The 100 Day Project - my thoughts and learnings

Did you have already jump into challenges? Those that often run on Instagram and in with we create during some days? Yeh!!

I had already join some of them, and I always saw big growth on my art and in my commitment to create everyday. But In a big challenge like #the100daysproject I had never thought on joining it!!

This year for the first time in my art journey I jump into this big project - #the100dayproject. 

The years before I always wanted to enter, but then it seems to me so scary the enormous number of 100 days!!! :) I immediately say to me. No this is not for you. You will never get to 100 with your busy life, with kids, home, garden, work. So I always left aside for another time. Do you relate with this?

Have you already wanted to join but never did because of fears and lots of if's...?

But this year pushed by other friends we decided to jump into the project, starting a little project in this one. We wanted to create an art journaling Portuguese community because we always felt alone here in Portugal in what concerns to mixedmedia and art journaling. Is not to much known and most of the girls, like me talk in English so we never know each others.

So we decided to create the #100daysartjournalemportuguês and make a call to the Portuguese girls who would want to join us.

With this big excuse and excited with the idea of starting something in Portuguese I jump into the project.

I knew at the very beginning that I had to be very committed and organized so I could reach the end point. So I set three "rules" that helped me and turned things much easier:

• I decided to work small. I gather scraps of paper, scraps from already painted paper, mostly under paper that I collect. I rip them into little pieces and I put 100 pieces on a box. Since the papers were already with some paint, or marks was more easy to start, and create on little chunks of time.

• I decided that I wanted to create 100 pieces of art, rather than use 100 days to create. So I was no punishing me if in some day I could not create and I would create two or three at the same time if I could have more time in one day to create.

• I limit myself on supply's. Too many supply's can be overwhelming because you are thinking too much on what to use, that you will be stressed and no being free to create. 

With this three points set I was more confident and I enjoyed all the process with no stress.

All the journey was amazing. With the practice almost daily my art evolved, and I was able to discover more about my style color combinations, marks and techniques. If we commit to create in a daily basis even in small chunks of time at the end the learning time is big and practice makes perfect.

After all this project and along the journey there were things that I learn that I want to share with you:

• A challenge is always a great thingo do to commit with daily practice;

• With daily practice your skills will growth to another level;

• A big challenge can be a great test to your resilience skills and will create that sense of never give up if you commit with you and with your art;

• You will be forced to be creative because you will want to create different everyday and that will develop your creativity. So what I saw is that during my creations I come up with lots of ideas of other things (projects, techniques) that I will explore later;

• A small project, like making a little piece of art everyday can turn into a big project, because at the end you will have 100 pieces of art and you will be in a better place in your art journey, because you growth so much;

• We start creating a beautiful and awesome community that supports and encourage you and that gives you strength to continue.

•  You can create everyday alone, yes you can, but that commitment with the challenge is different then when you are creating just because.

So for me this was the biggest challenge that I ever join and the one that I had more growth as an artist. What I can tell to you is that if you consider joining  challenges it can be a milestone on your art path for sure. 

If you set your goals, if you commit with you and your art time, if you schedule that time, even if it is 5 minutes, if  you adjust the challenge to your reality thinking on an easy project that you love to do, then you will see that you made giant steps on your art practice and growth.

This was what I felt  that happen to me.

What are your thoughts on challenges? Did you ever commit to one that you saw such big results? 

I really felt that I had to write this post  because of the things that I learn and achieve. I wanted to share with you.