…squareathon…

Instagram can be a mixed blessing. Sometimes, many times, it is a veritable time suck of endless scrolling. Sometimes, it creates a fabulous community, like our amazing #saturdaynightcraftalong crew, who are so much fun. Sometimes, it inspires a fun little project that delivers just the inspiration kick I was after.

A couple of weeks back, I came across #squareathon – a 16 day art challenge, with daily prompts. I have mentioned in previous posts how it all feels a bit like sewing central around here at the minute, and I was poking around wanting to do something, but not another sewing project, so it came at the perfect time. I did come into the project a few days behind, but managed to play catch up a bit and cover off on the first few prompts as well.

Well, until day 12, anyway. The first few days were fine. There was one prompt that I didn’t love the result of, but planned to come back to and tweak. Then day 11 happened, and I was working on Secret Sunsets (not pictured), and Treasures of the Tides (bottom right), and hated both of them. Boom. Mojo gone. I did have some travel as well which impacted my painting time a bit, but really, that’s just a cop out. I fell into a cloud of “well everything sucks and I’m going to burn my paints” and gave up on the project.

I did, though, create some fun little pieces that I was happy with to varying degrees. My two especial favourites are the two outside ones on the middle row – Epic Adventure on the left, and Over The Rainbow on the right. I did think about going back and finishing off the remaining prompts, but I going to draw a line under the project now, and consider it done. My creative time is limited enough that it serves no benefit to push on with a project I’m not enjoying, just to say I’ve finished it, or to be able to show it off on insta, or in a blog post.

Even unfinished, I enjoyed having the paints out after far too long, splashing some colour around, playing with ideas that springboard from a prompt as I let them percolate to avoid the immediate, literal interpretation that comes to mind first up. Creative play at it’s finest.