Do you yearn for creative discipline? One way to encourage yourself to show up for creative work is to participate in a public challenge like the 100-Day Project organized by Elle Luna, on Instagram.
Even though Elle has organized her project to follow a specific schedule, you can choose to proceed at your own pace. However, if there are others following along at your rhythm, you might find this challenge more fulfilling and effective.
To begin this project you are encouraged to ask: Then you choose a creative course of action that you’ll repeat for hundred days and share the results on Instagram. The 100-Day Project focuses specifically on the process, not the end product.
My personal project: At first I was hesitant about participating in such a project. Would I have time? Would I enjoy it? Would it become to much of a pressure on my busy life? I jumped in for the sake of my painting discipline without knowing exactly what it was. It just sounded good.
I’ve chosen to paint fruits and vegetables in watercolor (action) that can be eaten raw. These are lovely subjects to paint, and are also beneficial to my health! Making a commitment to this project is a strong motivator to work every day, and incorporate more raw food into my daily diet. My project hashtag is #100daysofrawfood.
The above photograph shows my first 25 paintings in this project. Each painting measures about 7 x 7 inches and the time required to compose and paint each is from 1 to 2 hours. Materials used are Arches paper (140lb), and watercolor paints. At my Instagram account, I also share videos showing the layering process I use when painting fruits and vegetables such as mangos, spinach, strawberries, figs, and pansies.
Observations about the 100-Day Project
- I find great motivation and discipline through participating in daily challenges, but I like to take the time to develop my ideas. Instead of working with quick sketches, I prefer to stay with a subject, observing, meditating on the details, then expressing in watercolor the spirit as seen and felt in the intricacy of texture and color.
- My hundred days of DOING are consecutive. But as I want to share finished work –and many times I also make a video record of the process– my POSTING days for this project are not consecutive.
What about you? Have you participated in a creative challenge like the 100-day project? How have you encouraged and exercised your own creative discipline?