Today marks the beginning of this year’s #the100dayproject, a free, global hashtag challenge designed to encourage artists and makers to develop or foster a sustainable practice through 100 days of iteration of a theme or idea. This is the 10-year anniversary of this exciting Instagram phenomenon. See my blog post from February 11, 2022 to learn more about the history of the project.
In the past, I have focused on encouraging other artists with my theme: #100daysofencouragement. And though that theme enriched me so much, it is also a very time-consuming endeavor. I reluctantly have to admit that I don’t have the energy required to develop in-depth features of 100 artists this year.
As I wrestled with the decision to depart from the theme I have loved so much, I realized that I was facing similar “invitations” in multiple arenas of my life. I recognized that I was being invited to stop ignoring or railing against limits of time, energy, resources, space, capacity, etc. and start embracing the limits as a gift.
I am not inexhaustible. Shocking, right??!!??
Like it or not, I do have limits and practical constraints that I ignore at my own peril.
So how much fun can I have while honoring those limits?
How can working with limits ironically help me tap into limitless possibilities?
So, here’s how I’m going to approach my theme for 2023 — #100daysofEmbracingLimits:
First of all, I’m delaying the start of my 100-day project. I am one of the hosts for a 4-day Master Class at McRae Art Studios being led by Emily Ball (an amazing artist and teacher from the UK) that starts on Thursday. If I face my limits, I have to acknowledge that I can’t handle another project on top of that class experience. So…I will be starting my #100daysofembracinglimits on March 1, 2023.
I will complete the 100 days, but I will only be working on artwork related to the challenge four days each week. So it will take me at least 175 days to complete 100 posts. Almost twice as long as everyone else. But — again — kind to myself and honoring the limits of my energy, given the other commitments I have this year.
Each day that I am working on the Embracing Limits theme, I will set a premise for my painting — some limit(s) that will require me to discover the gift of constraints. For example, I might limit the time I allow myself to paint, or the size brushes that I use, or the color palette that I work with, the types of marks I make, or the techniques that I use, etc.
When I post my completed work on Instagram, I will identify the limit(s) that I was working with and share a little bit about the experience.
I hope you will journey with me as I explore this theme.
And, I hope you will consider participating in #the100dayproject, too. Make it your own. Do it your way. Have fun. Follow the hashtag and be amazed at what is being created. You won’t be sorry! It’s a life-changing experience.
Happy creating! And may you find ways to embrace your limits with compassion and grace, too!