JFJ Big Idea Challenge - Day 16: Exploration

How can we be explorers in our own lives? How can we bring in more curiosity and find new ideas, places, and things to explore?

It might be part of human nature to explore and seek out new adventures, and we can learn so much about the world and about ourselves. We fly across oceans in search of excitement, and we seek out new experiences in our own neighborhoods. Then sometimes we feel very comfortable sitting on the couch safe at home. Seeking new adventures and exploring new territory can spark our curiosity and lead us to places and experiences that we could never imagine. We don’t have to seek adventure in far off lands. We can be adventurers in the places we live, and we can explore ideas, materials, and technique in the art that we make. Being an explorer is about having a mindset to walk a new or different path.

Take time to be an explorer today. Check out a new place in town, or try something new with your art. Open yourself to curiosity and let yourself explore a new idea, a new material, or a new experience. Go boldly where you have not gone before.

Keep those social media posts coming. It’s always great to see what others are doing. #jfjbigideas or #jfj16

JFJ Big Idea Challenge - Day 15: Risk

How do we feel about taking risks? How can we open ourselves to allowing more risk into our lives?

Some people are very open to taking risks, and some others would rather play it safe. Either way, inviting a little bit of risk into our lives and into our ways of working can open us in surprising and unexpected ways. We might not be willing to take a life changing or a death defying risk, but we can find small ways to push ourselves out of our comfort zones. Taking leaps in our lives and in our art might seem scary, but they can break us out of old habits and give us a chance to grow and evolve.

Explore the idea of risk today as you work. Open yourself up to taking risks in your artmaking, and try something new or something unpredictable. Respond to your willingness to take risks, or react to the idea in general. Allow the notion of risk to spark ideas.

If you want to share, remember to use the hashtags on social media. #jfjbigideas or #jfj16

JFJ Big Idea Challenge - Day 14: Play

How do we make time to play? How can we make play a bigger part of our lives?

Play is not just for children. We all need time to let go and have a little fun. We learn and experiment through play, and we can rejuvenate ourselves with play. In our art we can play with ideas, or we can play with our materials trying out various methods and techniques. We can play with our children or play with our pets. We can play games, and we can play and act silly. So, let’s let loose a bit, and allow ourselves to have some fun.

Spend time today playing and see where it can take you with your artmaking.

If you're posting online or on social media, use those hashtags so that others can see what you're doing. #jfjbigideas or #jfj16

JFJ Big Idea Challenge - Day 13: Work

Are we doing our life’s work? Is our work fulfilling and meaningful? What work lies ahead of us?

Work is a huge chunk of our lives. We work to make money and support ourselves and our families. We work around the house and in the yard. We work to help friends out, and often our recreational activities require a lot of work and effort. With work being such a part of our lives, it is often a good idea to stop and ponder the work that we are doing and reflect on whether that work resonates with who we are and how we see ourselves.

Take time today to ponder the work that you do in your life. Is your work meaningful and fulfilling? Are you doing the work that you want to do? What work is there left to do?

Keep those online and social media posts coming, and remember to use those hashtags as you share. #jfjbigideas or #jfj16

JFJ Big Idea Challenge - Day 12: Balance

How do we find balance? How do we react when we are out of balance?

It seems so easy for our lives to swing out of balance in our contemporary times. So many things vie and compete for our attention that we can easily run ourselves ragged. Finding time to readjust and swing the internal pendulum back to center is a vital task. How we balance work, family, and all of those other obligations is of utmost importance in what can be a hectic world.

Spend some time today contemplating how balanced you and your life are. Reflect on what knocks you out of balance, or respond to what brings you back to center. Allow the idea of balance to spark your imagination and see where it takes you.

Remember that if you're posting online or on social media, use those hashtags. #jfjbigideas or #jfj16

JFJ Big Idea Challenge - Day 11: Home

Where do we call home? When do we feel most at home?

Home is more than a physical place. It can be a feeling - a feeling of belonging, a feeling of ease, a feeling of being cared about and being cared for. Home is also more than a structure with walls, roof, windows, and doors. Many of us feel at home in the woods, or in the city, or in a particular situation. For many home is a place of sanctuary, but for many others home is place of turmoil and turbulence. Home can conjure up many memories of childhood, or it can conjure notions for our lives in the future.

Allow the idea of home to guide you in your creative endeavors today. Think about where you consider home or where you feel most at home, and respond in any way that feels right to you. Remember that there is no right way to respond, and allow the idea to be a spark.

If you're posting online or on social media, use those hashtags so that others can find and see what you're doing. #jfjbigideas or #jfj16

JFJ Big Idea Challenge - Day 10: Fear

What are our deepest or recurring fears? How can we confront and overcome those lingering or overwhelming fears?

Fear is an inevitable part of being alive, and we may find that there are many things that bring us fear. Some of those fears are normal and understandable, and some are overwhelming and irrational. We might be afraid of the dark, afraid of being alone, or afraid of creepy crawlies. We may fear our weaknesses or fear another’s power, or we may fear doing something new or being stuck in a rut. We can deal with fear by letting it paralyze us, or we can confront it and see if there is a way to move forward.

Take a few moments to think about fear in your life. You might want to consider the role that fear has, or you might want to confront those specific fears that pop up and keep you from moving forward. You can ponder how you deal with and overcome your fears, or you can explore fear in very general terms. Respond to the idea of fear in a way that seems appropriate to you. 

Don’t forget those hashtags if you're posting online or on social media! #jfjbigideas or #jfj16

JFJ Big Idea Challenge - Day 9: Hope

What are our deepest and most sincere hopes? How can we pursue those hopes and follow our dreams?

Hope can keep us going even through the darkest of times. Hope gives us a glimmer of light during times of struggle and stress, and when we feel defeated and overwhelmed, hope can lift us up and carry us forward. Our hopes are our brightest aspirations for the future and our brightest wishes for a better tomorrow.

Spend some time reflecting on your hopes and dreams. You might list all of your hopes, or you might focus on your deepest and most specific wish for your future. You might even consider the actions you need to take in order to fulfill these hopes. Just let the idea of hope guide you as you work.

Make sure to use those hashtags if you're posting online or on social media! #jfjbigideas or #jfj16

JFJ Big Idea Challenge - Day 8: Connection

How do we connect to ourselves? How do we connect to others? How do we connect to the places that we inhabit?

Everything is connected. Nothing is separate or completely isolated, though at times it might feel that way. If we look closely, we will find that we are connected to so many things in so many different ways. We have family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. We are connected to our homes, our jobs, and the places that we move through on a daily basis or visit occasionally. We feel drawn to certain people, specific ideas, and special places.

Take time today to explore the connections that you have in your life. You might want to focus on a very special connection, or you might want to think about the vast number of connections that you have in your life. Draw, paint, photograph, or write about those connections in any way that you feel is appropriate.

If you share via those social media outlets, don’t forget the hashtags #jfjbigideas or #jfj16.

JFJ Big Idea Challenge - Day 7: Growth

How have we grown over the past year, over the past ten, or over our lifetime? How does the world around us grow?

Growth is the process of life. We are born, and we grow. We are children, and then we grow into adults. Plants and animals all grow. They live and they die. Even communities can grow as people and businesses move to an area. But growth isn't just a physical phenomenon. We can grow emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. We mature and hopefully gain insight and wisdom into our lives.

Take time today to ponder how you, your children, your pets, or your community have grown. Focus on growth as a general process, or delve into the personal ways you have grown. Remember that there is no right or wrong way to respond. Just allow the idea of growth be the spark for exploration.

Don’t forget those hashtags #jfjbigideas or #jfj16 if your sharing online.