100 - Let's Go

100 Day Project // Collage + Photography

Nov 22, 2024

8 Things I’ve Learned | 100-Day Project

You Can Do Anything. I’m here. It’s day 100. Yes. Exhale. Alright, so I have one overwhelming feeling as I put this post together tonight: let’s go. I'm thinking… if I can do this — if I can make time for this every single day along with all of the other blah blahs I have going on, well… I can do anything. Truly! What a feeling! So what will I do with this momentum? First, I’m currently packing my camera and a shot list for my first ever trip to the UK! (How’s that for timing — I did not plan that!) And then, when I get back, I’m going to really slow down and comb through the past 100 days of work. I have a lot of ideas that burst forth over the past few months and I’m excited to explore them. The plan is to take my time and see what happens… the goal is a collection for 2025… but you know, I’m open. I’ll be sure to pop back in here every so often with updates. Let’s. Go. XO
Get It Out. If there’s a better way to feel your feelings than the act of art making I haven’t found it yet. Not that I’ve been looking.. visual art is everything I need to repel the negativity that wants to settle into my bones. No siree. Not here and not today. And now that I think of it, not just the bleh stuff but the good stuff too. Although I know creating helps me move through bleh energy, I also know it helps me to express, slow and revel in all that is good. I guess this one should be called get it out or keep it forever. Consistent art helps me with both.
Art friends keep you going. That couldn’t be more true here. I know for a fact that if I would have been doing this project on my own, I would not have finished. If you’re reading this, you’re the reason I’m still going! I’ve connected with exceptionally talented artists on this platform. This is my nod and a hearty thank you for rooting for me along the way.
Create. Share. Find your people.
It’s not always pretty. Most of the time I couldn’t wait to get downstairs. The routine was *chef’s kiss* — make a hot tea, kick off my slippers and get cozy, turn on a good show and dive in into my paper piles. Bliss! There were a few days though, where I just didn’t want to. Like I don’t even know how to explain to you how much I just wanted to go to bed. It was always because I was downright tired from a long day emphasized by my monthly cycle. Now, knowing that this project was only 100 days it felt good to hunker down and stay focused. It felt like a beautiful reminder that I’m human and that this is totally normal.
Practice makes… I would never use the word perfect, especially when it comes to making art BUT let me tell you. Practice makes you better. It smoothes out your process. It sparks ideas. Each hour is another hour spent mastering your craft. Practice builds confidence. Practice is my favorite part of a journey that never ends.
Variety for longevity. I knew if I was going to be in this for the long haul, I had to be able to switch things up here and there. I’ve needed the freedom to feel my way through this project day by day — it’s definitely what keeps me going.
As I type this though, I realize there might be artists who need consistent constraints to stay the course (maybe using a similar color palette, maybe using the same size paper everyday, etc.) and that’s totally cool too.
The only thing I knew for sure when I woke up each day was that I was going to be making something no matter what. With my camera? With paper? What materials? The variety and mystery is all part of the magic.
Let go of perfection. The project starts and you hit the ground running. Eventually you have to settle into a steady rhythm. I learned early on that if I wanted to make it 100 days I had to let go of all of the rules I made in my head. I stopped scanning and editing every single piece every single night, there were a couple times I didn’t glue the piece I put together until the following day. I even had two days where I was in bed with covid that I made diptychs from bed. There were many times that being rigid would have taken me out. Slow, steady, consistent. That was the name of the game.
Something always comes up. The hardest part of the project, hands down, was sitting down to write the actual Substack post each night. Usually it was late and at times I felt like I had absolutely nothing to say.
Then, something came up. Something always came up. Once I actually sat down, opened my laptop, hit that big orange plus sign and started a new post — something would pop into my head. Every. Single. Night.
This lesson has been huge for me since I haven’t written to my art newsletter in months. “I never have anything to say.” is an excuse I just can’t use anymore.