Making Made

Jeanne Haegele in Chicago, Illinois is doing a yearlong project she calls Making Made.

She explains: "Since nothing makes me happier than making stuff, my project this year has been to make something every single day for 365 days.  The things I make for my blog, Making Made, tend to center on what I like doing the most—doodling, photography, and cooking—but I allow myself to do pretty much anything including craft projects, songwriting, making videos, or whatever else I can dream up"



Why did you decide to do this project? I decided to do this because I enjoy making things, but previously would never get around to creating anything, I guess because I was too lazy, too afraid of mistakes, and too busy doing things that I didn’t find nearly as satisfying. I knew that doing a 365 blog would force me to work on projects, despite my laziness or time commitments, and also help me with my fear of messing things up.

I also hoped that making something every day would help me learn knew skills, such as pen drawing and digital illustration, and help me get better at cooking.

Lastly, I think I just wanted to challenge myself and find out if I could even do something so crazy. Was I determined enough to make something for 365 days straight?


How has doing a yearlong/daily project affected your life? I think there are two really important ways that Making Made has affected my daily life. First, it's  forced me to adjust my priorities around my creative projects, which has been a great thing for me. Before, I used to come home from work and do whatever I wanted. Now, when I get home, I have to figure out what I want to create that night, figure out how long it will take, and then adjust what I do in the evening around that. Sometimes I fail at the whole planning thing, though. One night, I woke up with a start around 12:30 a.m. because I hadn't made anything that evening. Ahhh! I hopped out of bed and quickly photographed some fruit (problem solved!).

The second thing that's really changed for me is that I spend a lot more time searching out creative inspiration. Whether it's shuffling through artsy boards on Pinterest, reading some of my new favorite blogs (I love Doodlers Anonymous, Booooooom, and the Jealous Curator), or talking about ideas with friends, I feel like my whole life has been infused with a sort of artistic energy that was never there before. It's really exciting!


See all of Jeanne's projects HERE

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