Rolodex Art Journal

ICAD - Index Card a Day - has become a very popular exercise in the art community within the past year or so.  Here is a link to where I think it started: http://daisyyellowart.com/icad/icad-faq.html.  In short, the idea is to create some kind of art every day for a determined amount of time (usually 30 days at a time) to keep your creative juices flowing. You can join a group where there are daily prompts to help with ideas or just do it yourself.

Late last fall I started doing this to make myself create something every day. After a few weeks I had accumulated several cards and was trying to find something to put them in. I discovered an old Rolodex file I had saved for altering and a lightbulb went off.  Instead of doing ICADs, I would do Rolodex cards (which were already with the card file) and the card file would keep them contained.

Due to the holidays and life happening, I fell off the wagon last year, but in January I determined to keep up for the entire month.  (I must confess that I cheated a bit, as I created 2 cards some days to make up for a day I missed. But, I reached my goal and have 31 cards for January! (I've been gone a lot during the first part of Feb., but the past week I've been very religious doing my RCADs again!)

This is a very relaxing and enjoyable exercise and I hope to continue all year. I know I won't get to a a card every day but I can try!  The fun part of this is deciding what to do on the cards - and there's unlimited possibilities. Sometimes I try out a new technique or product; sometimes I just clean off my desk - whatever strikes me that day.

Here are the RCADs from the first half of January. Some of them I like; some of them I don't, but it's all about the process and just sitting down to make art. Nothing happens if you don't show up!

I'm having a lot of fun with this project; it's becoming addicting!  Tomorrow I will share the remaining RCADs from January.