Jeffrey Yamaguchi, the author of 52 Projects, contacted me a few weeks ago to ask whether I was interested in reviewing his book. I’d not heard of it before, but had slightly vague memories of his website, 52 Projects, which was the starter for this in book form. Through the publishers, this book arrived in the UK for me this last week.

The timing was fortunate for me, as I’m currently undergoing some online classes, one in particular to do with creativity - and seeking inspiration in all shapes and forms. The book looked like it might well do this.

First, A Bit About Projects

The author explains in a few starter chapters why he makes "projects" and what they do for him - and can do for you. He points out that most of us start creative projects as a natural route. I had first baulked at the idea of putting what I saw as plans onto creativity itself - I’ve always thought creativity should be a little messy - unplanned creativity makes for fortunate mistakes. The term "Project" seems a very American term,whereas here in the UK, I form software projects in my own normal day job - projects are managed using tools like Microsoft Project - with certain resourcing, estimates, scheduled plans, gantt charts, deliveries. Plans are a better word to use around me. Projects are too defined.

So saying that, the online class on creativity I’m currently participating in comes through with daily emails entitled, "Day 19 Creativity Project" - which is why I link this with Americans in the first place. English and Antipodean people might well just phrase it as, "Exercises". But the author has a relative point - these are projects - a defined start, plan and end - the end deliverable being a little chunk of creativity. Something you created, and gifted to either yourself or someone else. Rather than calling these "crafts" or "ideas" or "exercises" or  whatever - the term "project" handily rolls everything contained in this dynamic little book as a singular thing. The subtitle perhaps explains it best - "Random Acts of Everyday Creativity" (or would that be RAEC for short). The ideas behind Random Acts have been accepted within the general scrapbooking communities for a long time now - RAKs of Random Acts of Kindnesses are a well-operated theme to many. RAECs take the method just a little further within 52 Projects.

And we project manage our own lives so easily - I remember the attempts at planning a household move over the ocean 12,000 miles a few years ago. Without some sort of plan it could have been a big mess. We had to organise everything from selling a house, removalist quotes, resigning from our jobs, thinking about pet placements, quarantines and moving, locating a job in the country 12,000 miles away - and all that in three months. How did I manage? Well, they say that moving house is one of the most stressful things you can put yourself through - try it over a great distance. But my secret to my success must be credited to something else…

…Creative projects. I was scrapbooking at the time, with a large project of creating an entire album for my very new in-laws of the wedding and honeymoon/ travel  memories. Like the author, I also live for the days when I’m working on a creative project late into the night, sore shouldered and bleary eyed, but in that "zone" - the zone of creativity.

I’ve always had creative projects like that to come home to. In fact, if I seriously looked back to my primary school childhood you could say that I was a hefty over-achiever - even the most rudimentary research assignment (local town history) would be handed in as a ten page bindered project complete with contents page, cover graphics, and drawings on every page. Once I hit my tweenies, and had mastered the big dunger of a sewing machine (still have it now) - I made soft toy upon soft toy. The creation of one such character became a little business on the side - I sold them as customised creations at school - until I got sick of creating the same thing over and over again. Cross-stitching projects of 10,000 stitches were raced through in two months, sophisticated sweaters knitted up in a week. It used to annoy other people immensely - who still had a half-started scarf sitting in their closet from a knitting project started three years earlier. I’ve blogged often on how crafting helps me relax from a stressful day - and simply "not think" (and if this blog isn’t one heck of a heart-felt project, then nothing is).

Jeffrey Yamaguchi suggests it in much more eloquent words -

"The truth is, I’ve really come to depend on the energy that projects give me, and I seek to trigger it when I feel I’m in a lethargic rut - those times when I’m watching way too much television, endlessly surfing the web in essentially a catatonic state, buying lots of books only to leave them unread on the nightstand, renting too many movies, and picking up lots of takeout."

