Ready to take a journey and explore your creativity in 31 days?
The January Challenge is an invitation to use creativity to spark confidence, conversation and connection. It's a fun, free and accessible experience designed to set your mind on an adventure and brighten up the coldest, darkest month of the year.
Throughout January, we deliver an imaginative prompt to your inbox each day that'll invite a moment of creativity into your day to take you somewhere new.
What's a 'creative prompt'?
Qoy Lawal and Michael Rosen demonstrate how they explore a creative prompt live. There's no right or wrong way to explore a creative prompt, no time limits, no restrictions, no right or wrongs, no expectations. Simply and invitation to to use your creativity freely.
Want all 31 creative prompts now?
Calling all teachers, librarians, carers, leaders and those who want to get their friends, groups or communities together and do The January Challenge collectively. Did you know that you can view all of the 31 creative prompts in advance to plan ahead for January? You can find the creative prompts along with the timetable and information about all the brilliant people who've set them at the link below.
Here are all the benefits you can get from exploring your creativity...
Spark creativity
Daily creative prompts provide a structured, consistent way to nurture and develop our creative skills.
Self-reflection
Prompts often encourage introspection, allowing us to explore our thoughts, feelings, and experiences through creative expression.
Community Building
Participating in a shared creative experience, mainly when prompts are distributed to a group, fosters a sense of community and shared accomplishment.
Connection with others
Sharing creations resulting from the prompts can facilitate connection with others engaging in the same creative journey.
Boosting gratitude
Some creative prompts may encourage us to appreciate and express gratitude for different aspects of our lives.
New Year, New Start
January is often seen as a time for new beginnings, making it an ideal month to embark on a creative journey and create a new creative habit for the year ahead.
Skill Development
Daily prompts may target specific skills or techniques, allowing us to enhance our artistic or creative abilities.
Exploration
Prompts can encourage experimentation with different creative methods outside of our usual approach.
Building a portfolio
Over time, the creations from daily prompts can contribute to building a diverse and impressive portfolio of work.
Inspiration
Creative prompts can spark new ideas and inspire us to think outside our usual patterns, helping us discover fresh perspectives.
Stress Reduction
Creative expression has therapeutic benefits and can serve as a stress-relief outlet, offering a break from daily pressures.
Create a new routine
Setting aside time each day for a creative prompt can contribute to building a positive routine and habit formation.
Goal setting
Setting and achieving daily creative goals can bring a sense of accomplishment and motivation, contributing to personal growth.
Stimulating Curiosity
Prompts often introduce new topics or themes, encouraging participants to explore subjects they may not have considered before.
Mindfulness
Engaging in daily creative activities can be a form of mindfulness, promoting focus on the present moment and enhancing overall well-being.
Stories of change
Questions and answers
The January Challenge is an annual campaign to connect all parts of the UK through 31 days of creativity. Each year different Creativity Champions provide a creative prompt for you to explore throughout January. It's fun, free and accessible to participate.
Together, we've proved that creativity is closely linked to our levels of wellbeing and connection to ourselves and others. You can read our most recent Impact Report here.
You can join in however you like. You might like to open our daily emails in January and let each challenge inspire thoughts. Each challenge will be a unique creative prompt that'll invite you to do something, reflect and perhaps share with those around you or online. You can sign up to receive the daily creative challenges here.
The January Challenge is completely free for everyone!
Creative prompts can be done alone, with friends and family or as part of a teaching plan, library event, team engagement at work or in any community setting. You can build a little community wherever you like to share what you create with others or join ours online by joining our Facebook group or posting on social using the hashtag #TheJanuaryChallenge.
Anyone can be a Creativity Champion, including you.
Creativity Champions are:
- spread across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- sharing their unique perspective on what creativity means to them and how it shows up in their lives and those around them
- using The January Challenge campaign resources and (with the full support of 64 Million Artists, including training, access support and regular check-ins) establishing spaces for their groups to get together and get creative.
- creating tailored spaces for communities with diverse lived experiences with plans for group activity in local community centres, cafes, libraries, parks, and TikTok
- setting one creative prompt each in January
This January, we have 31 featured Creativity Champions leading a different creative prompt a day throughout January.
You're free to dip in and out of The January Challenge as you please. It's there for you. You might do all the challenges, you might do one challenge, you might do none, it's totally up to you. You can be a part of it purely by searching the hashtag and seeing what others are creating (though we promise you'll have more fun if you have a go yourself!)
Got another question not answered here? Send it over to [email protected] and they'll be happy to answer you (no question is too big, small or silly!)
A4 poster to print and share
Spread the word that The January Challenge is coming and help us make it the biggest year yet.
- Print off a poster
- Write YOUR definition of creativity
- Take a photo with your sign or share it online in your creative way (or you could simply stick it on the wall as a reminder to yourself)
- Use the #TheJanuaryChallenge hashtag so we can find and share with our community
More A4 posters to print and take a selfie with
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