The 2019 Polymer Clay Challenge will begin shortly on January 1st, 2019! Last year’s 2018 Polymer Clay Challenge was a success for everyone who tried to complete the entire year. Even more people were able to successfully able to complete all 52 weeks of the challenge! Unfortunately this year, I was not one of them that was able to complete the challenge. I was able to successfully complete 47 of the 52 weeks, which is 7 more than the previous year. So yay for me for completing more weeks than last year.
But … as I encourage EACH of those that participate, do not beat yourself up over this. Remember the goal of this project is that you continue to grow and that by the end of the year you find yourself being more creative, working harder toward your goals and most importantly seeing your work get better and better with each passing year. The purchase of this project is to make sure that each polymer artist is just to keep pushing on and creating. As usual, I will attempt again in 2019 to complete the challenge. And if you didn’t get to complete it, barely got started, or just stumbled upon this post today. Now’s your chance to come and join us!
What Is the 2019 Polymer Clay Challenge?
I have been hosting the Polymer Clay Challenge for 6 years now. The Polymer Clay Challenge is first and foremost a commitment. It is a commitment by YOU the clayer that you will work with polymer clay and try to complete no less than one item per week. Why would we do such a thing? Why not more and why not less? More is great but can strain our creativity and cause burnout in many people. One item a week turns out to be just 52 items a year and not too hard for most of us to handle and for most does not cause burnout.
Look at it this way: What happens when you dedicate just one year to your craft? As a general rule of thumb, not only do you become more proficient & skilled as an artist, but you learn what you like and what you don’t like, as well as what makes you happy! If you work with polymer clay as your main medium, I challenge you in 2019 to join us! All you have to do is to start and finish one project a week. Last year (2018) a group of talented and inspired polymer clay artists joined together and committed to making no less than one polymer clay item a week. (Come see what we created in the FaceBook Group). Many succeeded and many finished, honed their talents, tried new things, and as a result GREW in their love for polymer clay. Even if they didn’t complete all 52 weeks, they completed more weeks than if they hadn’t entered the challenge at all.
How to Pick Your Challenge Theme:
Your challenge theme can be whatever you’d like it to be. Themes in the past have ranged from jewelry components, sculpted items, buttons, canes, even your polymer clay “bucket list.” Is there something you’ve always aspired to do? Is there something you’ve seen and thought, I want to learn how to do that! Is there an artist whose work you admire and want to grow toward their level of professionalism? Do you not yet know what you love in polymer and you’re still trying to find out. That’s what the next 52 weeks are for. Try everything. Discover what you love. You never know where you might land and what you might find out that you truly love.
The Nuts & Bolts:
As usual, this project is a free endeavor and comes to you at no cost. Because it is free and in trying to keep it free, it is hosted through a free Facebook group. Join the FaceBook group and post your weekly photos in the corresponding album for the year or add them to the wall so we can all appreciate your hard work.
If you have your own website, I do strongly encourage you to have your own 2019 polymer clay challenge gallery, post or photo album there where people can link to and see just your work if they’d like to. If you do not have a website, Flickr is a great free photo sharing site as well.
Sculpt your dreams,
