Go Make Something

Over the last few months, I’ve seen several similar projects on various art lists. They go something like this:

• Fill a small Ziploc bag with collage elements, pieces and parts.
• Send to someone else.
• Watch as the other person creates something with the parts you’ve sent them.

Because of my time restrictions, I haven’t been able to participate in any of these projects—but even watching from the outside, I’ve been inspired by the creative thinking that went into turning a baggie of stuff into something wonderful. For weeks, I’ve been wondering how I could play in a project like this, and still fulfill all my commitment to keep new content flowing onto this site. Believe it or not, after 80 or so how-to articles here, I’m running out of interesting things to write about that aren’t already covered elsewhere!

Here’s my idea:

• Pack me a small Ziploc baggie of stuff that you’ve having difficulty using in your artwork. It can be flat stuff, like papers, or dimensional stuff, like beads or bottles. As long as it fits in a sandwich-sized bag, it’s fair game.

• Send the baggie, along with your name, address and email, to:
  Lisa Vollrath
  52 Bags of Inspiration
  400 E. Fuller Drive
  Euless TX 76039

  Sorry, I am no longer accepting packages for this project. Honestly, I started receiving too many clean-out-the-junk-drawer submissions, and hardly any interesting or challenging packages.

• I’ll choose a baggie of stuff periodically, make something with whatever is in it, and write about my process.
• If your baggie of stuff is one that I work with, I’ll send you an envelope of goodies back—maybe collage stuff, maybe finished artwork, maybe both.

What do you think?

A few disclaimers:

• Please don’t send me stickers, or anything made of plastic. I won’t use them.
• Trash is good, as long as it’s relatively clean. Please don’t send anything that is dead, rotting, or that will melt in extreme heat.
• I am under no obligation to use the baggie of stuff you send me. However, if I do use it, you’ll get something back from me after I do. I’m doing it this way to avoid getting baggies of garbage in the mail from people hoping to score goodies. Don’t do this for the return mail—do it because you can’t figure out what to do with something, or because you think I’ll be stumped by your stuff.
• Challenge me. Look for things you think I couldn’t possibly turn into a piece of artwork.
• By sending me a baggie, you agree to have your name and a photograph of the stuff you sent me posted on this web site.
• No whining or complaining that I haven’t used your stuff yet.

OK, that’s it for now. FAQ to follow once I start reading emails…