Preparing for #the100dayproject

About 4 years ago I noticed an Instagram post by another artist about #the100dayproject. I had never heard of the project, but her post explained that she was starting a daily art project in a few days and would continue (hopefully) for 100 days straight. 

I did a bit more IG research on #the100dayproject (back when hashtags could be easily searched) and decided to join in. Now to come up with a project...

Before I continue this story a few things to know about me at the time.

• I had been steadily getting up early every morning (an hour before my then 15-month-old would wake up) to work in my studio for about 6 months, so the idea of creating every day was not intimidating to me.
• However, I was still very uncomfortable calling myself an artist and posting images of my work or anything about myself on social media.

And it was this second point that really pushed me to try the 100-day project. I figured if I had to post daily, that would help me push past this discomfort, right?

I was really struggling to come up with an idea, so ended up calling my project "100 days - 10 days at a time". One of the main points of the project is that there are no set rules, just a goal of pushing yourself creatively. I decided to work on a different medium or technique for 10 days and then switch to something else for the next 10 days and so on. 

In the end I did make it 100 days straight, but by day 60ish I found myself mainly focused on gel printing and stopped following the 10 days at a time concept.  The top image was my final gel print in the 100 days and I even posted this photo of myself with my art for the very first time.

And after 100 days I was much more...

• Confident in myself as an artist.
• Comfortable sharing my work with others.
• Connected to an artist community on Instagram.

I've wanted to come back and do another 100-day project since then, but either I didn't have an idea I really wanted to pursue or the timing just didn't seem right...until now!

This year the official #the100dayproject starts on February 23 and I'm planning to jump in with a project focused on rocks. 

While the subject matter for my project is specific, I'm keeping the medium broad. My initial plan is to gel print rocks from my collection in the style of this piece, which I completed in November. 

This type of printing is a time intensive project and one that requires a bit more planning to accomplish, so I'm leaving myself open to collage stacks or stitched rocks if I need a change of pace one week. I make the rules, right?

I've also decided to post once per week as a carousel or reel, instead of everyday. Although I may include bits in my stories daily. 

If you've never thought of trying #the100dayproject, I encourage you to go for it. It really doesn't have to be a major project, it could be 100 days of napkin doodles or whatever you want! But, you might be pleasantly surprised with the impact it could have on your creative journey.

Wish me luck!