ICAD 2018 - Warm-Ups

I have always been torn between wanting to 'do art' and the deep fear of 'doing it wrong' or 'not good enough' or using the wrong materials, or using materials wrongly. My early life conditioned me to feel the need to do things right in the hope of approval, but I never managed to quell my co-existing need for self-expression. So in my quests for artistic expression, and for fearlessness (my WOTY, Word of the Year, a thing that's a bit like a new year's resolution, but less definitive) I have signed up for a funny little art prompt challenge called ICAD.

You can find the details at Daisy Yellow Art, but the main idea is:

This is not an art competition.
It's a creative challenge.
Can you create something on
an index card every day
for 61 days? I bet you can.

We are working on a cheap office material - index cards - and it is to be regarded as play, as expression, not serious art. My aim is to use this challenge to loosen up a bit, to move towards fearlessness in art and craft.

Already I am feeling my urge for self-expression competing with my desire to follow instructions Each week has a materials based theme, and 7 prompts around a topic. As the prompts for the first week are things that I actually dislike (fairground things), I know I'm not going to follow the prompts every time. The materials themes, probably, but the prompts may or may not be used.

Leading up to the start date - tomorrow, June 1st - we have been given warm up exercises.  My desire for perfection has been forcibly challenged so far by an unexpected spanner in the works - my reading glasses have been sent off to have the lenses replaced with my updated prescription! So I'm working, if not exactly blind, certainly with slightly blurred vision and accompanying headaches and sore eyes. Still, I have been working on them. As the challenge goes on, I will try to post what I've been doing about once a week. But to start, here are my warm-ups.

1. Mix a colour or snap a colour. Name that colour.

2. Do a puzzle.


3. Write a Top 10 list of - anything.

4. Test 17 pens / writing devices.


5. Create a rainbow with words, collage, paint, ink etc.


6. Doodle or draw your name.


7. Post one of your favourite ICADs from a previous year. Obviously I couldn't do that as it is my first year, but the following was a pre-warm-up warm-up that I did when I first read about the ICAD challenge.


8. Sing out loud to a (...fill in the blank...) tune. Document the the song name on an index card.


9. Set up a small creative space. Well, it started out as a small space at one end of the table but grew.


10. Draw a map of anything.  Hmmm - not really a map - but it is to remind me that the walk from my house is not very far from my craft room!


11. Create a collage with 3 colours and 3 words.


12. Make a title card.



It's fun. It's easy. It's uncomplicated. I'm trying not to judge these 15 - 20 minute dabblings. I'm trying to just enjoy playing with different materials.