Habitual
70 day project. One sneaker design was made each day comprised of 3 photos taken outside on the same day. A streetwear brand and website were also created. Goals: practice being more present, find beauty in the everyday, and find unexpected harmony in making something new out of pre-existing elements. 'Habitual' represents the habits we may fall into, and our power to change them.
The Inspiration
On my daily commute on the subway one day I caught myself looking at stranger's shoes and wondering what they reveal about each person. This got me thinking about all of the other things we don't notice as we navigate through the world. I realized I go from point A to B on autopilot most of the time which was preventing me from appreciating my surroundings and being in the moment. I wanted to make a conscious effort to be more present in my day to day life through this project.
The Goals
Practice being more present
Find harmony in creating something new out of pre-existing elements
Find beauty in the everyday
Track change and growth over time
The Why
The hope for this project was that each shoe design would become a small snapshot of the world as I experienced it that day. I thought the act of collecting photos would create a conscious practice in being more present and sparking daily curiosity.
The Constraints
1 shoe design per day made in 30 minutes or less
7 different styles, 1 for each day of the week
Created with 3 photos taken outside, same day
No reusing any photos previously taken
Made in Photoshop
Additional element: assign a song for each day that represents my mood
The Evolution
After creating 70 days of shoes, I took 6 of the designs and used them to make additional products for a 'streetwear brand' that encapsulates the whole project. The name Habitual represents both the not-so-good habits that we might fall into, and more importantly; our ability to create new, more positive ones. This entire project was also an exercise in repetition - it truly became habitual.
