Here's the deal. I took a deck of cards.
Then I mailed a card a piece to 52 people. Family, friends, co-workers, ex-coworkers, clients, ex-boyfriends, etc. all over the place. Spanning 15 cities and 3 continents, to be exact.
I asked them to write on the card and mail it back to me.
A task. A challenge. An order. A test.
Something that I have to complete in 7 days.
Because there are 52 cards in a deck, and 52 weeks in a year.
And so . . . each week for one year, I picked a new card. And I completed whatever challenge was on the card.
It began May 2, 2010 and ended May 1, 2011 (my 30th Birthday).
IT WAS A LONG YEAR!
Throughout the 52 weeks, I performed stand-up comedy, volunteered for charity, crashed a wedding, entered a karaoke competition and spent a work day dressed entirely in yellow. I learned to pole dance, break dance and dance like Lady Gaga. I pretended to be a food network show host, subsisted on food stamps and filmed a Mentos commercial--during which I had to jump in a fountain and kiss a stranger. Naturally, this list wouldn't be complete without mentioning the viewer favorites . . . bringing a entire DESKTOP COMPUTER to Starbucks and hanging out there for an hour, and spending time on Michigan Ave as a street performer dressed entirely IN GOLD.
These are just the highlights. There's more to see, so explore the blog!
THE OUTCOME:
SHEER AND UTTER EXHAUSTION! (Oh, and also a healthy does of humility and humiliation.) But it was all worth it. Because it was a year that I will never forget. A year that brought me new perspective on life and taught me that a dose of creativity goes a long way.
I hosted a successful Finale Party at LaSalle Power Co where I raised over $2,000 for Urban Initiatives and Chicago Cares (two charities that I worked with throughout the year).
And now, I am selling KarenOnDeck Kits in case you are inspired to try the same thing!
CLICK HERE TO JOIN ME ON FACEBOOK
