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Writer's pictureKadira

5 Day Challenge

If you have read any of Julia Cameron’s work, you will have come across one of her creativity staples, which is walking regularly. Now there are walks, and then there are conscious walks. So what I’m talking about here are conscious walks. So how often and for how long?

Well my challenge to you this week is to take a half hour walk every day.


DAY ONE:

Set aside 30-45 minutes minimum each day to do this.

• I want you to leave your smart phone, camera, iPad/pods etc at home. NO technology.

• Notice everything around you, smells, the light, shadows, time of day, textures, sounds, colours.

• Is a place you’ve walked before and found boring?

• Can you find something new there?

• What stands out most for you on this walk?

• So walk for 15 minutes and then turn around and walk back.

• Do you notice different things on your return journey?

• Once you return, get out your art journal and make notes on everything you saw on your walk, that you remember. This is also another way of strengthening your memory, something I spoke about in a previous blog post.

• Add drawings if you feel so inclined.


DAY TWO:

• Repeat the exercise from day one, however this time take your camera or smartphone.

• Walk the same place you did the previous day.

• You might consider choosing a particular colour to look out for.

• Think about what you like or dislike about the area. If you dislike it for some reason, try and find something to like. It might be something like a shadow cast on an iron fence…..

• Once again, when you return, get out your art journal and make notes on everything you saw on your walk, print out the best photos you took and paste them in your journal.

• How many things did you find of your chosen colour?

• Compare the results from day one and two.

• What similarities can you find? What differences?





DAY THREE:

• Today walk to a different place. Again following instructions for Day One, leaving your technology behind. Rely on your memory.

• This time be very conscious of the space you are in. feel your relationship to your environment. Does it dwarf you? Are you comfortable in it?

• How do you feel. Use all your senses. Pick up 5 objects while you are out, to take back home with you.

• On your return, get out your art journal and make notes on everything you saw on your walk. Put down your 5 objects and really look at them. Write about what you notice about them, why you think you chose them. There are no right or wrong answered here.




DAY FOUR:

• Repeat the exercise from Day Two, taking your camera or smartphone with you again.

• Walk the same place you did the previous day. Photograph the things that stood out for you yesterday.

• Now you have a camera in your hands, are you looking at the world differently? What else do you now notice, that you didn’t before?

• Once again, when you return, get out your art journal and make notes on everything you saw on your walk, print out the best photos you took and paste them in your journal.

• Compare your notes for all four days. What do you notice? Are there any patterns/ similarities emerging?

DAY FIVE:

• Today you are going to take both your camera and your art journal, pencil and or pen with you on your walk.

• Go to an entirely new place today and keep walking until you find something that really piques your interest.

• Make a couple of quick sketches in your journal and then photograph it from different angles.

• What are you noticing? What stands out for you, is it colour, lines, angles, values, shapes, texture etc……

• Then journal about how the week's experience was for you. Did you learn anything new?


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