I'm with wolfrun and Emma on this, and also partly dubiousdisc. <3 I'm the type who doesn't even "decide" on making a shrine unless I have something specific about the subject I absolutely want to talk about, which motivates me to create the context for that very essay, the context being the rest of the shrine. Once I know what I'm shrining, I sign up.
I thought it was just about deadlines being motivating, but that's not actually it - it's seeing how everyone is working on something for a specific event! This includes seeing the amount of people who have signed up for an event and resolved to do something for it. Whether or not they deliver doesn't change the motivation I get from seeing them participate!
And, as wolfrun said, an event makes me prioritize things over others and help push out something that may not have been realized in the near future. Or it makes me pick a subject I wouldn't have considered shrining otherwise.
Onigiri Box -
Baton Pass (2015)
BAB The Road to Hell is Paved With Good Intentions -
Valkyrie (2015)
One Page, One Month: Encore -
Jamais Plus (2015)
BAB Metamorphosis + One Page, One Month -
Awakening (2015)
BAB Metamorphosis -
In Control (2015)
Old School -
Strength of Heart (2015)
One Page, One Month: Encore -
Prisoner's Dilemma (2012)
So, I own nine shrines, and
seven of them were made for events. These shrines mean so much to me - yet, would you have guessed that if I had not decided to sign up for these events, I'd most likely not have any of those now? I think about five of these subjects I wouldn't have considered shrining if they hadn't been just such a good fit for the respective event (theme- or format-wise). At least two of these were so overwhelming to think about, I don't think I'd have had the resolve to sit down and actually START mapping out my plans and then work on realizing those plans without those events.
I think that you should look at it this way: Even if you don't manage to finish your shrine, just the fact that an event made you plan out the shrine and get started on it already means plenty of progress. Several people use that to keep working on the shrine they've started, or come back later to finish it. An unfinished product does not mean no progress, or having nothing to show, or having failed and not being able to take pride in yourself.
If you haven't signed up for many events yet and/or are new, I recommend starting with those 1P1M marathons - they're just such a lovely way to get into it. And even outside of that specific marathon, I'd recommend considering making one page shrines for whatever event comes up!
