I made art using garbage for 30 days | Design Challenge

Receipt Roll Documentation Project

It all started with a receipt roll…

On November 1st, I started a challenge to create art on a blank receipt roll for 30 days - however, I had to incorporate at least one piece of garbage I generated each day.

But, before that, ideation.

Stage 1: Brainstorm

In October, I began thinking about how to document a mundane part of my life, yet showcase an intriguing message. As always, we start with the trusty sketchbook.

I leaned heavily toward documenting the waste I made every day. While I believed I put in an effort to reduce my garbage, I never thought about the amount of plastic, wrappers, and packaging I tossed in an intentional manner.

I also chose the theme of florals because they’re closely linked with beauty and nature—the opposite of garbage.

Stage 2: The Challenge

It was messy.

For a month, my desk was littered with the pieces of packaging and wrappers I cut up for the receipt roll.

I also realized the quantity of trash I threw out daily. Before tossing each item in the bin, I stopped to think if I could incorporate it into my art.

Most of the time, the answer was yes.

Nearing the end of the 30 days, I collected significantly more trash than the days left.

Stage 3: The Result

This challenge taught me how easy it is to produce trash in “auto” mode. Aside from the literal idea, I reflected on how easy it is to approach our days, weeks, months, and years by simply cruising along.

We see the next shiny reward in front of us and fail to pause and take in the intentions and objectives behind our actions.

But, more on the art, here are some of my favourite parts:

And a final summary of the project: