40 = Creative Every Day

Hmm . . . It's an hour past midnight on March 8, 2011, and I am now officially 40 years old. I've approached this date for the past several months, weeks, days by alternating between feeling horrified (God, I'm so old!) and pretty blase about the whole thing (eh, whatever). Either way, for a few weeks now I've felt like I needed to shake things up a bit, step out of my very cozy comfort zone, and do something. Something else. Something different. Something scary. Something fun. I just wasn't sure what the something would be yet.

Just a few days ago, I stumbled on a blog called The B-Roll. It officially kicked off on March 8, 2010 and chronicles one man's journey from birthday to birthday with one goal in mind: "Do something creative at least once a day and document it." I was tickled that he and I share a birthday (alas, I am older than he) and that he has spent the last 365 days doing something creative or even trying something new each day. Perhaps it wasn't an accident that I discovered Charlie's blog.

This challenge led me to Creative Every Day. For almost 3 years, blogger Leah has hosted the Creative Every Day Challenge, complete with optional monthly themes for inspiration. Participants sign up and post the results of their creative endeavors. Exactly the kind of semi-organized nudging I need.

So I am stealing a page from both of these amazingly creative people, and in honor of turning 40 years old, I am launching my own 365 Days of Creativity! And I'm telling everyone right now--I will not be blogging daily about it. (You know me, that would admitting defeat before the whole thing even begins!) I will commit to updating weekly what I have been doing creatively every day!

Obviously, creativity can be defined in so many ways. That's what makes this challenge so difficult and easy at the same time. I have no idea, at 1 1/2 hours into my 41st year, what forms my own creativity will take or where this challenge will lead me. I don't care; the journey will be interesting enough!

"Be an everyday creative, be creative every day."
~ Creative Every Day blog