"The primary benefit of practicing any art, whether well or badly, is that it enables one's soul to grow." ~ Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
In addition to the spooky season and the upcoming explosion of color and culture that is DÃa de los Muertos, many artists are enjoying the annual Inktober event this month. In 2009, an Arizona illustrator created the challenge to personally improve both his drawing skills and habits, and it has since inspired thousands around the world to join in each October.
Artists are encouraged to ink a drawing each day of the month and, if so inclined, post it on social media accounts with the hashtag #Inktober. A loose theme is provided every year with daily prompts to guide your illustration according to your interpretation. This year is leaning into outdoor adventures. There is also an alternative challenge called Inktober52, which calls for one drawing a week throughout the year – perfect for those who feel pressured or unable to draw daily.
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| On day 1 of Inktober, the prompt was "backpack." I created it with Micron pens and Midliner markers. |
Why Challenge Yourself?
This high-profile art challenge is nearing its conclusion for 2024, but it is far from the only one out there, and ink is certainly not the only featured medium. Are you ready to challenge yourself and your artistic practice?
As any creative knows, we sometimes get stuck in different versions of writer's block. The blank page of the sketchbook stares back, waiting to see what you've got. If inspiration is taking the day off, a structured art challenge provides the perfect daily nudge to pick up the pencil, marker, or paintbrush and MAKE something. It's sort of like truth or dares for your muse.
Integral to the word challenge is the desire to push yourself and get out of your comfort zone. For many, that means simply creating anything every day for a month, but for others, it could mean promoting personal growth in the craft by making art with an alternative mindset. A few specific challenges that can achieve such a shift might include:
- Use a tool or medium outside your wheelhouse.
- Limit your palette to one or two colors.
- Quick daily sketches of people when botanicals are usually your thing.
- Draw only what's in the room with you.
- Use your non-dominant hand.
- Render the same image but in multiple styles – abstract, cartoonish, realism, etc.
Whether finding an established challenge online (see below for examples) or creating your own, artists can find value in the practice. This is especially true for those who may not be able to afford art classes or formal study but wish to hone their skills on a self-imposed schedule.
The Perks and Pitfalls of Art Challenges
If you're up for an art challenge, you can discover plenty of benefits in addition to escaping your comfort zone. While drawing and painting may be solitary activities for many of us, a challenge opens up a creative community and maybe some much-needed structure. Here are seven key perks of joining an online challenge:
Create habits. As with any routine task, it takes time and consistency to become ingrained as a habit.
Be accountable. It's easy to procrastinate if you have zero accountability, but posting in a community on a schedule keeps you honest.
Improve your skills. Look at the first and last days of a challenge, and you'll see progress.
Be productive. Making more art is great for building a portfolio of work or developing your personal style.
Learn from others. In a themed challenge, you can see what other people are doing, learn new techniques, or gain new ideas.
Share your work. Most challenges involve posting on platforms like Instagram, which offers a safe space to show your art and join the virtual community.
Have fun! Above all else, enjoy the process and the challenge.
Once you've joined a challenge and shared your drawings, a common pitfall among artists should be avoided: the challenge to avoid comparison. We can learn from others' work without reflexively holding it up to ourselves. Everyone has a different perspective, and art is ultimately subjective.
As in any creative setting or classroom: admire, aspire, don't compare.
Are You Up for the Challenge?
Just because Inktober is winding down, there is no lack of art challenges, so grab your favorite medium and tools and check these out.
Doodlewash provides monthly watercolor and sketch challenges with prompts each day.
Similarly, Tinkerlab shares daily prompts to spark the imagination throughout the calendar.
Kick in the Creatives has an abstract art April challenge, among others, each month.
Search for or create your own hashtag, such as #DoodlingDecember.
I love this one: draw and share a unicorn every day in June for #junicorn!
If you prefer mixed media, you can find artists like Marianne Burger, who does her October collage challenge.
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| #Collagetober on Instagram |
Just let Google or Instagram lead you to the right prompts and inspiration for your creative challenge – or make your own rules! And if you're a local Art Verve Meetup community member, watch for upcoming art challenges incorporated with our in-person events.
Consider yourself challenged.
