I've just committed to one 15 minute sketch a day, and I think the time limit really helps me with my perfectionism. And I've only challenged myself to a week, to get back in the habit of painting - I'll report how it goes! 😁
This resonates so much with me Raj—all the will in the world to do something creative for a decent amount of time, driven along by that feeling of being involved in something with others, but it turns into work after the first decent amount of time. I got like it when I was drawing people in cafes, boredom sent me to do it, yet oddly, boredom is what made me stop. I can’t work out if it’s the act itself (probably) or the feeling of dread of putting things on Instagram to try and build up a following but getting nowhere (probably) 😭.
I just kinda know I can’t do it any more.
When you do something purely for the joy of doing it, it should never feel like a chore—and if it creeps into being one, that’s the red flag for me to just bloody stop. Anyway, yes, you’re deffo not alone in thinking the 100 day challenge isn’t for them!
Thanks for reading Steve! It's gotta be a about keeping the joy. Your people in cafes drawings were amazing! Maybe the boredom sunk in when it came to a natural conclusion. The feeling of dread from Instagram is DEFINITLY something that dirties the water - when you just create without thinking about sharing, its just SO different. You just feel free to focus on the work, and the experience of making.
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.
wow - do you think not sharing was a big factor in completing? That is so interesting. Are you doing it this year? Or do you already have so much to do!
No doubt! What kills me in sharing online (specially IG, which I don’t feel the same as sharing here on Notes at least yet) is the pressure to make it nice and ‘in time’! I may have started it 🤫 and you are definitely right I have too many things already on me (I should restrain myself more!) 😬
I have done it for many years and dropped the ball a few times . A lot of good work comes out of it for me each year . It does start a habit for sure , and I def paint or draw every day now for work and pleasure
That's great to hear. Have you always created a different type of project? Has it been broad or more foccussed? I'd love to know how you chose the project?
Several years a friend and I did it together . During Covid we did 200 days , and exchanged our sketchbooks at the end . Years ago , I did one days of wildflowers and covered my old studio / guest bedroom with them ( photos ended up in Uppercase Magazine ) and I sold a ton of those just through Instagram . We did 100 days of positive affirmations and 100 days of collage , which was super hard . I have done 100 days of flowers , 100 days of birds bugs and blooms and one year was all about doing a page a day of an illustrated journal . I always do a specific hash tag and it’s super fun to look back on them . This year it’s #100daysofrevisitingoldwork where I am going through the archives and old sketchbooks and redoing old work and ideas . The 100 day project has been really good for me
Ten years ago I did the 100 Day Project, painting faces from Marco Anelli's photos of the participants at Marina Abramovic's performance The Artist is Present. (I mentioned that it had changed my life on some post where both you and Beth Spencer asked me how. I did answer... but I don't remember where that is now!)
Long story short, I did do the 100 days and it did change my life. I was looking for a way to get myself back into making artwork, and boy, did it ever work. But I don't think I'd be able to do it now, and I *certainly* wouldn't have been able to do it with a baby! When my daughter was a baby, I was lucky if I managed to shower.
It's interesting to read you and others talking about being bored. I think part of what spurred me on was that I definitely *wasn't* bored, because I was painting in ink, which was new to me, and I was watching my skills grow with portrait painting. I was totally into it. But these paintings were taking me 3 or 4 hours to complete each day. There's no way I could have done that if I had anything else major going on in my life, or if I had a job. It was a particular time in my life.
I've since tried a couple of times to participate in Inktober, and I've never gotten past 5 days!
YES I recall you telling us about the amazing project you did! It is pretty spectacular how it can be SO transformative! And I am impressed you stayed motivated through it all, but it sounds like you really found a wonderful framework for your idea.
Thanks for your honesty around the reality of the commitment. There are times I wondered if I COULD have done it, and at the time I was certainly tough on myself, and I saw it as a failing. But my big lesson was to be realistic about the capacity I had. There was value in giving it a go, I DID learn a lot!
I'm always so interested in how others experience the juggle of all the things we want to do with our time, and how we make creative work fit in to all the responsibilities. It's really helpful to be honest about when it does not work, so thanks for sharing!
I did it last year, the whole 100 days and surprised myself because I'm not a stickler and get bored very easily. I chose to make an abstract painting in my sketchbook every day. I wanted to give up several times but then would scribble something quickly and then turn it into a doodle. Some successful, some not so much. This year I really can't think of something that I could keep up for a week, never mind 100 days.🤷🏼♀️
EDIT….. I’ve been looking at the posts and other comments about the 100 day project and I’m actually considering it again. I’m not expecting to do the whole thing because I don’t like the pressure but we’ll see!
So impressed that you manage the whole 100! It must have been such a satisfying feeling, and part of me is jealous! Do you feel like it opened up anything new in your work, or helped to facilitate big changes? Has it impacted the way you make work now?
