#PleinAirpril 2025

I have started a daily creative challenge I learned about last year on YouTube. The plan is to be outside daily and to create (generally a painting) something. Many of the creations are quite epic displays of time and talent. Most are shared on Instagram with a handful of folks on other platforms.

This is a 30-day challenge. My history with challenges says that after 10-12-days I tend to stop. This one, I have made it 13-days and don't feel this stress I normally have. Why?

What I learned doing other creativity challenges is that you can bend the rules a bit to suit your needs. Being flexible is part of the process of creating something. Use the basic concept and just enjoy yourself.

What is working so far...

1. I am using my "Suck Less" sketchbook. It is a $9.99 sketchbook and is not precious. I am also using what ever media I have as long as ink and watercolor makes up some part of the sketch. This is a shift because initially it was just ink and wash, but then I forgot ink and watercolor one day and used what I had handy and it was this huge feeling of relief (it is perfectly fine to adapt).
2. I am looking for sparks of joy, not full landscapes. These sparks of joy are where ever I am and are outside. So far this has included dandelions in the cracks of the paving behind a restaurant and the first completely green lawn I spied this spring... surrounding a shed with mailboxes in a condominium unit. Yes, this is a man made landscape and maybe not nature, but the startling green in a sea of greys and browns was something I needed that day.
3. They are sketches. I am not expecting perfection because I am trying to suck less at ink/wash sketching, find and document joy in my everyday, never gave a rat's arse what others think about my amateur scribbles, no need to worry about that now. Sharing is more about me documenting joy than pretending I am perfect.
4. I share once or twice a week, not daily. BOY does that take the pressure off. The anxiety that builds is too much to do daily.
5. If it is raining, cold, miserable or I don't feel great/am in pain... it's ok to being in a car while I create. I can also do the initial scribbles to get the feeling of the sketch down and finish at home after a photo or two is taken.

I made a Playlist for the PleinAirpril 2025 videos.