I love that line about “you must be willing to be bad.” I think Sandi Hester acknowledges this in an interview (I think it was Sneaky Artist) and said “if I have to make all this bad work, I’m at least gonna have fun doing it!” If that ain’t genius, I don’t know what is. 😄
Am at a little more than halfway in. I am outside everyday. I draw every day. I am sugar-free every day. The drawing is the challenge. It continues to be a matter of drawing sooner rather than later. Sometimes my default is to do Wendy McNaughton's Draw Together, either podcast or Grown Up Table. But I find myself questioning, "Does this count? Is this really drawing?" Am not sure where those questions are coming from. Yesterday I bought a box of crayons. Thinking of deliberately using them with my drawings. When I don't question, I realize that what matters is moving my pencil on the paper. Curious to know how other people are doing. Thanks for your post, Lisa
I'm 11 days in, drawing in my sketchbook every day. Chart printed out and taped to the cabinet by my desk, and I X every day... all that's missing is the gold star stickers. I'm really enjoying it so much... I've been trying to nudge myself back into a drawing practice and this is doing some of the lifting for me, go figure. I'm sucking less, for sure.
Some days sucking, some days not, but still keeping up with it because it's mostly fun and I like a challenge. I did seven days of drawing things around the house, mostly little art objects inherited from my parents. a watercolor of a scene from outside. And some doodling from my head. Also, I've gotten my small art kit stocked right and easily accessible, which isn't nothing!
In 2019 I needed something to help me get up in the morning. I found a calendar of Hiroshige prints, so decided to fill a calendar box each day by copying-drawing something Japanese with a fountain pen, using one color per box. It helped that all I had to do was fill that little box. That most decisions were set in advance.
What to draw? Patterns, bits from manga/anime/video games, typography, origami… My day started becoming an inspiration, and the calendar also gave me something to look for during daily life. I'd see a rat in the subway station, and then look for Japanese drawings of rats. In turn, my calendar became an inspiration for when I wanted to make something. Japanese bedcover patterns became designs I knitted in a hat. Through this exercise, I discovered new artists, designers, authors, printing and fabric-making techniques. I discovered that Rainbow Brite was drawn by Japanese.
i loved reading this! "It helped that all I had to do was fill that little box." I also liked the way this connected with your day-to-day life--the rat, the knitting.
> Something small, every day, can turn into something big
Boy, do I hear you on this! I like to keep a writing habit. Not for career goals, but more because it's a worthwhile thinking practice as well as a worthwhile mental health practice. A friend has a similar feeling about drawing, so we built something to help us keep up with ourselves, write some notes about progress, and politely encourage each other. And now I'm writing more consistently! https://doevery.day/bjhess
My primary form of writing is in a nightly journal. This allows me to be pretty low key with my expectations. While right now the writing is pretty boring (usually just descriptions of my day), my hope with this small bit of daily writing is that it turns into something bigger down the road. My body and mind might start to realize how valuable the writing is to my daily happiness. My creativity might start flowing one night here or one night there. Maybe it will turn into blog posts or articles or just longer-form, valuable writing for myself. It will take time, though, before it turns into something big. And that's okay!
Excellent points. I'm 12 years sober so I love the "one day at a time" advice. It's grotesquely simple and yet totally true, both in sobriety and in writing. And I love the "Steal Like an Artist"/Seinfeld quote. Forming a regular writing discipline is crucial, for sure. As a writer myself I know that first-hand. As a book editor I've witnessed hundreds of new, driven writers nevertheless give up because they can't seem to convince themselves to sit down at the desk on a consistent basis. Like Stephen King says in "On Writing": "Discipline and constant work are the whetstones upon which the dull knife of talent is honed until it becomes sharp enough, hopefully, to cut through even the toughest meat and gristle.”
Michael Mohr
Substack: "The Incompatibility of Being Alive" & "Sincere American Writing"
I did 3 times 100 days challenges on Instagram to help me get better at my craft (lettering and type design) but also to change my relationship with Instagram. By having a prompt saying that I had to post even if my drawing was shitty. It really helped me change my mind and now I feel way more freed from this algorithm addiction :)
I won’t have time to do a challenge this month but I really want to dig into illustration so I may do it in December drawing one object a day.
Thanks for that newsletter I just became a paid subscriber today :)
I've successfully completed several daily challenges - so I want to flip this and NOT do something for 30 days. I plan to reduce my endless social media scrolling to the bare minimum. My hope is that will be long enough to form a good habit. Any suggestions to help me do this would be appreciated.
The thing I try really hard to do is keep my phone out of reach in the morning. Sometimes to wake up I'll read whatever I was reading on my Kindle before I went to bed. I find that if I can keep off my phone for the first hour of the day, the rest is easier.
