Art & Creativity: Year-Long Art Projects to Inspire You

As we embark on a new year, it’s the perfect time to challenge yourself with a year-long art and creativity project. Whether you’re looking to build a daily art practice, document your growth as an artist, or simply be a bit more creative this year, committing to a consistent project can be a joyful experience and lead to amazing discoveries. Here are some inspiring ideas to get you started:

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Project 365: A Photo a Day

“Capture your life in a photo a day.”

The goal of this project is super simple: take one photo every day. There are all kinds of apps out there (both free and paid) that help you stay on track with the project. From personal experience, I can tell you that it’s a wonderful way to capture simple every day moments, practice composition, and document your year. For several years, I took the project a step further by turning my photos into “Project Life” albums (like the spread seen above.)

After having a child, it simply became too much to keep up with, but I still treasure those albums and keep vowing to get back to it! BUT, I do think that I might return to it in an all digital format. For instance, every year I use Chatbooks to give my husband a photo book filled with photos of our son throughout the year. I suppose I could make a book for myself with daily life photos. The only question is whether 365 photos is too many for one book?

PS: Use THIS LINK and get $10 off your first order with Chatbooks.

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The Diary Project

This is a 2007 art project by artist Kirsty Hall. From her website:

Every day in 2007 I drew on an envelope and placed something secret inside. I then posted the envelope to myself before my midnight deadline. When the envelopes returned, they were scanned and blogged here. I successfully completed Phase One of the project on 31st December 2007. All 365 envelopes are now being kept unopened until they can be exhibited as a whole artwork, at which point members of the public will be able to open the letters and investigate the contents. 

For a contemporary spin on the project:

• Instead of physical mail, consider emailing yourself with a short note or sketch.
• Use apps like Evernote or Notion to compile your entries, and at the end of the year, you’ll have a digital archive of your thoughts and creativity.
• Instead of mailing the envelopes to yourself, mail them to different people, spreading happy mail around.
• Consider that the secret item inside the envelope could be a drawing, a poem, a fact, a piece of collage paper, a newspaper clipping…there are so many fun and creative possibilities!

P.S. The envelope in the photo above is part of a book-binding project I taught as part of the Artful Holiday online class, available for purchase HERE.

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Draw the Line: Daily Sketching

Project 365: Draw the Line is a blog by George G. He writes on his blog:

Busy New York life tends to get in the way of my drawing. But not anymore. Every single day since January 1, 2007, I have done and will try to do a drawing, – a sketch, a doodle, a masterpiece, SOMEthing – and post it here.

Drawing every day is a tried-and-true method for improving your skills and finding your artistic voice. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist, set aside time daily for sketching. Experiment with digital tools like Procreate, or stick to traditional pen and paper. Join a group online or in person, such as the Urban Sketchers. Don’t aim for perfection—focus on consistent practice and see how your art evolves. If you’d like help getting comfortable with keeping a Visual Diary, I do have an online class all about it, available HERE.

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The Journal Quilt Project

In 2003 Karey Patterson Bresenhan, president of Quilts Inc., organized the first ever Journal Quilt Project one of the most popular exhibits ever shown at the International Quilt Festivals. Since then, hundreds of artists from around the world have participated in the Journal Quilt Project every year, making small, 8″ x 11.5″ quilts every month to explore new techniques, express fresh ideas, and experiment. I have made quite a few Journal Quilts over the years (such as the one above). I think it’s where my love of mixed media art began! I taught a Journal Quilt class at the City Quilter in New York City for several years.

If you’d like to make a year’s worth of Journal Quilts:

• Create a small 8.5×11″ quilt each week or month (whichever suits your lifestyle).
• Experiment with surface design, sewing, and/or piecing techniques.
• Document your journey in a journal or blog.

There is a book, if you’re interested: “Creative Quilting: The Journal Quilt Project.”

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Project 52: Weekly Creative Expression for Dabblers

This is a project that I came up with in 2009.  Every week for one year, participants create something inspired by an event, a thought, or an emotion from that week.  And since I dabble in lots of different types of creativity, I wanted to make sure that other people who dabble could participate. So, what you create doesn’t have to be consistent.  You can create an art journal page one week and a quilt the next.  Or you could stay consistent and make fifty-two photo collages. It’s flexible—you can switch mediums week-to-week, going from poetry to sculpture, or stick with a consistent format like painting or photography. You can see what I did in the the Project 52 Archive.

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Why Commit to a Year-Long Creative Project?

Year-long projects can:

• Foster consistency and discipline.
• Help you explore new techniques or ideas.
• Document your creative growth over time.
• Build an online or local community around your work.

Start your 2025 with an art and creativity project that speaks to you. Share your journey on social media or keep it private—it’s your journey. Let this be the year you commit to making art a central part of your life!