I've got the "crap" part down, but...

February 23, 2008 10:38 PM

I'm looking for Web sites premised on the production of "crap art", structured art projects for non-artists, inspiration and instructions.

I know about Album-a-Day, 24-Hour Comics, NaNoWriMo and the RPM Challenge.

I'm looking for more sites that instruct, encourage and/or showcase art by non-artists. Communities are helpful, but pages with instructions or blogs are also good.

I'm interested in writing-related, visual-art-related and/or music-related projects and challenges to embark upon. The sites I list above are based on a time-limited format but suggestions don't necessarily need to be. What's good is a project aimed at production rather than perfection, with some manner of timeline or milestones so that there is structure built in. I can have a hard time with follow-through in the early part, so accountability to others or peer pressure would probably serve me well.

The point isn't to make bad art, but to regularly make art in order to enjoy the process, gain confidence and build skills.

posted by loiseau to sports, hobbies, & recreation (5 answers total)

Here are some that I have found through Google:

50 Songs in 90 Days
February Album Writing Month

Script Frenzy
National Novel Continuing Month
National Novel Finishing Month

Thing-a-Day (why do so many of these happen in February?)

I guess Thing-a-Day is most like what I'm hoping to find, but the concept is so vague that the quality of posts is not so inspiring. I think I'm leaning toward visual-art-related projects if anyone knows of any.
posted by loiseau at 3:54 AM on February 24, 2008

Illustration Friday is getting there...

Oh, and of course Learning to Love You More is classic, but kind of unpredictably updated.
posted by loiseau at 4:08 AM on February 24, 2008

I like doing mail art shows for just the reasons you mentioned. There are a lot of websites that list calls for art for mail art if you do a search. Mail art is fun because it is creative, never an entry fee, your work ends up all over the world and usually the people throwing the mail art show post all the entries on a website or blog so you can see all the other entries. I am a "real" artist, but the protocol of "real" art shows is much different than mail art. Mail art is all about everybody just doing something that they think interprets the theme of the show (there isn't always a theme, but usually). There is more of a sense of community among the people in mail art shows than regular art shows. A lot of the work is goofy but some of it could carry its own against any "real" art show. One I recently entered had an old dial phone with the big handset cradle thing all wrapped in brown paper. It was obvious it was a phone, but it was all wrapped up in brown paper and the mailing label was affixed to the outside. It was a brilliant piece that worked perfectly for the show (theme was "the art of communication"). I find these shows inspiring, they keep me working when things get dull in my studio.
posted by 45moore45 at 6:44 AM on February 24, 2008

(The phone was not my entry)
posted by 45moore45 at 6:45 AM on February 24, 2008

Hmm. I do know about mail art, but I don't think it quite fits the bill. I'm not sure why exactly -- I guess my intent is to get some structure to encourage me to create regularly with less worry about quality on any given piece -- not to have to produce at a quality that I would actually be willing to send the piece to someone. Thanks though!

This woman decided to do a drawing a day and became a really good artist over the last two years... I'd love to see more sites like that for inspiration.
posted by loiseau at 2:59 AM on February 25, 2008