076: On Challenging Yourself
Wherein we discuss the dangers & benefits of Art Challenges
‘Tis the season… it’s time to decide if you’re going to do one of those crazy October drawing challenges.
Of course, we are cooking up PROMPTOBER again here, (more on that in a second) but there are several others to choose from. Most artists are familiar with Inktober (even though most don’t know it’s been surrounded by controversy ) There’s also DRAWTOBER . Some artists go one further and mash-up the few lists, which is fun!
The DANGERS of Art Challenges…
A shocking thing we learned last year was something like 80% of artists fail at following through with challenges. And more shocking are the number of artists who actually quit drawing for YEARS because they they feel like they failed during Inktober.
I talked to three different artists last year with very similar stories of quitting in October because they failed at Inktober about 1 week in.
One artist said they just felt like after seeing all the amazing art that was tagged, they were embarrassed to even take part or show any of their work.
The other artist who did Promptober last year said they hadn’t drawn in two years after quitting during INktober.
The last artist told me they were feeling good until some cruel comments came in on their art. And not just any old comments, cruel comments from other artists!
I can’t even imagine being an artist who is trashing someone else’s art online. Why?!
We want PROMPTOBER to hit a bit different this year.
If you’ve learned anything from reading or following Draw or Die this past year, I hope that it’s the idea that WE (as artists and humans) are ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
“This” being this life and journey we are on as artists.
There are so many artists out there who don’t have a positive support system or network around them. And they are on the verge of quitting. Not just their art… but everything. You know?
My big wish is that YOU carry this spirit of the Draw or Die brand. Beyond just drawing your own art, I encourage you to seek out NEW artists this year, give them a follow, a nice comment, send them a DM. Show some support! Make a connection. Make a new art friend.
Last year in our first Promptober challenge, we saw so many of you form friendships and build a true community. We want to strengthen that even further this year.
Will you join us this year in this mission?
Our PROMPTOBER 2023 GAMEPLAN!
So here’s the scoop on some fun things for this year’s PROMPTOBER by Draw or Die Co.
YES we will have daily narrative Prompts! Here’s the first official week:
We will release the rest of the weeks this month. Stay tuned!
AND it’s not too late to get your prompt suggestions in. Drop them in a comment on the youtube video here.
THIS YEAR’S PRIZE SPONSORS!
So far we have the following brands locked in to provide prizes:
We expect even more brands to confirm soon and we’ll announce as we lead up to the launch. We’ll also showcase the prizes soon.
This year we’ll have some prizes to give away at the very end, AND we’ll have some day prizes, meaning even if you only draw on that day you can be in for that special prize. In week one if you draw on Oct 7th, you’re in the running for a FERRULE Pencil Set by Makers Cabinet!
(Field Notes is locking in Friday the 13th special prize!)
HOW TO TAKE PART?
Draw and post that day’s prompt and post to the social media of your choice.
TAG @DRAWORDIE.CO and #PROMPTOBER on all your official entries
Complete the form released at the end of the month by midnight Nov 3rd to be eligible for the prize giveaways.
WEEKLY LIVESTREAMS!
We’ll be going live every Sunday in October at noon EST on our Youtube Channel with some live drawing of the prompts AND some special giveaways. It’s going to be fun, be sure you’re subscribed over there so you don’t miss any surprises!
THE DAILY DRAWING CLUB SECRET CHALLENGE!
There will be a few extra special prizes for our DAILY DRAWING CLUB MEMBERS who draw every day in October. But only the daily drawing club members will know what those specific details are. Membership has it’s privileges 😉
Our daily drawing club is $5 a month and helps support this club!
🎃 MERCH DROP!
The Promptober 2023 shirt and sticker are ready! - Get em while ya can!
OKAY, that’s all for now!
I don’t want the weekly newsletter to be completely overrun by Promptober hype, but I’m stoked to get this thing going and it’s a lot of work behind the scenes.
I hope many of you will take part! If not for the prizes, but just to challenge yourselves in some way, and to build our community for artists even stronger!
🔥This Week’s Drawing CHALLENGE!
This week’s drawing prompt is:
“CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!”
Be sure to tag #drawordieclub on the platform of your choice so we can all find each other (we’re mostly on instagram) Maybe we’ll feature your art in future livestreams and content!
Stay encouraged out there, and draw every day!!!
☠️ Draw or Die MERCH!
✏️ DIGITAL TOOLS FOR ARTISTS: Custom Brushes, Templates & Prompts
▶️ DRAW or DIE on YOUTUBE (Tutorials & more)
Oof. The Inktober hangover is real. I kept drawing for a little while after my full 31 day stint in 2019 but was never the same 😂 I definitely gave up drawing for awhile soon thereafter. In the same vein as your Creator Compass, it’s crucial to determine your valiant goal... Your sincere why. “To complete something grueling” is a recipe for burnout (I’ve been such a glutton for punishment!) “To get discovered” makes my heart hurt. Success is contingent on others. But “To get better at drawing [people/architecture/food/cats/etc]” would be more sustainable, helpful, and satisfying. I’m still on the fence about joining, but reframing the month in this way eases the “trauma” a bit.