I'm so excited kick things off! This is a bit of a long post since it's the first one :) Feel free to use the headers to find what you need: January Prompt Card, Envision & Express, This Month's Extra: Digital Art Download, and January CSC Playlist.

I also wanted to share a few things before we dive in:

• If you'd like more info / FAQs on what the Creative Spark Challenge is all about (like who it's for and what materials you need), you can learn more in this blog post
  
  
• The challenge is to create 1 piece of art a month. I thought it was doable and we can build on the momentum. It doesn't have to be fancy like a finished canvas painting! It can be doodles, a quick sketch, a finished sketchbook or bullet journal page. If you feel inspired and have time, feel free to make more than 1 piece!
  
  
• My intention with this challenge is not to tell you what to do. What you won't find here is: January - draw flowers, February - paint landscapes, etc.  I do share different tutorials that may relate to the month's prompts but it's up to you if you want to do try them. I want to cultivate the habit of following your intuition, imagination, and curiosity, to be guided by what you feel drawn to, and to enjoy your unique process when it comes to interpreting prompts!
  
  
• I purposefully don't include too many visuals in the ideas and inspiration I share--I feel like sometimes they can influence us and I'd really like for us to look inwards and what we find there.
  
  
• Consider other mediums that you don't normally work with. If you typically use watercolor, try collage some time! If you've never used acrylic paints, this is a great time to try! What you do for each prompt can be completely different, it doesn't have to be consistent or have the same style.
  
  
• Here are 10 suggestions and tips when using prompts for your creative practice that you might find helpful.
  
  
• I'll be working in my sketchbook for this challenge--I like that I always know what my canvas will be like (it'll be paper, the texture and size of it) and it's all neatly bound together! You can use any type of canvas you'd like. If you're feeling crafty you can even make your own sketchbook and use it specifically for this challenge :) 
  
  
• There is NO pressure at all to share on social media, please do what feels comfortable for you. If you will be posting, I'd love for you to tag me @atiliay so I see it and share it! If you're using Instagram, please add the hashtag #creativesparkchallenge. If you don't have / don't want to share on social media, you can always email me (hi.atiliay@gmail.com), I'd love to see what you're working on!
  
  
• Another place you can share is on our January Zoom Call! It'll be on Saturday, January 26th at 1PM PST! You can RSVP throughout the month here.
  
  
• Lastly, if you enjoy this first challenge post, please share this challenge with someone who you think might like it and help spread the word. You can forward the newsletter and there's a link to sign up in it. That would be the best way to support my work and I would be so appreciative! :)

JANUARY PROMPT CARD

ENVISION & EXPRESS

Here are some ideas and inspiration to help you get started! If you're having some decision fatigue, the number in the spark symbol on the prompt card can help: use the text prompt that coordinates with that number which would be natural.

UNUSED

• Dig through your art supplies. Find something that has never been opened or that you haven't used in over a year and put it to good use!
• Try something that's new to you. A new marker, paint, color you don't normally use, a style or technique (abstract, realism, anime, poetry, collage, paper cutting, wet on wet watercolor, etc.)
• What's an item that's not normally viewed as material that can be used? How can you utilize it to create either as a tool or as an element in your art piece?
• Example: left over bubble wrap from a package, an envelope from the mail, cardboard, plastic sleeve, soda can tab, bottle cap, etc.
• Austen Zombres hand cuts cardboard and paper found in San Francisco to create recycled collages. Watch how he transforms a Cheerios box--the finished product is not what I imagined at all!

SHAKE

• Shake up two paints in a bottle and pour it out onto your paper to create your first mark and go from there: do you want to run your fingers through it or use cardboard to manipulate the paint? Maybe run a car toy or a string over it? Or maybe you like it the way it is and are done or you want to add another pour.
• This might get messy so make sure you protect your space and if you're working in a sketchbook, to protect the other pages! Also keep in mind the thickness of your paper and how much paint it can support.
• Shake and make splatters with an unconventional "paint brush". Try branches with leaves on them or handful of strips of fabric scraps--use something that will easily move around when you shake it!
• Start with less paint to test out how much you need--for me I find a generous amount of paint works well when creating splatters :)
• Use paint pens since you have to give them a good shake! Here's a playlist of tutorials using Posca Paint Pens.

