Project Sidewalk

Another bump for the Project Sidewalk… Project (well that’s a bit redundant, eh?).

I’d like to share a bit of a popular thread going on, The Corrupted Wish game:

Essentially, one person tells one of their wishes, and the following person twists and corrupts it away from the original intent. This is a great exercise in perspective–what looks great at first often ends with terrible implications.

Examples:

Ehdom: I wish I could fly.
mmmouthwash: wish granted, but now you can’t land.

mmmouthwash: I wish I could turn invisible.
Ehdom: Wish granted, but now you can’t see anything else while invisible.

Ehdom: I wish I could remember all of my dreams…
MisSarah: Wish granted, but now you can’t wake up.

MisSarah: I wish I could understand physics.
Anna: Wish granted, but now you can’t understand anything else.

Anna: I wish I could never look aged.
Luminara: Wish granted, but everyone will think you are 12.

Luminara: I wish I could read minds.
StephanieK: Granted, now you can’t read anything but minds.

StephanieK: I wish I was not afraid of anything.
nevaordinarie: Wish granted, now your dead…

nevaordinarie: I wish I could discover another world…
Ehdom: Wish granted, but there is nothing there, and you can’t get back.

Ehdom: I wish I could slow down time…
Luminara: Wish granted, but now you will age 10 times faster than everyone else.

VincentCharon: I wish I knew everything…
Richard A.: Wish granted, but now you can’t explain anything to others.

And it goes on for pages. Stop by and add some wishes of your own… just be careful what you wish for.

We’re currently in phase one of Project Sidewalk, which is community building. Stop by the forum and make an account, it only takes seconds.

Still not sure what Project Sidewalk is? From the front page:

Project Sidewalk is a canvas to the imagination. The site is centered around a community working to create a revolution in creativity, storytelling, art, and entertainment. The site thrives around the community–a group of writers, artists, thinkers, and hopefully you. The forum provides a communal and collaborative exchange of ideas, which in turn nourishes the creation of new and innovative art forms.

We are all inherently creative. Although we have this immense potential for creativity, it often goes unused. Raw creativity can be a scary thing–it requires letting go of certainties, conquering the fear of failure, and most importantly, the actual act of creation. The latter can be the most difficult, as there seems to be a common idea of one having to be an “artist” to create art, a “writer” to write, and so on. The idea of needing to be a “professional” holds no merit to true art. All one needs to do to become an artist of any kind is to be aware of the desire to create, as well as the desire to express and share what is created.

Here you will find not only a community to help nourish and stimulate creativity, but also a number of innovative projects. Many of these projects revolve around storytelling, and most involve a collaborative effort from the community. Those that wish to participate can contribute and help the projects grow; everyone, regardless of contribution, can enjoy the work that results from these projects.

We have two main goals in this community building project:

- Create a community that encourages creative play and experimentation. Creativity spawns from both open play and limitations–the various projects and creative games within the community will help all of us find inspiration while exploring our imagination. Many members will be able to take this new inspiration and flow of ideas to enhance their own projects outside of the site.

- Create a community that can act as a sort of artistic flash mob. In other words, a group of people readily available (along with any others) to participate in creative collaborative art, storytelling, and various other projects. Projects will be organized and created by all and any members of the community.

These were originally part of a set of pictures I took for a friend, but several of them stuck out to me as telling a story.

I’d strongly recommend the larger versions, which you can find by clicking each photo.

You can also view the set over at flickr.

Taking one picture every day.

You can view the set here.

When things aren’t going well, I find it helpful to change perspective–both figuratively and literally.

Last week I was without a car for awhile, so I was had to (got to) take the slower side of things and walk everywhere I had to go.

It was amazing.

You can find all of the pictures on my Flickr account.

View The Set

You can also view the geotagged map of these pictures here:

I now have a Flickr Pro account.

Expect photos daily.

Last week for submissions for the Eye of the Beholder project! Be sure to check it out.

Eye of the Beholder

After a large amount of requests, I’ve decided to sell the Rejected Valentine’s Cards. Within the next day or so you’ll be able to purchase hand made high quality cards on a per card basis. There will also be new cards for all sorts of occasions.

Also, if you so choose, you can buy the pack of the 21 one-of-a-kind original cards on ebay.

HEY YOU!

Now that I have your attention, I’d like to direct it elsewhere.

We’re always looking to expand what I think to be our most exciting project, The Forum.

What is the Project Sidewalk Forum?

The Forum is a canvas for the imagination.

It’s a community of writers, artists, and thinkers working to create a revolution in storytelling, art, and entertainment.

It’s a communal and collaborative exchange of ideas, which in turn nourishes new creations.

Although everyone has the potential to be creative these talents often go unused. Why? Because raw creativity can be a scary thing. It requires letting go of certainties, conquering fears of failure and, most importantly, the actual act of creation.

We at Project Sidewalk believe that all you need to do to be creative is to play.

In a culture where media and advertising are meant to turn us into the perfect consumer (i.e. bored, dissatisfied, and ugly), Project Sidewalk seeks to create an online and offline universe where being imaginative, happy, and beautiful is a revolutionary act. There is a chance to become something more than just the viewer. Here you can reclaim public space, reignite imagination, and recontextualize the way we see and interact with our world.

Why does such a place need to exist? Because it’s fun to be creative. Because it’d be fun to stop buying things and start making things. Because we need to play.

Creativity in a community setting allows us to not only reach out and touch someone, but to find each other.

You’ll find a variety of projects here. Many of these projects revolve around storytelling and most involve a collaborative effort from the community. Those who wish to participate can contribute and help the projects grow.

But of course that’s only a fraction of what Project Sidewalk really is.

The rest you’ll have to experience for yourself.

We’d love to see you stop by.

[The Forum]

Please excuse the mess, I wasn’t expecting company this soon.