Yes!! I started doing daily projects in 2015 when the 100 Day Project first kicked off as an instagram community challenge. Since then, I've tried to do one every year (100DP, Inktober, 36daysoftype). They've pulled me out of countless creative slumps and given me a vibrant, soul-filling creative practice. One of the best things I've ever done for myself! Finding the space for daily creative work is tough but it's an amazing way to learn how you learn, see your skills improve incrementally, and sort out natural checkpoints for process documentation.
p.s. If you try a daily project and miss a day or two, keep going!! My favorite series I've ever made was a 100 Day Project that took over 250 days. Once the project is done and you see the pile of what came of it, you forget about the days you "missed." Consistency is important but so is rest! 😴
I'm going to do a 30-day writing challenge. I will either respond to a prompt or work on existing essays for 20 minutes every day. Thanks for the push!
I love this challenge and this community of thoughtful people. For my first 30-day challenge, I did Artist Way morning pages, and it was transformative! I just kept going. I've also done a 30-day challenge of Yoga with Adrienne, and that was great too.
I want to do this challenge this month! I have never done this before, but feel ready. So my goal is 2 fold. I want to make art every day, and at least 2 days/week start writing again. I just started working on a poem, but also love to write short stories. Today I made a Christmas card out of cardstock and modeling paste. It came out well, and it will be dry by tomorrow, then it can be tinted with ink. I have time to make art whenever I want, but having a goal this month is intriguing, and like everyone, I want to suck less. This is such a great idea, and I am excited to be participating. I love your books and newsletter, Austin. Every week I am inspired by the 10 things worth sharing. And your books are so positive. I have them, and also have given them as gifts. Thanks for this challenge. Great timing for me.
Thanks for the reminder about challenges. I tried it a few years ago when I first read your books. I drew the same pinecone every day for 30 days… different media… different angles. Then I got really ambitious and decided to do a collage a day based on things I see on my daily run. Challenging but good. My run streak has lasted the longest so far… 1400 days and counting. I’d better get to it before today ends.
I love that line about “you must be willing to be bad.” I think Sandi Hester acknowledges this in an interview (I think it was Sneaky Artist) and said “if I have to make all this bad work, I’m at least gonna have fun doing it!” If that ain’t genius, I don’t know what is. 😄
Thanks. I needed that!
Am at a little more than halfway in. I am outside everyday. I draw every day. I am sugar-free every day. The drawing is the challenge. It continues to be a matter of drawing sooner rather than later. Sometimes my default is to do Wendy McNaughton's Draw Together, either podcast or Grown Up Table. But I find myself questioning, "Does this count? Is this really drawing?" Am not sure where those questions are coming from. Yesterday I bought a box of crayons. Thinking of deliberately using them with my drawings. When I don't question, I realize that what matters is moving my pencil on the paper. Curious to know how other people are doing. Thanks for your post, Lisa
I'm 11 days in, drawing in my sketchbook every day. Chart printed out and taped to the cabinet by my desk, and I X every day... all that's missing is the gold star stickers. I'm really enjoying it so much... I've been trying to nudge myself back into a drawing practice and this is doing some of the lifting for me, go figure. I'm sucking less, for sure.
Thanks for your post, Lisa. Am curious to know how other people are doing with this.
Some days sucking, some days not, but still keeping up with it because it's mostly fun and I like a challenge. I did seven days of drawing things around the house, mostly little art objects inherited from my parents. a watercolor of a scene from outside. And some doodling from my head. Also, I've gotten my small art kit stocked right and easily accessible, which isn't nothing!
In 2019 I needed something to help me get up in the morning. I found a calendar of Hiroshige prints, so decided to fill a calendar box each day by copying-drawing something Japanese with a fountain pen, using one color per box. It helped that all I had to do was fill that little box. That most decisions were set in advance.
What to draw? Patterns, bits from manga/anime/video games, typography, origami… My day started becoming an inspiration, and the calendar also gave me something to look for during daily life. I'd see a rat in the subway station, and then look for Japanese drawings of rats. In turn, my calendar became an inspiration for when I wanted to make something. Japanese bedcover patterns became designs I knitted in a hat. Through this exercise, I discovered new artists, designers, authors, printing and fabric-making techniques. I discovered that Rainbow Brite was drawn by Japanese.
i loved reading this! "It helped that all I had to do was fill that little box." I also liked the way this connected with your day-to-day life--the rat, the knitting.
