket and onto his shoulder. There I sat, purring in his ear as he caught his breath. I do so love welcoming my human home this way.

---i decided that the last customer i helped out at work that day would be the person i would use. i mostly just included what he was wearing (and what i know people with his job wear to the gym for mandatory P.T.) and wrote a story about a pretend cat named Avocado. i had a lot of fun with this one. if i ever do see this guy again, i may give him a copy of the story.

DAY 77

PROMPT: work with shredded paper. use an actual paper shredder or simply cut paper into thin strips. maybe even give quilling a try.

i shredded a bunch of an old newspaper, scooped it into a pile, and let auGUStus have at it. as you can see it created a huge mess, that i could not use the vacuum for. i had to pick up each little piece of paper by hand, while auGUStus stalked and pounced on said hand.

DAY 77

PROMPT: work with shredded paper. use an actual paper shredder or simply cut paper into thin strips. maybe even give quilling a try.

i shredded a bunch of an old newspaper, scooped it into a pile, and let auGUStus have at it. as you can see it created a huge mess, that i could not use the vacuum for. i had to pick up each little piece of paper by hand, while auGUStus stalked and pounced on said hand.

DAY 76

PROMPT: make something inspired by and/or that fits on or around an ear (yours or someone else's.)

i drew a sophisticated looking kitty (bogart modeled for me when auGUStus wasn't chewing on his face). i then added some ear decoration.

DAY 75

PROMPT: get some chalk and work on the sidewalk near your home.

i don't have any chalk, but i do have my mom's rock garden. so i used a rock to draw a kitty climbing up my door steps.