Completing #The100DayProject As An Artist

Completing "The 100 Day Project" was very beneficial for my own personal development and practice within my work. With the daily stresses of running a business, certain tasks begin to take over quiet moments. As the to-do list lengthens, you find yourself cutting out anything that you consider 'unproductive'; that yoga class every morning, cooking dinner, watching a sunrise, journaling with coffee, and maybe even creating something just to create.

I have been a lover and supporter of Elle Luna since the debut of her book, The Crossroads Of Should And Must, and always wondered what it might be like to complete the 100 days. Friends had done it and developed their work in new ways. Others had tried and given up halfway through. After a few weeks of back and forth, I decided that the only way to know was to actually try. What harm could come from it? I was in need of a refreshing personal project. Something just for me.

With goal setting, I've always been taught to speak it out loud. If you're nervous that you won't follow through, tell a friend, tell a stranger, just send it out so that the universe holds you accountable. I knew that announcing my commitment to the project on social media would be the only way I could push myself to follow through, even when it became difficult. Knowing that others were watching was the first push I needed to begin.

Choosing a medium and subject really was the easiest part for me. The figure was the study I was going back to in my work. Ink pen was the original drawing medium in which I had been taught as a child. And adding color, in some form of abstract stroke, kept it fun and interesting. A form of mindless play. I never worried about the composition or palette. Whatever I had, I used. Whatever I felt, I created.

The most interesting part about this project was that so much changed depending on the day. I never really gave much thought to how much can happen in the course of 100 days. There's days you don't feel like doing much of anything. Hard days. Emotional days. There are days of travel and those you want to shut your brain off. Days of deadlines, days of no sleep. Days of visiting family or celebrations. But still, I made a commitment. And I learned that pushing through and keeping that practice whole can really make a positive impact on your mentality and emotional connection to your work. It became a form of mediation. Those simple moments, no matter what time of day. They were for me. No one else. I craved them. I began needing them.

Working through this project from the start date to end was helpful and encouraging. You cheer on others who are creating with you. You search hashtags and discover new work you've never seen before. I highly encourage anyone to take part; whether you write or paint or sing or craft. It may just be the reset button you need.

Below are some of my favorite studies from my 100 days. Did you participate in this project? Comment below to share your project and social handle!