My 100 day project: a journey in process

Over the past two weeks, I’ve been sharing regular updates on my Instagram @jadestoutart as I work through The 100 Day Project. A personal creative challenge that’s become a kind of annual ritual for artists, makers, and creators across the world. This blog post is a chance to step back and reflect on what the project has meant for me so far: what I’ve been making, what I’ve learned, and why I keep returning to the rhythm of daily practice.

What is The 100 Day Project?

At its heart, The 100 Day Project is simple: choose a creative focus, and commit to doing it for 100 days. There are no hard rules, no strict guidelines. Just the invitation to show up each day and make something. For many artists, it’s an opportunity to build momentum, explore an idea more deeply, or simply reconnect with the joy of making without pressure or expectation.

For me, I’m just at the beginning, 12 days in, and my project is rooted in an existing landscape painting. The painting itself holds vast, atmospheric skies that feel open and full of movement. Each day, I add a single new line: sometimes it’s a streak of sunlight breaking through, other times it’s a fine line of falling rain. Slowly, these simple daily marks are building layers of atmosphere and emotion, turning the familiar into something quietly new.

Why I Chose to Do It

As an artist balancing creative practice with work, life, and other commitments, it’s all too easy for art-making to slip down the list of priorities. The 100 Day Project offers a structure that gently pushes against that, a small daily prompt to pick up the materials and see what happens.

I was also curious to see how my work might evolve over 100 days if I simply keep showing up. Would recurring themes emerge? Would new ideas appear?

What I’ve Learned So Far

A few reflections from the project:

• Small steps add up. Even 10 or 15 minutes of drawing or painting each day creates momentum.

• Process over product. A reminder that not every piece needs to be a finished artwork.

• Patterns emerge. Recurring shapes, marks, colours and compositions have started to surface.

• Creative practice is a muscle. The more regularly I create, the easier it becomes to drop into a flow state, even on busy or tired days like today.

Sharing the Journey

Posting my daily pieces on Instagram stories has added a lovely layer of accountability and connection. I’ve been grateful for the kind comments, conversations, and encouragement from fellow artists and followers. It’s a reminder that while art-making can be solitary, it also builds community.

If you’ve been following along on Instagram @jadestoutart thank you. Your support genuinely helps keep the momentum going.

What’s Next?

As I move further into the project, I’m excited to see how this evolving landscape develops. The act of adding one line each day feels simple, but it’s already inviting unexpected shifts in mood, composition, and meaning. Some of these quiet experiments may feed into other paintings.

More than anything, The 100 Day Project has reaffirmed the value of showing up, paying attention, and allowing space for play.

If you’d like to see the full series so far, you can follow along on Instagram @jadestoutart. And if you’re curious about my wider work, you can explore my portfolio right here on www.jadestout.co.uk.