As I moved through Days 55 – 68 of my 100-day project, I realized that since my collages were becoming more complex, I needed to revise my original project guidelines to match their ever evolving complexity.
How? So glad you asked 😉!
I started this project wanting to bring collage making back into my daily life. After many months of only focusing on Collage Joy, I was craving to create the art that I was teaching to others.
So I vowed to make a 15-minute collage each day, and in the beginning this worked beautifully.
However the more I got into the project, the more my collages evolved into a more complex expression of my voice, and it became impossible to create one in just 15 minutes.
Yet since my time was still very limited, I decided to modify the “rules”. After all, I’m in charge of this project, and this is supposed to serve me, not be a daily chore.
So changing the project as I learn what works and what doesn’t is a vital part of these 100 days (for me).
My new and improved guidelines are . . .
- Create for 100 days, but not necessarily on consecutive days
- Create for no more than 30 minutes on a single day
- Allow a single collage to take more than 1 day to complete
This feels so much more spacious, and kind, while at the same time meeting my primary objective of bringing (almost) daily art making back into my life. And now I can breathe again as I’m no longer pushing myself to FINISH a collage every day.
Check out my Day 55 to 68 sketchbook flip thru . . .
As soon as I finish writing this newsletter, I’ll be starting Day 69, and because of my new guidelines, I’m once again looking forward to it!
I’m intrigued and delighted by your comments about the pressure to create within a short space of time during the 100 day challenge. I have avoided doing any of the challenges for just that reason. I simply know that I’m not able to show up in that way every day. I do make a concerted effort to do something in my art room every day, even if it just to tidy and prepare something. I’m a psychotherapist and a bit of a specialist on burn out. I became aware some years back that I could easily get sucked down a tunnel that ultimately led to a version of burn out and I would so hate for that to happen in art. I have just gone back to a course I purchased over a year ago but couldn’t complete at the time. It feels good to get back into that and realise that I didn’t Lose anything by not forcing the issue back then. I can get back into the flow of that course while doing other things and not feel the pressure. It is a complicated subject. You have described it well. Thank you for the reminder. And thank you for the opportunity to experience a free course. I have just discovered your page and really love your style, colours, etc.
Tricia in Devon, UK
Tricia,
Yes, its very tricky with not pressuring ourselves to do art everyday. Or finishing something that really has no deadline to finish. I admire you for doing the simple act of doing anything in your art space everyday. That alone can be such a gift to the part of us that wants to create, but might have the energy or time to complete a project every day. I deeply appreciate you sharing your experience, and am grateful that you choose to be part of my art journey.
Warmly,
Cat