The 100 days project was one of the most meaningful creative challenges I’ve done and I’m so excited to share how it went! In early 2020, when the world felt uncertain, committing to a 100 days project gave me a reason to pick up my art supplies every single day and explore color, joy, and creativity and this is a project I would highly recommend to anyone, regardless of their artistic skills.
What is the 100 days Project?
The 100 days project is a free, global creativity challenge started by artist Elle Luna. The idea is simple: choose anything you want to make or do, then commit to doing it for 100 days in a row. You can read more about it here.
Many participants share their progress on social media using the hashtag #The100DayProject, which connects thousands of makers around the world.
My 100 days project: #100daysofrainbow🌈
For my 100 days project, I chose rainbows as my theme. Every day for 100 days, I created something colorful inspired by a rainbow from watercolor lettering, watecolor galaxies, and scrape painting.
Even though life sometimes got in the way (and I took a few weekend breaks), I kept coming back to this project because it felt joyful and inspiring.
Here’s what made this 100 days project special:
- Daily creative spark – Sitting down every day made creativity a habit.
- A visual journey to look back on – My photos and sketches became a colorful collection I still love.
- Community participation – Many creatives joined in with their rainbows along the way, see them all here on Instagram.
The 100 day project recap in pictures makes me smile for sure. These are just a few of my favorites from this project. Everyday I sat down, and created a new rainbow!
Why You Should Try a 100 Days Project Too
If you’ve been craving a creative boost or need motivation to practice your craft regularly, a 100 days project might be exactly what you need. It’s not about perfection, it’s about showing up and making something every single day.
Choose an art skill you have tried before and want to develop further, something that you are passionate about. Trying out something absolutely new can be tricky- it could be a hit or a miss! It also needs to be something that does not take too much time to complete each day.
A few examples: watercolor florals, procreate lettering, colorful marker doodles, floral drawing, making granny squares etc.
I would also suggest you think storage and space at this point. Like if you were to paint a small canvas a day, do you have the space to store those 100 canvases? Or would you want to sell them? Maybe switch to painting small squares of paper instead? Think through your idea for a few days before committing.
Tips for completing the entire 100 days
- Make it public: This is the first thing I do once I have a solid idea. I create a unique hashtag, and then post on social media. This allows me share and track my progress while having some accountability.
- Find a friend– I messages my friend Katie and asked her if she was doing a 100 day project. When she said yes, I thought it would be great to do a shared hashtag and hence #100daysofrainbows🌈 came to be. Doing this challenge along with a friend was way more fun than doing it alone.
- Limit your supplies: Keep it simple by pre selecting a handful of art supplies that you can reach for daily. If you have too many options to choose from each day, you will waste more time choosing than creating.
- Designate a time to create: For me, my favorite time to create in spring is around 3 to 5pm when the sun is streaming onto my kitchen table. I usually have dinner simmering and that there is my time to paint before the chaos of dinner time and bedtime starts. If I didn’t get to paint then (or earlier in the day), chances are I will skip that day and catch up the next day.
- Give yourself a lot of grace– Even with the best intentions, you might have to skip a few days here and there. Life happens. What is important is that you pick up where you stopped, be it a day later or a week later. Remember this is your 100 day project and can go at the speed you wish it to.
- Enjoy the process– This is crucial! The idea of this project is that you explore, learn and discover a new technique or skill. Or perhaps delve deeper into a skill you are already fluent in. Either way, you won’t create a piece of art each day that you love 100%. There will be flubs and oopses along the way and that is how you will learn something new. It’s all part of the project, so enjoy the process, enjoy that time you get o spend with your art supplies. Enjoy that “me time”
- Don’t quit! You will hit a slump eventually, but you just need to work through it. The first few days will be fun, since you will be full of ideas! Then towards the middle you might run out of ideas, but you have by then developed a habit of creating everyday. So do just that. Sit down, and create something- repurpose an idea, put a spin on it or just start creating and you might stumble onto something you like.
Ready to Start Your Own 100 Days Project?
Just commit, create, and share your journey. This project will push you out of your comfort zone, and you will come out on the other side as an improved artist. Here is free 100 days habit tracker pdf that will help you count off the days!
