I failed at my 100 day Project. Here's why.
This is what I do instead.
I LOVE PROJECTS.
Projects are an essential gateway to going deeper into your creative practice. However, have you ever wondered why sometimes, we just can’t get them DONE?!
In 2021 I decided I wanted to commit to a 100 day Project which would be super simple, so surely, it would be EASY. The project: make one drawing every day in my sketchbook. I figured that keeping it THAT open and loose would be the key to unlocking success. My marker of success: completion of 100 days of drawing! What could go wrong?
What went well:
I started strong, excited, and got the materials lined up, a lovely new sketchbook: a take-anywhere size to make it even easier. So far so good.
I stuck to familiar, easy materials so the tools would not be a barrier to drawing.
I loved the anticipation of the drawing, figuring out what I wanted to draw that day, and keeping the subject open - it turned out to be a little visual diary. One day a view from the window, another day an object from the kitchen. The simplicity was lovely.
I loved the feeling of the shared challenge: seeing others also engaging in the same challenge is truly motivating and inspiring. The feeling of community is so great.
I loved seeing what others created.
What went badly:
I didn’t anticipate that I would get BORED.
If I missed a day, I gave myself a hard time that I had failed. (Took this to my therapist.)
I started to run out of ideas of what to draw. I know this sounds crazy - but the lack of clearly defined prompt list, or parameters of SOME sort meant that I couldn’t really prep, so I was often scrambling to draw SOMETHING just so I could tick the drawing off my ‘to-do’ list.
It became an item on a to-do list, rather than a source of joy.
I HATED sharing online. Comparisonitis, the sheer graft of posting, the emotional roller coaster of the lack of feedback, likes, ect that we get entangled with. This, every day, was too much.
I started worrying about what sort of image looked good on instagram
I lost track of why I started in the first place
It stopped being fun
Oh, and I had a 6 month old baby, was very very sleep deprived and experiencing post-partum depression. That’ll ruin most things!
So, I sacked it off. Threw in the towel. Dropped the ball. I just gave up!
I wasn’t thrilled about it, BUT I did learn some really valuable things:
Frankly, showing up to anything, every single day, for 100 consecutive days, is just not my thing. It’s just TOO MANY DAYS. I resent having to show up to brushing my hair every day. (Mostly, I don’t.)
I wasn’t actually doing a PROJECT, but I was trying to cultivate a HABIT. That was a very important realisation, and distinction.
In truth, sketchbooking and showing up for my art had already been established in my life as a habit. I’d been drawing constantly in preparation for, and during my pregnancy. I even packed my art materials in my hospital bag as birth prep. (Of course, they didn’t see the light of day, haha.) So my plan for the 100 day project wasn’t really needed.
Despite post-partum challenges, I was actually experiencing one of the most creatively rich, inspiring and prolific times of my life. My brain was fizzling with excitement and I was often at my desk filling pages in my sketchbook.
My experience of art making is always better when I am not thinking about instagram.
All that said, I LOVE the 100 Day Project for EVERYONE ELSE. I’m thrilled to see the work. I just know its not for me, and that ok.
✨ Here’s what works for me ✨
A clear brief, with parameters to work within (no surprises there! After all, I am a Designer!)
A clear timeframe: Start, middle and end of deadline. Flexibility to show up as and when I need to, within the timeframe.
Go deep into one subject. Focus on one theme, and I will find many possible ways in.
Avoid Art FOMO: Know that it is OK to not show up to all the exciting art events, if it means I make progress on my project. Time is limited, so I have to make those hard choices! (This one is the HARDEST OF ALL!)
I don’t share online (IG). I stay away from anything that will make me doubt my work, is algorithmically driven or that can provoke negative self talk. I just don’t need the noise. Instead, I share in a private group, with my peers for constructive feedback. Luckily, I have lots of incredible creative people in my life who understand when I need fresh eyes and helpful criticism.
IF you need to work to a brief, in a community, with opportunities to share, get constructive feedback and share in a private, supportive space then join our community. We are collectively working through our first project together.
You can join anytime
You are not ‘behind’
You can adapt the brief to work to you
Commit to a year of project making, and let’s go deep. You don’t have to do this alone. You don’t need to share online. You will have cheerleaders!
The feedback so far has been amazing!
➡️ 🎨 The current posts for our first Project can be found here. The theme is ANIMALS! (Did you guess?)
📆 💻 Sign up to the next Round Table Session, this week, Tuesday 25th February. (Click to register - paid)
Topic for discussion & share: Breakthrough work! Bring along a piece of work that was a personal breakthrough in some way, a game changer, the discovery piece! I’m looking forward to being inspired by you all!
If you’re new here, welcome! You can navigate everything on the Contents page.
Is 100 days too many days for you? I want to know I’m not alone!!
Why don't more people talk about the boredom?? I struggled last year because I set myself a similar task, just draw in my sketchbook every day. No prompts. No themes. No idea of what I wanted to practice or improve at. It was was aimless and wandering, and sometimes that really helped me but other times it made the boredom that much more tedious and I just had to "get the day over with". I'm trying again this year, but I've set myself 10 themes with daily prompts to see if more limitations and direction will help me stay engaged and also more project focused than simply building a sketching habit like you mentioned!
So good to read Raj! I did it in 2023 and it was a surprise to get it finish bc I have tried it before and gave up too! I usually prefer smaller challenges, 100 days is incredibly long 😄 boredom is a real thing, isn’t it? my mind sometimes is like a monkey in a jungle!! I only manage to finish it in 2023 bc I didn’t share it online everyday and I chose a very specific subject - making little cutouts.