ICAD – Joining the Index Card A Day Challenge

I’m joining ICAD again this year, are you? I hope so, because I’d love to see what you make. Last year I filled 61 index cards with abstract art and learned a lot about what I like to paint.

ICAD stands for index-card-a-day, and I’m talking a bit about what it entails and showing my index cards from last year in the video below.

ICAD is a free and easy-going art challenge where you can do anything you want on an index card. You will fill one index card each day for two months, or however many you want to fill for however long you want to keep going. The only real rule, as I understand it, is that you must create on index cards – that’s the whole point.

If you feel like joining us ICADians, just get a stack of index cards. We start June 1st and the challenge continues on til the last day of July. ICAD for me is sunshine, iced coffee, and easy-breezy fun creating. Summer time, come forward!

Tammy, who is the inventor and host of the challenge, is already in full swing, sending out her new weekly newsletter, the ICAD Gazette, and posting word prompts, warm-up ideas to get you started and even more inspiration in the Facebook group.

My ICAD video

I’ve been way too busy to get started, but looking forward to making a cover card / title card tomorrow. I also think I’ll try to write a bit on the back of each card, like a diary entry. I did that the first year and love reading those entries today. I’ve been traveling by train a lot, as you might have seen in my insta story, so that’s why the video is finished now, a bit late if you’re new to this concept.

I wanted to get this video about ICAD up last week, but filming, editing, and rendering video is crazy time consuming for me. Any tips on the art of making videos faster is greatly appreciated, and as usual, leave feedback on the video here (below in the comments) and/or on my YouTube channel (where you can subscribe, click the bell icon there to get notified when I upload my next video really soon). Here’s the video, click the youtube link if you don’t see it:

ICAD started in 2011, and back then it went on for three months, so I made a lot of index cards! This year is the seventh annual challenge. Because I joined in for that first year, I feel a bit like a pioneer when it comes to this challenge and it holds a special place in my heart.

I love that it’s cheap vs. precious (cheap office supplies vs. art you put your heart into), a daily practice and a challenge that does not need to lead to anything more than a few moments of joy.

Easy, artsy just like a good summer challenge should be, right?

I still love some of my index cards from that first year. Here’s one example:

ICAD Inspirations from iHanna

• Doodle on an Index Card – a video by me
• Cut and Paste Index Card – another video by me
• 61 Abstractions – all my index cards from last year
• iHanna’s ICAD on Instagram – all cards from last year as I posted daily on Instagram where I’m @ihannas
• About Index Cards – all my previous posts about index cards

Project Index Card a day – my flickr photo album

How to join ICAD

You don’t have to do anything special to “join the challenge” but be sure to post your index cards with the official hashtag on instagram (#dyICAD2017), follow the ICAD pinterest board for inspiration and to check out Tammy’s excellent ICAD home base where you can read about different options like joining the FB-group etcetera. This video is also a guest post there called On the Index Card Wall, where you can read some really super sweet things Tammy has to say about me. *blushing with happiness*

I love this reminder and feel grateful for the indexy adventure we’re embarking upon. Let me know if you have questions below, or if you’re joining too? See you around, old and new ICADians!