If you are not familiar with the Documented Life Project (DLP), it is hosted by the fabulous ladies at Art to the 5th and it’s a year long project. There are new prompts every week for a Personal Art Card (PAC), which really is the same thing as an ATC or Artist Trading Card. Aside from the PACs, there is just the fun of putting together your framework each month- a divider, monthly calendar, weekly pages and then fun things like the “List TEN” cards or “Dare 2B” cards which often provide thought provoking prompts. 

I’ve been following along for the whole year. I discovered Art to the 5th while planning our wedding last fall and it was a welcome break from planning. They offer all kinds of classes, videos, etc. and I found it so inspiring to just make art for art’s sake. I also discovered art journaling during this time so I was really jazzed and signed up to play for 2016.

Of course, January came and I was completely depleted! After the wedding and Christmas, I was feeling pretty worn out and felt that I had no creativity to bring to the project! I jumped in anyway and I’m awfully glad that I did. For me, it kept me moving along even if my muse had left the building. Every Saturday morning, new prompts are published and it’s been a great thing for me to set aside this one morning a week devoted to art. 

I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be making junk journals or working in a bullet journal if not for the time I devoted to DLP. It has opened my creative side in wonderful ways and now art is a part of EVERY day rather than just once a week!

So, anyway, here are some pics of my DLP “unplanner” which was the theme for this year.

Front Cover – acrylic paint on chipboard. This is my second cover- the first was dry wall mud textured and run through stencils like the back cover below. Unfortunately, it was too thick, too gloppy and the embellishments fell off! I like my second version better!

Back cover- I do like this technique and will do it again, but I’ll use a light hand like I did on this!

Here is the opening page. The back of the front cover was painted black and then I crumpled tracing paper and glued it over the entire surface. I really like this effect. The January divider page is next. You can really see my lack of inspiration! I decided to just be clean and simple. “Going out on a limb- trying something new” was the monthly theme. A sign hanging from a tree limb seemed appropriate.

Week 1 PAC:  incorporate 16. Hmm, doesn’t get much more basic! I also incorporated my word for the year. Strange how profoundly important the choice of word has become as I’ve embraced my creative pursuits more fully than I ever have before- my first love. Not just embraced making art, but becoming serious about sharing it, becoming involved in the online community and hopefully, getting to a point where I make money from it too. 

This week’s PAC. Week 35 – incorporate your favorite number. This was really fun- 

It looks better in person and it’s pretty cool the way the stars shake around in it.

So, that was a long look at the Documented Life Project. Thanks for making it all the way to the end! I hope to share the current card each week along with one from earlier in the year.

Happy making, Friends!