THE DAILY HUIPIL CHALLENGE

I thought about One Day at a Time for the title of this post, but it's so overused. At this point, it's been almost 6 months since my 365 Huipils Project was born, a commitment I made for the year 2015. Right here and now I will confess to you that I don't actually get around to making one each day, but I do plan to have 365 by December 31. This commitment was  inconceivable, to me at first. Never have I been very successful at goals like this, I usually like to see what life brings me, I live very organically, and go into the studio each day without real or rigid expectations. But now look at me, who would have guessed I would actually develop discipline? 

I did hang some of the Jan-Mar huipils - until I ran out of wall space.

What changed? On a whim, I signed up for Lisa Sonora's 30-day Journal Project in 2014. I knew I would be traveling for those weeks, and thought it might be fun to keep a record of time and space in a new journal. I've been making art journals and art books for years now, and I thought it would be interesting to try out Lisa's methods. 

It proved more difficult than I thought, because at first it was great fun and super challenging, but the more I moved around by bus, car or airplane, the less I was tempted to get my book out and work on it. I did get to Day 21, which I think would be called "my personal best." That said, I will tell you that Lisa's daily prompts, quotes and encouragement took me to places I might have never ventured, and the work that came from them was courageous, bold, and different from my norm.

The next step was to take Lisa's idea and challenge myself to another daily practice. Because my current art form is contemporary huipils, I decided to create a small one each day for a full year. I know, right? Big commitment! If you are unfamiliar with "huipils" you can look at other posts on this blog, or at my Facebook page, La Huipilista to get an idea.

So, almost 6 months since New Years Day, I actually have one for every day. The first two below are made from one of the pages of my 30-day Journal Project ... re-visioned, re-purposed, re-mixed. I think Lisa would approve. 

A page from the 30-day journal combined with a remembrance of los 43.

Another page from the journal, I love the quote by W.H. Murray.

And here are a few others, jumping around in media from found objects to travel ephemera to whatever I find in my stash of treasures. THANK YOU, Lisa Sonora, for you inspirational gift, and if I need a kick in the pants to finish the next 6 months, I'll be calling you. 

Postcard from Nepal visit in 2010, embellished with
prayer flag, a prayer for the earthquake survivors.

A daily huipil can be a journal as well, recording those
feelings as I feel them. This day was a tough one. 

                     

       Want to be inspired? Join Lisa for the 30-day Journal Project, right here: 

http://www.lisasonora.com/30-day-journal-project/ 

Embellished page from a trashed book, on
a page from an old journal.

A Valentine huipil, Fall In Love With Something Everyday!