David Horne - Jan 3, 2026
I find it easy to get stuck just thinking about making art or being creative without ever doing anything. The idea of this article has been rattling around my head for the past few days. And, I felt like I had a good direction to take it. But sitting here writing it the words falter. All the thoughts that came so easy seem to evaporate.
This feels like a common occurrence. I can plan and scheme, dream up grand ideas but until I actually put pen to paper, brush to canvas, or actually start create something I can’t see the places where I’ll falter, the difficult parts. In my mind I gloss over the details. Which is why creating art is different than thinking about it.
I spend all day in my head, thinking about things, or thinking about what I’ve been watching or what I should be doing. I’ve had ideas that I’ve thought about for years and never started. Or when I’ve started I stopped because of minor setbacks.
I spend enough time thinking, I need to spend more time doing. I can have the best idea in the world and it is worthless unless I act on it. Long story short, I want to do more than just think, I want to create.
I want to create art and the only way I’ll do that if I just start creating. And do it regularly, even every day. The title of the article gave the bit away, but the thought of “an art a day” has been running around my head. There are so many challenges that touch on this Inktober, NaNoWriMo and a daily poetry challenge that I’ve participated in. And now it is time for something new.
So what is An Art A Day. It is simply a challenge to create An Art every day. At least for a month. The every day part is simple enough. Every day, seven days a week, for a month or whatever the goal is.
But, what do I mean by an Art? That is more ephemeral. Unlike many challenges, it is pretty open to interpretation. But what I’m thinking of is taking any idea and turning it in to something that exists in reality. Something that can be seen, read, touched, held, shared or hidden. It doesn’t have to be complete, or it could be a continuation, or a refining, but it should be at least 10 minutes of creation. Not thinking, or getting ready, or staring at the wall. But ten minutes of typing, ten minutes of drawing, of painting, molding, assembling, etc.
Here are some examples an art. It could be an article, a poem, a song, a drawing, a paint by number, a coloring book, a stick figure comic panel, assembling an art kit, a sketch, making a snowflake, carving.
The idea is to channel something that was a thought, a potential into something concrete. I have pencils, I have paint, I have paper, I have wires and microcontrollers, I have a text editor, a code editor, a keyboard, laser cut art kit, fold-n-glue paper kit, popsicle sticks and hot glue, pieces of wood and carving tools, and a head filled with ideas. These are all filled with so much potential but without the act of creation that is all they ever will be.
There is some safety in leaving them as potential. A piece of paper has infinite possibilities, it is a blank slate waiting to be imprinted with a masterpiece. A block of wood could be carved to reveal any sculpture. And there is risk in spending that potential, once drawn a picture can be judged, criticized, just as much as it can appreciated. Every piece whittled from a block of wood can’t be glued back. I have more thoughts that I’d like to share in a different article.
As for creating an art a day. This is my first day. I’m going to create an art every day for the rest of January and hopefully for even longer. I’m hoping that it will help create time for art in my life. That I can hone my abilities to create, be creative and do more than just consume.