Challenge Yourself in 2009
Challenges are often a good way to motivate yourself and get out of your comfort zone. As you're planning your creative goals for this year, you might consider entering some of these polymer clay challenges.
The Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy (PCAGOE) has recently opened up its monthly challenge to everyone — you no longer have to be a guild member to participate. While it's too late to enter this month's challenge (vote here for a chance to win prizes!), they've posted upcoming themes so you can start thinking ahead. Entries are due by the 28th of each month. And it's easy to enter — just post a photo of your item in their Flickr pool. See complete challenge rules here. The upcoming month's themes are:
- February - ACEOs
- March - cane work
And don't forget about the monthly challenges over at Polymer Clay Central. Here's their challenge schedule for 2009:
- January: Winter Fantasy
- February: Steampunk
- March: Liquid Clay
- April: That's Not Real Wood?
- May: Over the Rainbow
- June: Picture This (Transfers)
- July: Mosaic Madness
- August: Skinner Blends
- September: Glitter & Glitz
- October: That Really "Bugs" Me
- November: Carve it Up
- December/January: Ring in the New Year
I hope this year brings lots of creative growth your way. And should you decide to enter one of these challenges, best of luck to you! Who knows...? You may end up winning one of the sponsors' prizes. Or (perhaps even better), you may find that stepping out of your comfort zone helps you discover something you love!
Are there other creative challenges you enjoy entering? If so, leave a link in the comments.
Comments
Those are all good challegnes and something I should get in to this year. I have joined a few but it has been awhile. Maybe 2009 is the year for it for me.
Happy New Year to you.
Posted by: CraftyLinda | January 3, 2009 6:22 AM
It's been a while for me, too, CraftyLinda. But I enjoy challenges when I do them -- it's a great excuse to try something out of my comfort zone. And sometimes it ends up being some of my best & favorite work!
Happy New Year to you, too!
Posted by: Angela M. | January 3, 2009 9:57 AM
Thanks for plugging the PCAGOE challenge :) We're excited about it! Happy new year, craftygoat!
Posted by: DivaDea | January 3, 2009 11:16 PM
Greetings from snowy Finland. I mostly lurk here, like your blog a lot.
I myself have my own creative challenge for 2009: to make beads in 12 different themes. This month I am studying two colour beads and am plannin to end the month with a necklace using ideas learned this month. I am doing co-operative artwork with a talented woodartist and his challenge for the year is textures in wood. We both are blogging the imagages and the pictures can be found at our new website at http://www.hiidet.com
Ps. Sues Technuque book is one of the best books there is. I recomend it to all my students that want to buy just one book and learn as much techniques as possible from it. The other book I also recomend to people in similar need is Caroline Blackburns Making polymerclay beads. Both books are really good ones.
Posted by: Pörrö | January 8, 2009 3:17 PM
Greetings, Pörrö! It's always nice to hear from a "lurker," and I appreciate you sharing your bead challenge with us. Your beads so far look great -- I'll look forward to seeing the necklace you make with them!
I'm glad you mentioned Blackburn's Beads book. That is a wonderful book, and it's especially nice for folks who are primarily interested in using polymer clay for jewelry.
Good luck with your 2009 challenge!
Posted by: Angela Mabray | January 8, 2009 3:36 PM