It definitely did. After the project ended I went on to make an abstract painting on canvas that now hangs in my hallway.☺️ Hmm....it's got me thinking!
Such a great, honest read! You’re right about the daily sharing on IG, it makes the whole experience so stressful! I always found I would start to focus on what I thought would get likes - completely the wrong approach to drawing!
YUP - 'sharing as you go' is terrible for me! I know some people do a photo dump once a week, but it is still REALLY hard not to be influenced by what 'works' on a small screen at a fast scroll. That's not what I want to influence my work!
Love this Raj. Lots of it resonates. Ohh and the postnatal sleep deprivation 🥺
I heard a term from Oliver Burkeman, ‘daily-ish’ which I like as it reminds me that I have to have some routine and regularity but also some forgiving flex into any habit or endeavour. x
I really enjoyed this post - I was thinking about trying the 100 day challenge but I wasn't sure... It's interesting that you point out that in 100 days you're trying to build a habit not working on a project. I like the sound of 100 days in theory but it's quite a long time to keep something up for without more structure!
It's a long commitment, and I think its great when there is a clear plan, and something that you want to achieve at the end of it. Otherwise it can be tough. What ideas do you have for your project?
I'm trying to draw mothers for a illustration project I'm working on. But being a mother myself of a little baby it's hard to find the time! I always really enjoy your emails though
I relate to hard hard it is to find time! I hope your project goes really well, but that you also get good sleep! (The dream!). Thank you for your kind words!
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!
I had to laugh (you know, in that nervous jittery way) when I read your post this morning because I've just chosen a super easy and simple project for the 100 day project. In the past my rules and boundaries around my project have stopped me creating on the days that life is hard. But time will tell if this new approach works for me or not! I 100% agree about the social media side of it though, that is hard and not good for the mindset around play and experimenting.
Well done for giving it another go! I gave up after trying it only once! Maybe this time it WILL work for you? This was just a big realisation of what didn't work for me, and it helped me to define what COULD work. So, its all trial and error!
The first time I tried it I had an almost one year old who never slept well and then lockdown happened so I just couldnt cope with anything extra. But the second time I definitely had too many rules. My main goal this time is to have more awareness around what is working and what is not, and hopefully the ability to adapt as I go. As long as we learn from our experiences it’s all good eh!
I've just committed to one 15 minute sketch a day, and I think the time limit really helps me with my perfectionism. And I've only challenged myself to a week, to get back in the habit of painting - I'll report how it goes! 😁
This resonates so much with me Raj—all the will in the world to do something creative for a decent amount of time, driven along by that feeling of being involved in something with others, but it turns into work after the first decent amount of time. I got like it when I was drawing people in cafes, boredom sent me to do it, yet oddly, boredom is what made me stop. I can’t work out if it’s the act itself (probably) or the feeling of dread of putting things on Instagram to try and build up a following but getting nowhere (probably) 😭.
I just kinda know I can’t do it any more.
When you do something purely for the joy of doing it, it should never feel like a chore—and if it creeps into being one, that’s the red flag for me to just bloody stop. Anyway, yes, you’re deffo not alone in thinking the 100 day challenge isn’t for them!
Thanks for reading Steve! It's gotta be a about keeping the joy. Your people in cafes drawings were amazing! Maybe the boredom sunk in when it came to a natural conclusion. The feeling of dread from Instagram is DEFINITLY something that dirties the water - when you just create without thinking about sharing, its just SO different. You just feel free to focus on the work, and the experience of making.
God, I hate Instagram so much - hahah!
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.
wow - do you think not sharing was a big factor in completing? That is so interesting. Are you doing it this year? Or do you already have so much to do!
No doubt! What kills me in sharing online (specially IG, which I don’t feel the same as sharing here on Notes at least yet) is the pressure to make it nice and ‘in time’! I may have started it 🤫 and you are definitely right I have too many things already on me (I should restrain myself more!) 😬
I have done it for many years and dropped the ball a few times . A lot of good work comes out of it for me each year . It does start a habit for sure , and I def paint or draw every day now for work and pleasure
That's great to hear. Have you always created a different type of project? Has it been broad or more foccussed? I'd love to know how you chose the project?
Several years a friend and I did it together . During Covid we did 200 days , and exchanged our sketchbooks at the end . Years ago , I did one days of wildflowers and covered my old studio / guest bedroom with them ( photos ended up in Uppercase Magazine ) and I sold a ton of those just through Instagram . We did 100 days of positive affirmations and 100 days of collage , which was super hard . I have done 100 days of flowers , 100 days of birds bugs and blooms and one year was all about doing a page a day of an illustrated journal . I always do a specific hash tag and it’s super fun to look back on them . This year it’s #100daysofrevisitingoldwork where I am going through the archives and old sketchbooks and redoing old work and ideas . The 100 day project has been really good for me
Ten years ago I did the 100 Day Project, painting faces from Marco Anelli's photos of the participants at Marina Abramovic's performance The Artist is Present. (I mentioned that it had changed my life on some post where both you and Beth Spencer asked me how. I did answer... but I don't remember where that is now!)
