The 100 Day Project, Past and Present

Learning and growing as an artist through creative challenges

Hi friends,

Do you know about The 100 Day Project? It’s an annual art project during which people around the globe commit to 100 days of creating. This year’s challenge officially kicked off on February 18th, and I decided at the last minute that I would participate.

I’ve done the 100 Day Project a few times before. The first time was in 2018, when I set out to illustrate 100 poems in 100 days. It was not only my first time doing the 100 Day Project, but also the ONLY time I’ve actually completed it.

Illustration for Little Miss Muffet

I participated again in 2019. My project was to draw 100 characters. I made it 60 days that time, which is not too bad. I drew a lot of different types of characters and attempted many different styles. If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while, you’ve seen some of them here! Recognize this one?

In 2020 my project was 100 days of word art. I created word art with Bible verses, lines from favorite stories, common phrases, and words like landscape, pizza, and cats.

Yes, occasionally I do use color.

I made it a mere 43 days for that one. Still…that’s longer than Inktober, so a big win in my book. Plus, I try not to think of “failing” these types of challenges as failures. As long as I’m stretching myself, growing as an artist, and having fun, it’s a success.

Since 2020, though, I haven’t attempted the 100 Day Challenge. Until this year.

My life has changed a lot since 2020, partly because of the death of my mother, but even more so because of the births of FOUR grandchildren, with number five due in only a couple of days! During these years I’ve thought wistfully of the challenge, but life has been such a mix of blessings and hardships over the past few years, with last year being particularly difficult, so I just haven’t had the mental space to tackle it.

And I didn’t think I could manage it this year either. So every time I saw the 100 Day Project Newsletter in my inbox in the weeks leading up to it, I deleted the message with a sad little sigh.

But then I realized something. With a little help and inspiration from

Ten Minute Artist with Adam Ming

I’ve committed to daily sketchbook practice. So, why not do something simple and intentional that I could do for 100 days straight, especially if I’m going to be drawing in my sketchbook every day (or mostly every day) anyway? So, on February 18, 2024, the first day of The 100 Day Project, I decided that I would draw ten things every day for 100 days! Ten things may sound like a lot, but it’s usually ten of the same thing drawn in different ways. But I like to mix it up depending on how much time I have. For me, flexibility is key.

I started by drawing ten suns.

Then ten leafy plants.

For the next few days I combined my project with one of

Adam Ming

’s micro lessons by drawing a character among my items, like this one with ten (plus) cacti:

So for the past 30 days, I’ve been filling my sketchbook with pages and pages of various things. Things like trees, flowers, desserts, owls, cups, and cats! One day, when I was tired and had very limited time, I drew very basic faces with ten different expressions. Yesterday I drew ten simple clouds.

It’s been working really well so far. I’ve only missed two days, I think. And one of those days was because I was having so much fun learning how to use Procreate on my new iPad that I forgot!

This challenge has been enlightening so far. I’m forcing myself to get a little uncomfortable and try drawing things different ways. For example, this page of penguins started out with a few realistic sketches from photos of real penguins. But then I made myself draw some stylized versions.

Believe it or not, I’m much more comfortable as an artist when drawing things the “right” way. So this project is another way to help myself loosen up, have fun, and learn to trust my own creativity.

I’m looking forward to the next 70 days!

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What about you? Have you challenged your own creativity recently?

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Reminder: Mari in the Margins, my middle grade novel in verse (and doodles) is now available for pre-order through Bandersnatch Books. In this book, some of Mari’s doodles are word art! Are you surprised?