It’s been more than 50 days since some of us at openbox9 started the 100 Day project. As with any large undertaking, there have been some unexpected challenges, some fun surprises and a few twists along the way. I interviewed our participants (including myself) to get the full scoop.
What has been the most challenging aspect of the project so far?
Josh: I started off with a project that I thought would be realistic, but doing something consistently every single day is difficult, especially when it’s not part of your normal routine. And then when you get a few days – then weeks – behind you start to lose motivation. I think the most challenging part has been consistency. I think to do this successfully you have to find a way to integrate it into your normal routine.
Mary: I think I see my project (drawing something every day) as a warm up. For me, this round has been challenging because I didn’t give myself enough boundaries. I couldn’t decide on a theme, so I made my project very open-ended. I think giving myself more direction will boost my creativity and motivation.
Hannah: The most challenging aspect for me has been to integrate it into my daily routine – I still don’t have a set time of the day that I draw my postcard. Thankfully the parameters I set for myself are such that each postcard can take as long or as quick as I want it to. Also, something that’s really enabled me to keep up with this every day is the fact that it’s fairly small and light- I can take it with me on the go. If I’m on the train, or sitting somewhere, I can take out my project and work on it- I’m not tied to a computer or have to be in a particular place.
Here are some images from the project so far:
What has been the most rewarding part of the project so far?
Mary: It has been rewarding in that I’ve discovered I still enjoy drawing and I am getting closer to choosing a theme for another 100 day project. I’m also getting closer to filling up a sketchbook, which is always a good feeling 🙂
Hannah: Seeing the stack of postcards stack up on my shelf. [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”There’s something gratifying about seeing the labor of your hands and tangibly interacting with it” suffix=””]There’s something gratifying about seeing the labor of your hands and being able to tangibly interact with it.[/inlinetweet] Also, that stack comforts me when I’ve had a day where I’m not particularly proud of my work – I’m reminded that it’s about the process of practicing discipline and viewing the project as a whole. That puts less pressure on any individual day and allows me to just have fun with it.
We’re counting down the days… Only 37 to go! Check back on our blog after the 100 day mark to find out how we all fared!
Missed the first post? Read it here.
