Good Things Are Coming: The 100 Day Project
Find out what's inspiring me these days...and maybe you, too
The 100 Day Project is a free hashtag challenge on Instagram. It is a global initiative that is open to everyone.
History of the Project
The 100 Day Project had its genesis in 2007 when Yale Professor Michael Beruit asked his graphic design students to complete a repeatable design task for 100 consecutive days and document their progress. When asked why he came up with such an assignment, Beirut observed, “I've always had a fascination with the ways that creative people balance inspiration and discipline in their working lives.” He noted that it’s easy to work when you are in the grip of a big idea or compelling vision. But that kind of inspiration-driven energy isn’t always available. Beirut knew that his students needed to discover work habits that could sustain them when inspiration was thin.
“The only way to experience this kind of discipline is to subject yourself to it,” Beirut noted. Every student who completed Beirut’s project “had a moment where the work turned into a mind-numbing grind.” And Beirut knew that it wouldn't be the last time that drudgery would characterize his student’s work life. He wanted to help them power through, by teaching them that “[t]he trick is to press on. For each new day (whether it's Day 28, Day 61, even Day 100) brings with it the hope of inspiration.”[1]
Transition to Instagram
Influencer Elle Luna (designer, painter, writer, and creativity consultant) and some of her friends brought The 100 Day Project idea to Instagram in 2014 as a way to inspire makers to create and share. This initiative, which is open to everyone, has been wildly successful, with over 2 million posts by creatives from around the world.
Currently, The 100 Day Project is sponsored by @lindsayjeanthompson. In 2022, the project begins on Sunday, February 13th and runs through May 23rd.
How to Participate
Feel inspired to try this yourself? It’s so simple!
Choose any creative task that you want to commit to for 100 days. It could be something simple, like “I want to make a drawing, any drawing (stick figures count), every day.” Or “I want to photograph my shoes every day.” The sky is the limit — whatever you can dream up, you can try! Just consider this — you want to make the project simple enough that it is doable, but interesting enough that you want to keep doing it for 100 days.
Choose a hashtag that fits your task, such as #100daysofdrawing or #100daysofmyshoephotos.
Document your progress by posting on Instagram using the #the100dayproject and #the100dayproject2022 hashtags, along with your special tag.
Follow #the100dayproject, #the100dayproject2022, and @dothe100dayproject to see what other creatives are doing and offer encouragement.
Learn More
You can find out more by following @dothe100dayproject on Instagram or going to www.the100dayproject.org, where you will find helpful tips for how to select a personal project and ongoing encouragement for the journey.
[1] Michael Beirut, “Five Years of 100 Days,” in Design Observer, February 10, 2011, retrieved from: https://designobserver.com/feature/five-years-of-100-days/24678 on January 9, 2022.