This week, I started the #100 Day Project. It's about 100 days of making and about the process, not the product. If you start late, as I have, you just make up the days or jump in. I like how flexible it is, but although I am a little behind I don't plan on missing any days until it's done.
I really wanted to participate since I love the idea of dedicated consistency in experimenting for over 3 months. I thought about limiting materials (100 days of Sumi ink), subject (plants) and even 100 days of series. All of those felt a little limiting to me, especially since I have been feeling a little experimental in my mediums lately.
Oblique Strategies deck of cards
After days of deliberating (yes, days), it finally came to me that I should use my set of Oblique Strategies, a deck of cards by Brian Eno. It was gifted to me a few years ago and I am so happy to be putting it to use. The deck is meant to help artists with creative blocks with each card using anywhere from one word to nearly a sentence to prompt you creatively. I haven't used this set yet because I never feel like I have a problem with creative ideas, but which one I should be working on. I hope using these cards prompts not only new ideas, but also the back catalog of ideas in my brain.
The first card I pulled was "Disconnect from desire." I made the painting you see above. I started with the yellow upper left corner and told myself to not make it a landscape. Then it became a landscape. I told myself not to use blue, that deserts don't have water, especially with plants floating in them. Then the blue stayed. I told myself those little things, they don't look like plants, they look like rocks, actually they don't look like anything.
And then I just said it was done and liked it.
I know this project isn't supposed to be about the product. I can also see the battle I will have with myself about trying not to make a finished thing. What do I hope to get out of this project? I hope I push my creative process to work a bit differently. I hope I make things in a variety of mediums, not just gouache, watercolor and ink, but also textiles and whatever else. I don't necessarily want to be all over the place. You will still see my usual plants, objects and people. Some I'm sure I will try to complete, some not.
On Friday, I'm heading out of the country for a week and I'm interested to see what will happen with this project while I'm gone. I will be taking limited art materials with me and maybe I will get creative with things I find out there.