Where did my 100 Day Project Go?

Back in June I started my 3rd 100 days project:   Mark-making (aka sketching) using a variety of tools on paper. 

Wondering what happened to it?

On Day #50 I posted the first 50 of the sketches. 

And then I went on vacation – to Malaysia – for 3 weeks. 

I briefly considered bringing along my sketching supplies and continuing my projects.  And by briefly, I mean I didn’t even consider it.  I had no desire to burden my vacation with a requirement that I needed to do a daily sketch.

So I put the entire project on hold while I was away.  Earlier I had decided not to exhibit the work so it was an easy decision to put the project on hold for 3 weeks.

Are 100 Day Projects Realistic?

Before I share what happened with my project, I want to write a bit about my view of 100 day projects.

Prior to 2015, I never considered doing any sort of “one a day” type projects. 

Here’s the reality – there are very few things I do daily. 

When I started my first 100 day project –  this is what I wrote: 

“The idea behind this project is to make 1 per day.  Every day.  For 100 days.

I knew going into this work that making 1 work a day wasn’t realistic for me.  This isn’t how I work.

I don’t make one artwork to completion and then start the next.  I’m more of a batch worker.

I also like to take vacations every now and again and taking my work with me is rather challenging.

Yet I wanted to do to this project along with hundreds of other New Zealanders as it felt like a really go way of getting back to my studio after the move.

So I decided I’m doing this 100 day project on my own terms.

I will complete 100 textile paintings by the end of the 100 days – working on the project every day that I am home, which will be most days.”

In reality it took me another month beyond 100 days to complete that project.  I took breaks, went on vacation, then I’d complete 3 or more a day to “catch up”.  At one point I was more than 25 days behind and I considered giving up.  But I was loving the project and had committed to an exhibition.

The project was a huge commitment of time.  The only thing I worked on during those 130+ days was the project.  Which was fine as I was getting myself back to work in my Studio after moving to New Zealand.

In 2017 I signed up again – knowing much more about what I was getting myself into.  So I made simpler work.  Instead of 3-6 hours each day I did a project that took 2-3 hours a day to complete. 

And still, I took vacations, I worked in batches, I didn’t make 1 a day.  It is just not how I work. 

While on the marketing side of things I made it sound very pretty – I was making work while I was on vacation – I had the work all finished in time for exhibit – yay me. 

The reality is that it stressed me out again to have fallen behind.  Again – I was more than 20 days behind at one point.  Vacations, even if I’m making a bit of work here and there, really cut into this sort of project.  And I really dislike that feeling of needing to “catch up.”

And again it was pretty disruptive – I couldn’t work on much else in the studio for 1/3 of the year as my time was committed to the 100 day project.

So when 2018 rolled around I looked for something that took even less time – hence the sketching.  And it was less disruptive – using a different media.

I considered skipping it altogether since I didn’t want a distraction to my studio time, but I had previously committed to leading a group and felt it wouldn’t be good to not participate. 

Within a few days of the 2018 sketching project starting, I went out of town for an art exhibition and immediately fell behind.   I  did manage to catch up AND it was disruptive to my regular studio practice.  Definitely not what I wanted.  I started resenting the project.

So are these types of projects realistic?  For me – I would say it is a resounding No. 

Yes – there is value in stretching oneself and I think there are ways to do it without the unnecessary expectation of making work every day for 100 days.  I travel too much to ever be home that many days in a row!

From Project to Habit

What has become of my 100 day project?  It has morphed into a sketching habit. Which was my goal all along.  To be more consistent with my sketching for my artwork.

While I don’t sketch daily – I don’t need that pressure – I do sketch frequently.  It is a habit.  It is part of my artistic process.

Sometimes I do a small sketch on paper like I did with my 100 day project.  I’m also exploring larger sketches.  And I sketch in my sketchbooks. 

During my open studio in November, I shared some of the sketches from my 100 day project. 

Because they were not for sale, they were an excellent conversation starter. 

Completing the 100 Sketches

In addition to all of the above – I’m a huge believer in completion.  There is a magic to it.  And so I have set a goal to complete my 100 sketches by end of the month.  Only 13 more to go.  I’ll post images of them all when I get to the end.