> Something small, every day, can turn into something big
Boy, do I hear you on this! I like to keep a writing habit. Not for career goals, but more because it's a worthwhile thinking practice as well as a worthwhile mental health practice. A friend has a similar feeling about drawing, so we built something to help us keep up with ourselves, write some notes about progress, and politely encourage each other. And now I'm writing more consistently! https://doevery.day/bjhess
My primary form of writing is in a nightly journal. This allows me to be pretty low key with my expectations. While right now the writing is pretty boring (usually just descriptions of my day), my hope with this small bit of daily writing is that it turns into something bigger down the road. My body and mind might start to realize how valuable the writing is to my daily happiness. My creativity might start flowing one night here or one night there. Maybe it will turn into blog posts or articles or just longer-form, valuable writing for myself. It will take time, though, before it turns into something big. And that's okay!
Thank you Austin!
Friends tell me I should do a podcast - this may be my month.
Excellent points. I'm 12 years sober so I love the "one day at a time" advice. It's grotesquely simple and yet totally true, both in sobriety and in writing. And I love the "Steal Like an Artist"/Seinfeld quote. Forming a regular writing discipline is crucial, for sure. As a writer myself I know that first-hand. As a book editor I've witnessed hundreds of new, driven writers nevertheless give up because they can't seem to convince themselves to sit down at the desk on a consistent basis. Like Stephen King says in "On Writing": "Discipline and constant work are the whetstones upon which the dull knife of talent is honed until it becomes sharp enough, hopefully, to cut through even the toughest meat and gristle.”
Michael Mohr
Substack: "The Incompatibility of Being Alive" & "Sincere American Writing"
https://reallife82.substack.com/
https://michaelmohr.substack.com/
I did 3 times 100 days challenges on Instagram to help me get better at my craft (lettering and type design) but also to change my relationship with Instagram. By having a prompt saying that I had to post even if my drawing was shitty. It really helped me change my mind and now I feel way more freed from this algorithm addiction :)
I won’t have time to do a challenge this month but I really want to dig into illustration so I may do it in December drawing one object a day.
Thanks for that newsletter I just became a paid subscriber today :)
I've successfully completed several daily challenges - so I want to flip this and NOT do something for 30 days. I plan to reduce my endless social media scrolling to the bare minimum. My hope is that will be long enough to form a good habit. Any suggestions to help me do this would be appreciated.
This is an awesome idea!!
The thing I try really hard to do is keep my phone out of reach in the morning. Sometimes to wake up I'll read whatever I was reading on my Kindle before I went to bed. I find that if I can keep off my phone for the first hour of the day, the rest is easier.
Good luck!
Yes!! I started doing daily projects in 2015 when the 100 Day Project first kicked off as an instagram community challenge. Since then, I've tried to do one every year (100DP, Inktober, 36daysoftype). They've pulled me out of countless creative slumps and given me a vibrant, soul-filling creative practice. One of the best things I've ever done for myself! Finding the space for daily creative work is tough but it's an amazing way to learn how you learn, see your skills improve incrementally, and sort out natural checkpoints for process documentation.
p.s. If you try a daily project and miss a day or two, keep going!! My favorite series I've ever made was a 100 Day Project that took over 250 days. Once the project is done and you see the pile of what came of it, you forget about the days you "missed." Consistency is important but so is rest! 😴
I love that you mentioned keep going even if I miss a day. I found that to be essential when I missed days drawing.
I'm going to do a 30-day writing challenge. I will either respond to a prompt or work on existing essays for 20 minutes every day. Thanks for the push!
I love this challenge and this community of thoughtful people. For my first 30-day challenge, I did Artist Way morning pages, and it was transformative! I just kept going. I've also done a 30-day challenge of Yoga with Adrienne, and that was great too.
Love morning pages — I always do at least two in my diary every day
I took a two-year break from Twitter and have now returned, because I am curious about what Elon Musk is up to.  For my 30-day challenge I am going to post a constructive tweet each day. Here is the first: https://twitter.com/lenedgerly/status/1587609997055344645?s=46&t=5RweN__0VcJalhD-oFYVXA .
I want to do this challenge this month! I have never done this before, but feel ready. So my goal is 2 fold. I want to make art every day, and at least 2 days/week start writing again. I just started working on a poem, but also love to write short stories. Today I made a Christmas card out of cardstock and modeling paste. It came out well, and it will be dry by tomorrow, then it can be tinted with ink. I have time to make art whenever I want, but having a goal this month is intriguing, and like everyone, I want to suck less. This is such a great idea, and I am excited to be participating. I love your books and newsletter, Austin. Every week I am inspired by the 10 things worth sharing. And your books are so positive. I have them, and also have given them as gifts. Thanks for this challenge. Great timing for me.
Thanks for the kind words!
Thanks for the reminder about challenges. I tried it a few years ago when I first read your books. I drew the same pinecone every day for 30 days… different media… different angles. Then I got really ambitious and decided to do a collage a day based on things I see on my daily run. Challenging but good. My run streak has lasted the longest so far… 1400 days and counting. I’d better get to it before today ends.
1400 days! Amazing