From the Getting Started Series
Art Challenge
Time At least 15 minutes
You Need At least 2 sheets of paper (one for cutting and one as a background), drawing tool, scissors, glue stick (optional)
What to do
Your ultimate goal is to design a castle, but don’t draw the whole thing yet!
- Start by cutting simple shapes you might use for the roof, towers, walls, etc. of your castle.
- Cut at least 10 shapes (more than you think you’ll need. You won’t use all of them.)
- No need to get complicated. Super basic shapes (squares, triangles, half circles) will work fine for this!
- Don’t worry about how they’ll go together yet. The point is to just start collecting pieces to work with.
- Mix and match pieces to start arranging your castle. Try a few options.
- Cut any additional shapes you feel you need or revise shapes if you want as your vision starts coming together.
- Optional: Glue your final castle together!
- Optional: Add details like doors, windows, patterns, etc.
- Optional (and awesome) Post your sketch on Instagram with #makeartlifecastle so we can enjoy it!
Reflection
- How easy was it to start the first step of cutting shapes? Would it have been as easy if you were just told to design a castle?
- What was it like to design your castle once you had lots of options to pull from?
- How many different ideas did you try? Did you discover other castle options you hadn’t imagined when first thinking of possible castles?
This Getting Started challenge offers two strategies for overcoming common obstacles that get in the way of starting. First, it highlights the benefit of not worrying about exactly how everything will turn out. Instead of figuring out what your whole castle will look like from the start, all you’re asked to do is cut some shapes. This simple, low-risk first step makes it easier to dive in and build creative momentum.
Second, the ability to mix-and-match means you don’t have to make a commitment to one idea right away, so you’re less likely to be held back by fears that your idea isn’t “good enough”. The mix-and-match element also supports more creative outcomes by making it easy to explore second, third, or fourth ideas, which are often more exciting and interesting than our first ones.
Life Challenge
Think about one or more projects you’ve been putting off (throwing a dinner party, rearranging your living room, creating a presentation, whatever!) Challenge yourself to get started!
If it’s helpful, try the castle strategy
- Break your project down into smaller components (parts of the meal, beginning-middle-end, top-center-bottom, shapes, colors, etc.)
- Start collecting potential options for each part. These can be images, words, actual objects, whatever works.
- Remember not to worry too much about if or how you’ll use everything you’re collecting.