NATURAL

• Immerse yourself in nature and see what that inspires.
• Pick up leaves, branches, rocks, seashells, and other bits and pieces for color and texture reference. Take it all back to your desk, lay it out, and see what ideas flow to you.
• Take your sketchbook with you to draw and take notes of what you see out in the wild (you can do the rough outlines there and color it in when you get back home.)
• Bring a camera and snap lots of pics. Print them out to make a collage or use your favorite as a reference photo for a painting.
• Play with dried or pressed leaves and flowers.
• Use a natural color palette with earthy tones. 
• Use this color palette generator site by adding a few keywords (earth, nature, etc.) and seeing what it creates
• Create your own paint brush and paints with natural tools 
• Paint brush from branches 
• Stamps from cut veggies
• Paints from berries, beets, etc. 

FOLIAGE

• Seek inspiration in plant life: the patterns, silhouettes, colors, and textures.
• Trace the shadows of shrubs, bushes, plants, flowers.
• Experiment with cyanotype. I thought this was a good explanation of what it is and how to do it, you can also find kits online and at craft stores.
• Use photos of foliage. Scroll through and see what comes up: do you feel inspired to print some out? Sketch an image? Is there a color that stands out? Can you take some shapes to create your own pattern with?

CURVE

• Close your eyes and draw a continuous curvy line on your piece of paper. When you feel like you're done, open your eyes and see what you have in front of you and what you can do to add to it (such as color it in, outline it, paint over it, add more curvy lines).
• Observe the curves in the human form when people dance, move, exercise, play. Consider the curves found in our silhouettes of our faces and bodies. 
• Use only curved lines to create an image. You can cut out many pieces of paper in a crescent moon shape to create a collage with or draw patterns with curved lines or play around with cross hatching.

DIGITAL ART

• Free Digital Art Bundle! This month's extra is brought to you with help from 5 of my talented and generous friends in hopes that we can raise some funds for the fires in CA. All the info is shared below under the next section, "This Month's Extra".
• Create a vision or mood board. Put something together digitally or print out images, quotes, colors, etc. to glue onto your canvas.
• Digital artists and their work--here's a collection of articles to check out

COLORS ON THE PROMPT CARD:

• Orange 
• Here's what pops up on a Pinterest search
• This is what orange means as an aura color 
• Teal
• Here's what came up on a Pinterest search
• This is what a teal aura color means

PATTERN ON THE PROMPT CARD

• Finish the pattern. Copy the pattern as shown on the prompt card then add to it until you fill up your page and complete it.
• Borrow an element from the pattern. Do you like the 3 curved lines or the negative space in the center? Take that element and use it in your piece.

THIS MONTH'S EXTRA:
DIGITAL ART DOWNLOAD

Inspired by the prompt digital art--I put together a bundle of printable digital art assets! Print them out, cut them out, use them in collages, mix / match / layer to create something new, paint over them, turn them into stickers, use the patterns as a background or envelope liner, include them in a mixed media piece, add embroidery or something handwritten on it--there are so many possibilities! There's a wide variety of elements so I hope you find something you'd like to use!

All PDFs shared through the Creative Spark Challenge are free downloads to make them accessible to everyone. I do have a special ask for this one:

I teamed up with 5 of my talented artist friends to put this packet together and offer 14 pages of elements you can use. My hope is that by including more in this bundle and offering a variety of art, you will consider making a donation to support those affected by the fires in California in exchange for this packet (if you are able to.)

You can donate to an organization of your choice or I’ve put together a list of organizations to check out in the PDF. There are also other ways to support such as donating items or volunteering your time. Thank you for your generosity and
kindness during these difficult times.

Thank you to my lovely artist friends for generously sharing their talents, please show them some love:

Thinking of all of our friends in CA and sending lots of love

DOWNLOAD THE PDF

JANUARY CSC PLAYLIST

Happy creating this month and I hope to see you at the Zoom call on Saturday, January 26th at 1PM PST! You can RSVP throughout the month here.