Recently, I finished my first term taking art classes at the local community college. It was the first time I had taken art classes in almost 10 years. I learned a lot, about color theory, the elements of design, etc. However, my most important takeaway had more to do with planning than art specifically: setting an appropriate scope.
Whenever I start a personal project, especially creative projects, the combination of perfectionism and lofty goals is lethal. Even when I start small, the ideas will snowball and before I know it, I feel like my abilities will never live up to the version I have in my head. I couldn’t do that with my school projects. There simply wasn’t enough time and the scope of the assignments was too small. It was perfect. I could finally create finished projects that I felt proud of. But once the term was over, I stopped finishing work again.
I was binge watching YouTube videos on the creative process instead of creating (classic) and a trend emerged. It’s not a novel idea, in fact I know I have been given the advice by a teacher before, but it hadn’t resonated like it does now.
Work. Small.
Making Films in Less than a Week - The benefits, Toniko Pantoja
Above are the two videos that cover the benefits of short-term, small-scope projects really well. I think the pure joy that these creators express from finishing their tiny projects has me sold. I want to make tiny things!
Loneliness Kills Art, JayTheDevGuy
Right around the time I learned about the indie web, I watched the video above by JayTheDevGuy. It helped shape my decision to start a website and blog. There are also some good points on scope and feedback. So, if I’m going to make tiny things, I should share them on this tiny website, too.
So consider this post the official ribbon cutting ceremony for Lil’Bug’s Tiny Projects Garden!
This now empty space will soon hold all the tiny projects I do to learn new skills and keep my creativity alive! Come back later to see it bloom!