100 Days of Observations

 

Compared to last year’s 100 Day Project, which was grueling though ultimately satisfying, this year’s was kind of the opposite: Easier to fulfill each day, but it did not feel as much of an accomplishment at the end. Still, it was satisfying in a different way.

My goal was to write a few sentences a day that focused on external observations rather than feelings. I allowed a sentence or two of feelings but only if they were a direct response to whatever I had observed.

On most days, it felt grounding to connect with nature, usually on my daily walks, which was the easiest way to observe.

I mostly enjoyed the process, though some days I did find it harder to simply observe rather than take an internal deep dive. Ironically, the part I ended up not liking was having a separate Field Notes notebook specifically for my 100 Day Project. I thought that having a dedicated book would keep me focused, but after the first half, I wished I had simply incorporated the habit into my regular scribble journal. I want to continue the habit, but I’ve found a better place for those daily observations: my five-year Some Lines a Day book.

The Some Lines a Day book has changed at least a couple times since I began using it in late 2020. At first it was a place to write “kind thoughts” about people. At some point, I started writing more general statements of gratitude and appreciation, so that the thoughts could be about situations or things as well as people. Now it will be a place to put daily observations unburdened by accompanying feelings and analysis.

The one satisfying aspect of using this dedicated Field Notes is that I completely filled it with the 100 entries! I knew that if I wrote two entries per page, I'd be able to get in 96, so I just squeezed three entries per page occasionally and made it work out. 

Although the project wasn’t creatively groundbreaking, it did instill a new habit I wanted to form, so it was satisfying from that perspective. Even so, 100 days is a very long time. I’m going to think very carefully before I take on another hundred days of anything!

Thanks for cheering me on, Peppermint Patty, Marcie and Snoopy!

Halfway Through My 100 Day Project

 

Just as quietly as I began, I’ve been diligently marching through this year’s 100 Day Project. While it’s certainly not as challenging or time-consuming as last year’s, I’ve been surprised that it hasn’t been as easy as I initially thought it might be. Now that I’ve passed the halfway point, it’s a good time to check in on my progress.

This year’s challenge is to write a sentence or two each day that make an observation without diving immediately into related thoughts or feelings. I fill enough journal pages with the latter, so I wanted to focus on external observations. Although writing in general comes relatively easily to me (compared to, say, drawing), the project is making me aware of how much my writing begins inside my head and gets stuck there. I’m enjoying the challenge, and it has been successful in that it keeps me from going on autopilot as soon as I take out a journal-writing pen.

One reward of keeping all the 100 Day Project writings in one notebook is that it has become fun to go back and read my observations (not always true of my general writing journal, which I rarely read). It snowed on Day 1, Feb. 22, and I’ve seen my observations become more and more about spring in the past 50 days.

Another benefit of keeping these writings separate from my general journal is that it’s the kind of notebook I wouldn’t mind if someone found and read. The notations are personal and probably somewhat revealing, yet do not meander through the deep weeds of the rest of my mind (writings that I would prefer not to share).

In some ways, I feel I’ve come full circle: Before I started sketching, I used to make more of these kinds of brief observations in my written journal. After I started sketching, I made a conscious effort to describe what I saw with a sketch instead of words (which came so much more easily to me). Although drawing is still more challenging than writing, it became such a pleasure that I lost the need to write that way. And now I’m getting back to that kind of writing again, which brings a different kind of pleasure.

A minor encumbrance is that I need to carry the second Field Notes with me at all times if I want to catch spontaneous observations. When the project is over, I’d like to maintain the habit but incorporate the entries into my regular daily-carry Field Notes, which is otherwise filled with ephemeral, utilitarian notes like restroom security codes, phone numbers, and book or TV show titles.

Anyone else doing the 100 Day Project? How’s it going?

A Quiet 100 Day Project

 

I have quietly begun the annual 100 Day Project. By “quietly,” I mean that I didn’t announce my intentions on social media on Day 1 and join the initial enthusiasm when a hashtagged challenge begins. Indeed, I didn’t even commit to it myself until the morning of the first day (which was a day later than last year – an impulsive beginning).

The lack of fanfare was due to my strong recollection of last year’s grueling challenge when I committed to drawing from memory and imagination for 100 consecutive days. I learned much and made a significant breakthrough even as I felt like quitting, and ultimately I was very pleased and satisfied with the project. It was exhausting, though, and this year I was feeling too lazy and unambitious to participate again.