Long story short, I did do the 100 days and it did change my life. I was looking for a way to get myself back into making artwork, and boy, did it ever work. But I don't think I'd be able to do it now, and I *certainly* wouldn't have been able to do it with a baby! When my daughter was a baby, I was lucky if I managed to shower.
It's interesting to read you and others talking about being bored. I think part of what spurred me on was that I definitely *wasn't* bored, because I was painting in ink, which was new to me, and I was watching my skills grow with portrait painting. I was totally into it. But these paintings were taking me 3 or 4 hours to complete each day. There's no way I could have done that if I had anything else major going on in my life, or if I had a job. It was a particular time in my life.
I've since tried a couple of times to participate in Inktober, and I've never gotten past 5 days!
YES I recall you telling us about the amazing project you did! It is pretty spectacular how it can be SO transformative! And I am impressed you stayed motivated through it all, but it sounds like you really found a wonderful framework for your idea.
Thanks for your honesty around the reality of the commitment. There are times I wondered if I COULD have done it, and at the time I was certainly tough on myself, and I saw it as a failing. But my big lesson was to be realistic about the capacity I had. There was value in giving it a go, I DID learn a lot!
I'm always so interested in how others experience the juggle of all the things we want to do with our time, and how we make creative work fit in to all the responsibilities. It's really helpful to be honest about when it does not work, so thanks for sharing!
I did it last year, the whole 100 days and surprised myself because I'm not a stickler and get bored very easily. I chose to make an abstract painting in my sketchbook every day. I wanted to give up several times but then would scribble something quickly and then turn it into a doodle. Some successful, some not so much. This year I really can't think of something that I could keep up for a week, never mind 100 days.🤷🏼♀️
EDIT….. I’ve been looking at the posts and other comments about the 100 day project and I’m actually considering it again. I’m not expecting to do the whole thing because I don’t like the pressure but we’ll see!
So impressed that you manage the whole 100! It must have been such a satisfying feeling, and part of me is jealous! Do you feel like it opened up anything new in your work, or helped to facilitate big changes? Has it impacted the way you make work now?
It definitely did. After the project ended I went on to make an abstract painting on canvas that now hangs in my hallway.☺️ Hmm....it's got me thinking!
That’s VERY cool.
Such a great, honest read! You’re right about the daily sharing on IG, it makes the whole experience so stressful! I always found I would start to focus on what I thought would get likes - completely the wrong approach to drawing!
YUP - 'sharing as you go' is terrible for me! I know some people do a photo dump once a week, but it is still REALLY hard not to be influenced by what 'works' on a small screen at a fast scroll. That's not what I want to influence my work!
Love this Raj. Lots of it resonates. Ohh and the postnatal sleep deprivation 🥺
I heard a term from Oliver Burkeman, ‘daily-ish’ which I like as it reminds me that I have to have some routine and regularity but also some forgiving flex into any habit or endeavour. x
Oooh YES I love 'Daily-ish' - that's much kinder and more human, right? LOVE Oliver Burkeman's work.
Are you still in the depths of sleep deprivation? Sending you strength!!! x
I really enjoyed this post - I was thinking about trying the 100 day challenge but I wasn't sure... It's interesting that you point out that in 100 days you're trying to build a habit not working on a project. I like the sound of 100 days in theory but it's quite a long time to keep something up for without more structure!
It's a long commitment, and I think its great when there is a clear plan, and something that you want to achieve at the end of it. Otherwise it can be tough. What ideas do you have for your project?
I'm trying to draw mothers for a illustration project I'm working on. But being a mother myself of a little baby it's hard to find the time! I always really enjoy your emails though
I relate to hard hard it is to find time! I hope your project goes really well, but that you also get good sleep! (The dream!). Thank you for your kind words!
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!
It's just SO. MANY. DAYS!!!!! 10 themes is a great idea though! Love that!
I had to laugh (you know, in that nervous jittery way) when I read your post this morning because I've just chosen a super easy and simple project for the 100 day project. In the past my rules and boundaries around my project have stopped me creating on the days that life is hard. But time will tell if this new approach works for me or not! I 100% agree about the social media side of it though, that is hard and not good for the mindset around play and experimenting.
Well done for giving it another go! I gave up after trying it only once! Maybe this time it WILL work for you? This was just a big realisation of what didn't work for me, and it helped me to define what COULD work. So, its all trial and error!
The first time I tried it I had an almost one year old who never slept well and then lockdown happened so I just couldnt cope with anything extra. But the second time I definitely had too many rules. My main goal this time is to have more awareness around what is working and what is not, and hopefully the ability to adapt as I go. As long as we learn from our experiences it’s all good eh!
Yeah totally! I really do see the value in it, when you have a plan! Maybe third time lucky?
Fingers crossed :)