It's that time of year again! I am very excited to begin my 7th 100 Day Project! Before beginning I took some time to reflect on my past projects--each one has been its own unique experience with its own highs and lows. Here are some of the lessons they have taught me. They might not be new ideas but they did show up for me in a new way and I hope they can serve as a reminder to you as they did for me! (And while my projects are all art based, I think these lessons can be applied to other projects and areas of our life too!
8 LESSONS FROM DOING THE 100 DAY PROJECT 6 TIMES
MAKE IT SUSTAINABLE
2019 Project: Not pictured because I totally fell off the band wagon half way though!
Lesson: For a project of this length, I need to be able to dive in right away and to be able to finish it within 10-15 minutes to make it sustainable! If I have more time great but if not, I can sill get it done.
Lesson: For a project of this length, I need to be able to dive in right away and to be able to finish it within 10-15 minutes to make it sustainable! If I have more time great but if not, I can sill get it done.
PREP & HAVE VISUALS
2020 Project: Brush lettering all the connections (aa, ab, ac, etc. for the entire alphabet!) I did all the prep (figured out what I'd be lettering each day, cut out the cards, etc.) prior to day 1.
Lesson: Prepping was so helpful because again, it allowed me to dive right in each day. Also visually seeing the progress (pinning each card onto the bulletin board as they were completed) was--and still is--very motivating and fun!
START SOMWHERE, START SMALL
2021 Project: Meditate then make one mark a day on the same canvas using 3 colors.
Lesson: Start somewhere, start small, start easy. I began with meditating for 5 minutes each day. When that felt easy, I added some more time. By the end I got up to around 20 minutes. I began with one stroke and that one mark really was the catalyst that brought me back to painting and creating! I also used a color palette I felt would make this project easier as a way of lowering the barrier and increasing my chances of doing it and completing it!
DIVE IN & LET THINGS SETTLE
2022 One mark a day—but in color! It really helped me step outside my comfort zone and sit with discomfort when I didn't like how the mark turned out.
Lesson: Sometimes we just gotta dive right in even if we are afraid it won't work out, that it'll be messy, that we'll make mistakes. Also let things be uncomfortable, let things settle. Sometimes my initial reaction would be omg this mark has ruined everything! But after stepping back for 24 hours, 100% of the time I was like, oh it's not that bad or I can work with this (which kind of reminds me of this meme lol)
GO FOR IT BUT ALSO TAKE BREAKS IF / WHEN YOU NEED TO
2022 One collage item a day inspired by what brings people joy. I so enjoyed the community aspect of this project and the challenge of interpreting a variety of things from the wind rippling through leaves to making loved ones laugh.
Lesson: When something really speaks to you (this collage idea was a suggestion from a follower on TikTok!) go for it! But also, taking breaks is OK (two 100 day projects in a row is kind of a lot lol but I'm still glad I said yes!)
TRY YOUR BEST, TRUST THE PROCESS, TRY NEW THINGS
2023 One element a day using any kind of materials and tools plus 10 minis. This is the biggest piece I’ve made and I've talked about how it was the most difficult/uncomfortable because I was combining all different things and it was a lot to consider and balance.
Lesson: Try your best then let go and TRUST THE PROCESS (this tweet tho lol) And try new things, they may bring you a lot of unexpected joy! I didn't anticipate this but I LOVED making the minis and seeing how each one turned out!