Planning for creative, design, and art projects

Lesley Art and Design students Julio Guity, Angela Bichard, and Adrianna Chang Ruiz along with the Center for Academic Achievement offer these prompts for getting your next art project on track.

Dream It

Imagine what you want to do for your project.

What format, media, or materials best suit your ideas?

How does this relate to your personal interests?

What are the connections to what you are learning in your course or courses?

Plan It

What resources, space, and materials do you need to get started?

Where will you get the materials?

Where will you work on the project?

List the steps for making your project.

What questions do you have for your professor or classmates?

Make a timeline including mini-deadlines for each step, and the final deadline.

Prepare for challenges.

Do not wait for the perfect conditions to get started.

Execute It

Take the leap. Do not wait for the perfect conditions (yes, again!)

Use what you have.

Don’t let doubt stop you.

Use a calendar and set aside time to work on your project.

Evaluate It

Step back and reflect.

What has been accomplished?

What has not been done?

What were your goals?

What stands out for you first in the work?

What else stands out?

Can you explain the intention of your work?

What meanings are represented in the work?

What have you learned by completing this?

Dream It Idea

Here's advice from Animation & Motion Media BFA student Julio Guity ’22:

“I take a moment to reflect on how I’m feeling currently, and I’ll use that energy to create the mood for the piece. For example, one of my professors has us draw a 10-minute self-portrait every week, so whenever I sit down to draw, I’m not going at it with the intention of creating a likeness but a mood.

Then you get stuff like this. (See Julio Guity's 2 self-portraits.) They both look somewhat like me, but most of all they convey how I was feeling when I drew them! I think music can definitely affect this, so if you’re going for a particular mood, you can listen to a particular playlist to put yourself in that mood.”