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prioritize your creativity
Most art based subscription services send you either a box filled with art materials or a box filled with all the materials and instructions that you need to make and complete a certain project in a certain way. They often have a narrow view of what art is, and what art can be. The Creative Challenge Box from And Make Things is different.
Each monthly box focuses on a theme. What you do with that theme is entirely up to you.
We send you a box filled with potential, not filled with a pre-conceived idea of what you should do and how it should look.
The Creative Challenge Box is not designed to specifically teach you to paint, or draw, or sew, or sculpt, though you may well do a little of each. This box is designed to guide you into exploring and experimenting and making things which are created by you. We're not interested in showing you how to copy a project, we're interested in what you choose to do, what you choose to explore - because ultimately that is how you cultivate creativity and creative thinking.
On the 10th of each month, we mail you a box full of materials and inspiration - the exact contents will be a surprise, although we do give some hints on our social media accounts. Each box is based around a theme and designed so that everyone who uses it can get interesting and rewarding results, regardless of their skill level or experience. The type of content varies each month, and is either project-based, materials-based or object-based.
An example of a project-based box could be a box based on the theme of "Maps + Mapping - From 2D to 3D" where you would be encouraged to make maps (either based in fact, fiction or memory), create new maps from parts, and build sculptures in the air from map fragments and thread, etc. In a box like the maps + mapping themed box you would get a mixture of source materials (blank maps, existing map fragments), inspiration (a card detailing the projects by other artists who have worked with maps) and suggestions for approaches to take if you are not sure where to start. You can follow the suggestions or make your own thing, it is entirely up to you. You can interpret the theme closely or widely, using some, all, or none of the suggestions, it's your call.
A materials-based box is more like the unconventional materials challenge if you ever watch Project Runway, or it's like a cooking challenge where chefs are given a bunch of random ingredients and have to make a meal. You will receive source materials to make something in the box, and the challenge is how you will transform the raw materials into an artwork. This one is super fun, you can literally do anything using the contents of the box.
An object-based box looks at a more traditional art form in a new way, for example you might get a box which focuses on deconstructing or altering a book to make an artist book. You can choose to interpret the theme quite literally (by altering aspects of the book to personalize it to you) or more loosely, by creating an entirely new object or series of objects from the book. You might cut out all the individual words and group them alphabetically or make 300 paper airplanes from the pages.
Every box contains a selection of materials and a starting points card which includes education, inspiration, open-ended activities and prompts if you're not sure where to start.
time to explore
The Creative Challenge Boxes are designed so that every single person who uses one as a prompt to make things can have a different result, all of which will be interesting and valid. We believe that there are no boundaries between different forms of art - art can be anything.
By subscribing to the Creative Challenge Box, you will make an enormous variety of projects, differing in scale, media, approach and focus. You will step out of your comfort zone and produce artwork that you never even considered. We can't tell you in advance what you will make, because the exploration and experimentation is up to you. (We do however include a starting points card that you can follow if you're stuck so you never get trapped in analysis-paralysis where you can't move forward because you don't know what to do).
You may make small paper-based artworks one month, and another month you may make a giant installation outside. You might make a tiny art gallery hidden in your neighborhood, or you might make a sound piece on your phone. You might make a text-based artwork or a video, a soft sculpture, a series of photographs or an interactive experience.
share your work + win some stuff
Every month we have a Creative Challenge, where you can show what you made with the contents of your monthly box. By sharing images of your work online using the hashtag #creativechallengebox you can join our community of makers and doers, get feedback, and win prizes!
You don't have to enter, but if you use the challenge as motivation and a deadline, you'll probably find that you're more likely to get it done!
(If you're not a fan of social media or do not want to use your real name, you can always create an account using a pseudonym so you can engage with the community and take part in the challenge)
Each month we award prizes in various categories (most creative, most unexpected, most amusing etc) and we send prizes to the winners in their next box. We may also feature the winning artists on our social media channels and website.
Prizes are varied and may include swag from the And Make Things shop, books, art materials or and / or other surprises!
