Daily Passion Project

“Nothing is a mistake. There’s no win and no fail. There’s only make. “

Sister Corita Kent

BRIEF

This project is selfish in a good way and all about you. We are taking the client out of the equation. It is a chance for you to be motivated to create something everyday through self-authorship. You will choose a theme and execute something according to that theme each day for 20 weekdays (25 if you want to include weekends)

What Approach?

You could choose something that you are already good at and try to flex those muscles more in your portfolio. Or this could be a chance to challenge yourself to learn something completely new or improve upon a self-determined weakness in your work.

What Theme?

This is a chance to demonstrate more of your personality in your work and/or find a gap in your work. It could be anything from creating illustrations, vector icons, data visualizations and photoshop comps to animations, video, motion, or photography. Maybe you want to learn Processing to make visuals, or learn how to create 3D objects in Blender or Cinema 4D?

What Content?

The content itself should reflect your own interests. If this became a portfolio piece, what do you want people to know about you? It could be anything, including cooking, poetry, skateboarding, video games, music, long walks on the beach, whatever floats your boat. Play and experimentation is encouraged. Most importantly, you need to enjoy it and be passionate about it, so it doesn’t become a burden.

Considerations

Make sure it is realistic for your time commitment and current skill level, but also don’t shy away from a challenge. It’s about finding the right balance.

Make sure it is flexible on when and how you can create it everyday.

Add some creative constraints. For example a pre-determined consistent artboard size and color palette.

If it is something new, see if you can find some beginner level tutorials that are short and easy to follow and complete.

In the days leading up to starting the daily execution, you can collect tutorials/resources, inspiration, ideas, and even do a practice run to make sure it doesn’t take too long.

Share your work each day. This will help keep you accountable and on track. It will also give you exposure and possible feedback.

If you are having a tough time deciding on what to do, you can look to online community challenges or collaborate/challenge with each other.

Reflection

Daily effort leads to mastery.

Stop comparing yourself to others.

Do the work that feeds your soul, not your ego.

Be the 1% of people who create content. (Creator 1%, Contributor 9%, Lurker 90%) (from Internet Culture)

* Considerations and Reflections pulled from a talk by Tiantian Xu, Product Designer, Oculus VR, who has participated in the #the100dayproject multiple times. Here is that Presentation.

EXAMPLES

Student Examples:

Last Year Student Examples

Out in the World Examples:

OBJECTIVES/EVALUATION

  • Focus on self-expression
  • Originality and creativity of theme
  • Depth of experimentation/challenge
  • Quality of execution and/or growth of practiced skills
  • Maintaining consistency of theme and effort
  • Time management/Keeping up with daily post

SCHEDULE

Jan 4: Introduced to the Daily Passion Project

homework: brainstorm 3 approaches, themes, concepts, look at examples

Jan 6: Pitch 3 ideas for Daily Passion Project in class

homework: decide on your daily exercise and self-imposed constraints. Also prepare yourself by collecting tutorials/resources, inspiration, ideas, and even do a practice run to make sure it doesn’t take too long.

MONDAY, Jan 10: Start Daily Passion Project

homework: During the weekdays, post daily updates to Instagram (if you have it) and to the #DailyPassion Slack Channel. This will help keep you accountable and show your progress.

FRIDAY, Feb 4: Last Day of Daily Passion Project! (20 weekdays later! or 25 days later with weekends!)

TUESDAY, Feb 8: Turn in an appropriate file type that displays in grid format your 20-25 daily executions. Present to the class. Reflect on the process.

DELIVERABLES

Daily Deliverable: Upload your daily execution in an appropriate file format to Instagram and the #DailyPassion Slack Channel for all 20 weekdays (or 25 days with weekends) between Mon, Jan 10 and Fri, Feb 4.

Final Deliverable: Turn in a comprehensive grid layout of all daily executions in an appropriate file type. For example – if it is print, then a PDF could work, if it is motion/video/animation, then a mp4 or gif could work? Size of the artwork will determine the size of the grid layout.

Note: you could plan ahead and keep adding to this file as you go and have it help determine your sizing?