Later, he explains -

"Along with this energy comes an intensification in my own creativity…Part of this is simply the result of working on something in which I have to visualise an entire process from start to finish. But it’s also because I am getting to create something on my own terms. I get to truly rely on my own instincts, run with my vision, give it my voice. I establish my own guidelines, and I set the deadlines. I can do whatever I want, I own it completely…It’s an extremely empowering process."

Powerful stuff. Projects - little or big creative projects - are our way to regain control in a world where it often seems we have completely lost it. The first few chapters of this book spoke to my own soul. I couldn’t put the little book down. But perhaps I’m preaching to the long-ago converted here - as scrapbookers / memory artists and paper artists alike, we know the power behind "handmade" now. In fact, it’s high up there, in the gift-giving stakes - so many people outside of this little circle are aware of the high value of something created by hand. But sometimes I know that I at least, allow myself to be caught up in the commercialism and ease of this highly stressed world, and in doing so, forget the magic of working a project.

The Projects

The projects contained in this book are for crafters, scrapbookers, photographers, artists, or mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles or business people. All you need as required tools are a camera, paper and pen, and imagination. How you interpret them is up to you, if at all. Some will make you anxious to start the project immediately, others may not - whilst the remainder will spire some thoughts about a related or inspired idea you may want to let yourself go down.

Although I giggled immediately when I read one praise excerpt at the front of the book, by author Ayun Halliday - "Ours would be a richer world, if every citizen between the ages  of 11 and 93 kept a copy of 52 projects atop his or her toilet tank"  - it perhaps makes good sense. The book is easily ducked into.  Of course, we ladies don’t often bother with toilet reading material, leaving that for the men. But stick the book into your handbag and dive into it when you’re stuck on a bus or train to nowhere.

After reading and believing all of this myself, I was anticipating great things from the very first project. I failed myself in this - great expectations, and it all fell flat when I read the first, then second, then third, fourth, and fifth project in the book. No 1 is to find some old letters (not to be too specific about it) - and I don’t have any. Taking a train to the end of the line would either end me up in London, or the top of Scotland (and cost me £36 for the first, or over £100 for the second) - either would impact my day job. Project No.2 - which I can tell you about, as it is confirmed on the back cover - is to bake a key lime pie. Huh? I’m not sure if that many Americans are aware of it, but over here in the UK there aren’t that many people who actually have tasted a pumpkin pie, let alone considered something with limes in it. Still, I could have thought about baking something else - I just wasn’t that inspired to contemplate it. I am a woman who bakes when and if she feels like it. And having it suggested brings out the inner-rebel in me.

Projects to do with my previous family history hurt like hell - and there’s a few of them. I would rather avoid those types of memories, and ones which involve a large group of friends are undoable - our friends are spread wide and far. Those projects made me feel guilty over my inability to throw a party. Not fair, I’m a mother of a toddler - give me a chance to regain a social life outside of my work hours, okay?

Inner dialog - see. At least the projects got me thinking.

Project No 6 came to my rescue, I liked that one - in fact anything that involved writing down memories was a bonus for me. Project 12 scared me - I wouldn’t recommend my partner, who might be reading this (or the book) trying it out on me, and trying to take a photo of me in a vulnerable position. But hey - perhaps I should try it out on him, maybe when he’s coming out of the toilet.

I loved some, I really did. So much so that my hubbie who was sitting next to me as I was reading the book, had to be told about them immediately. My conversation started stuttering - "What do you think of this…. and how about this…"

Project No 52 sums it up - make a list of all the projects you intend to do. Snap. I intend, despite the fact that many did not appeal, to do quite a few of these - or deviations of them. Especially ones which gift something to others close to myself - but most especially ones which gift something to myself - the simplicity of a creative project.

Finally…

The book itself completes with a few more chapters on projects, tips, and 52 resources - the last of which is to create your own list of 52 projects. Perhaps that is the greatest gift of all from this little book. 52 Projects invites you to enter the world creatively to create your own 52 (or whatever number you may be capable of) projects.

The website itself has more ideas for you. Seek it out, and put this little book on your wishlist also.       
 

Links:

• 52 Projects Website
  
• Buy it at Amazon (US)
• Buy it at Amazon (UK)