365 Collages in a Year Fail – Reframed into Creative Success
I started a 365 Collage Project back in 2022 that I then did not finish. I announced it on the blog, and shared some of the process of making them over on instagram, but then it all dwindled down after about two months and I did not continue. I made a few more collages here and there, but I am sad to say I didn’t even date those so I’m not sure when they were created during the year.
Maybe it is good to sometimes also share our failures online, because we all have them. Ideas that doesn’t go as planned. Projects started that we never finish. Plans that we as flawd humans can’t keep up with…
Personally I thought of this project as a failure in 2022, but right now I am not so sure it really was. The desicion made me start to create collages in January and even though I did not keep going I created far more art than I had in 2019-2021.
The collages I created I am mostly happy about and I also know (now) why I did not finish. What kept me going in previous attempts (I have through my blogging carier started and succesfully finished three year long art projects) was the rule I set for myself to document my progress on the blog. Through the last two year long projects I shared seven new collage artworks every week on the blog, and that format worked wonders for me. It made me stay on track, scan and title my art, share it consistently and see my own progress. I also got comments and cheering from my blog readers, which was just a delight all through the year.
In preparation for the new year, and to clean up my space, I decided to tackle the pile of collages that I never did anything with. I have scanned them all, and I thought I’d share them like I did back when I did previous 365 somethings in a year, 7 artworks at a time here on the blog.
Today I wanted to share a first batch of those collages from 2022, and then in upcoming posts 7 more until I’m done with my little pile. Because that’s how I made and shared my collages, in weekly batches. It was never about daily creating for me even though I create almost every day.
I think the reason for me failing to finish the project in 2022 was the fact that my outer accountability wasn’t there. I did not plan to post weekly to the blog, and that set me up for failing because why would I push myself to create weekly piles of collages if I had no plan for them? When nobody knew if I reached my goal or not it did not feel as important to push on. I slipped behind, and in the end I had to give up my goal of creating 365 collages in a year.
In previous years I have slipped behind too, as this was never about daily for me but my weekly goal, but then I dedicated an entire day and made loads of collages at once and caught up. Mostly because I wanted to keep sharing them on the blog I think. And that weekly roundup of collages on the blog made me feel so happy and content that I wanted to keep going.
As I have already mentioned, I have done this kind of 365 project three years previously, and succeeded all of them. Fourth time was not the charm unfortunately, but “kind of a fail”. Then again, failing still meant I created more collages in 2022 than I had in any of the years previously. In fact, I created 59 square collages, and I am proud of that.
If you have the time to leave me a comment I’d love to hear from you. Have you ever challenged yourself to do anything like that for an entire year? To keep up a habit that is creative and fun, and just for yourself? Have you succeded or failed online challenges? Would you do it again? Would you like to create “something” 365 times in a row, and if yes, what would that be? Would you want to do it (with me perhaps) in 2025? Yes, I am thinking about it, but I haven’t decided one hundred procent yet. I’ll keep you posted.
In the meantime, here’s some help if you are considering doing a “365 project” of your own:
- How to Plan for a 365 Project of your own
- How to keep organized with a 365 project
- Creativity Habit | Let’s do 365 somethings in 2022
This post is part of NaBloPoMo where I write 30 blog posts in November. Thanks for reading and leaving me a comment, it encourages me to keep going. To follow along subscribe to blog posts via email or RSS. I also have a sweet Substack Newsletter about art, craft and creativity that you might want to sign up for so that we can keep in touch in the future. I’d love that. On instagram I’m @ihannas and on YouTube Studio iHanna. Take care and stay creative friends.
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These are soooo fun Hanna and I can’t wait to see the rest! I loooooooove “Estranged Sisters!”
Thanks Jana, and thanks for jumping in and leaving me a comment, I very much appreciate that.
I’m REALLY enjoying your many blog posts. Gives me something to look forward to each day, I find them so interesting. Particularly enjoyed this post probably because I am making collages at the moment, making masterboards of images and painted papers and then using a viewfinder to cut them out. Maybe I’ll get to do the next postcard swap with them. Anyway – just wanted to say that I love your collages! They are inspiring.
Thank you Roslyn, I very much appreciate knowing that you’re out there reading all these blog posts. It’s been a lot for me, just writing them. Making collage is one of my favorite things ever, so that you like these also means a lot. I hope you’ll join the spring swap and we can create even more collages then. :-)
In 2022 I walked outside at least 1 km each day (two days I had to walk inside an airport because of travel, so all but 2 days were outside, but I did at least 1 km every day). It was a great year-long goal, but I also am glad I’m no longer doing it :)
WOW, that’s impressive to me! How on earth did you find the energy every day to get out and walk? I so wish I could do that as well, but I think I’d need a walking buddy to keep me accountable as well. Outer accountability is my jam.
Hi, iHanna! I have tried Tammy’s ICAD challenge several times, and I don’t think I have yet succeeded at any of them, despite my trying hard. It seemed like I would start out with lots of excitement, joy, and energy, but then all hell would break loose in my personal life and I would feel discouraged because of having to handle too many other things. I really feel what you wrote here about being on your own without documenting what you created for the challenge, and not having anyone to show your work or talk about it with. I’m not on any social media, and so far none of my friends “get it” about art that might not be a realistic portrait or a landscape. Right now, I feel like being free and curious and explorative, not bound to making fussy art. I would be tempted to try a 365 Somethings challenge with people like you, iHanna. You’ve done so well with this November blogging you have challenged yourself to try. I admire your staying with it. Way to go!
Cheers! from Lynn in Hallsville, Missouri USA
Thank you Lynn! Non of my challenges so far has been daily, not ICAD or even this one as I wrote three blog posts one day and scheduled them out when I knew I wouldn’t have energy to write anything later that week.
Daily is SO hard, and that’s why I like “dailyish” like I wrote about in my Newsletter. What a glorious concept/word that is. :-)
Not only are these so much fun to look at, but colourful and full of hidden meaning too. I love how each has it’s own unique story to tell. But yeah, I can see how demanding doing this for a whole year could be. I’m not sure I could make that commitment.
Thank you, so glad you like the artwork. Of course to make 365 collages you’d have to absolutly LOVE collage, and have a lot of experience with it, the materials ready and know that it’s something you want in your life. I don’t think it’s for everyone, but it has really helped me concentrate on one art expression instead of trying to do it all, all the time. :-)
These collages are beautiful. I could stare at them over and over again.
I have failed at many creative projects! I was hoping to write a book for a long time but I got very unmotivated by the process, the unlikelihood of being published, etc. So now I just jabber away at my blog, ha.