I also couldn’t come up with an idea to challenge myself with. I could have done 100 days of portraits, but I’ve been doing nearly-daily portraits for five months – I didn’t see the point in giving an external hashtag to something I’m already doing.

The goal behind the 100 Day Project kept niggling at me, though: “Choose a creative project, do it every single day for 100 days.” It doesn’t demand that the project be particularly challenging or even with the intention of building an ongoing habit. Just do it for 100 days – it’s simple and straightforward.

I started thinking about things I had intended to do but had stopped doing after a short time. Since the pandemic began, I have been filling too many journal pages with writing from inside my own head, which is usually neither productive nor interesting to read. To counteract that about a year ago, I began my “whatever” journal with the goal of writing more observations from outside my head. Unlike the internal brain dumps, I enjoy writing and re-reading observations about things I see or experience externally – and yet I had stopped doing it after a short while. I wanted to get back to that, if only for a hundred days.

At the same time, I started thinking about how I wasn’t drawing much from imagination or memory anymore. I still make some small doodles from imagination in my ongoing scribble journal to visually represent things I did that day, but not as much as I used to when I began that journal. (Why not? Because it doesn’t come as easily as drawing from observation. Falling back to the status quo is always the easiest.)

Finishing my breakfast coffee on the morning of Feb. 22, the official first day of the 100 Day Project, I made the commitment: Write one sentence a day making an observation from outside my head. As a counterbalance, make any kind of doodle as long as it was not from observation. The words and the visuals did not necessarily have to relate to each other, or they could.

All of that is wide open – the visual could be a sketch from memory, imagination or an abstract scribble. I would even allow using a sticker or other ephemera if it was somehow meaningful (or my related written observation made it meaningful). Per the project’s suggestions, all of that can be done in less than five minutes per day. It requires so little time and energy that I can do it half-asleep when I’m about to drop into bed.

To cut myself further slack, I decided I wouldn’t necessarily share the daily entries on social media. It can be fun and motivating for challenge participants to see what others are doing and to encourage each other, and peer pressure can be useful. But I know that I’m self-motivated enough not to need social pressure, and sometimes the mechanics of sharing daily just add to the burden. I would share if I felt like it – or not.

I admit I fantasized about the physical form of my project. I have long admired sketchers who use the grid of a monthly calendar to draw and write a daily cartoon (one of my favorites is Goro Yokoyama, and just recently Mike Daikubara has taken up that format). Maybe I should do something like that! And surely I would need to choose specific colored pencils or pens for the project! In fact, maybe I need to buy new pencils just for this project!

Peppermint Patty, Marcie and Snoopy are cheering me on!

I allowed that nonsense only for a few minutes, though. The only mechanical structure I am using is a rolling date stamp that I had reviewed at the Well-Appointed Desk a few years ago. Then I simply picked out a Field Notes notebook from my vast stash and opened it to the first page. Shortly after my morning walk, I made the Day 1 entry. Done. Ninety-nine to go.

In accordance with the laziness of the rest of this project, I may or may not share all the entries here on my blog. I’ll see how I feel (yawn). (Shocked by my lack of strict rules and requirements? So am I! And it feels great!)

Whew! 100 Days Done!

Soap Dispenser fantasizes about operating heavy machinery.

I’ve done quite a few drawing challenges during the past decade. Other than my pandemic hand series, which I did not know was going to last 407 days when I began, most have lasted no more than InkTober’s 31 days. A hundred days – more than three months – is substantial, but I didn’t think it would be as difficult as it was! Now I know that 100 days is a dang long time, and if I ever do it again, I’m going to think more carefully before I commit to it!

Faucet Handle thought the vintage rain bonnet would be cool,
but now she realizes that it would help if she had a chin.

Despite my moaning and groaning throughout, I am now very happy and pleased that I completed the 100 Day Project. Although developing my imaginative and memory-based drawing skills has been a desire for more than a year, I know I would not have committed to serious practice of those skills without this project. It is satisfying to have grown my confidence in my ability to draw from my head.

During the first month or so when I was focusing on developing my visual memory, it was frustrating and discouraging not to see more progress day to day. But on Day 45 when I made a significant breakthrough, I realized I had been making progress all along, even if it wasn’t always apparent. That’s when I made the switch to pure imaginative drawing instead of memory, and it became fun.

Perhaps “fun” is an overstatement: On many, many days, I nearly quit simply because I couldn’t think of an idea, or if I had an idea, it was too complicated to draw. And yet somehow I managed to pull something out of my head each day. My respect and admiration for daily cartoonists grew immensely as I understood the relentless pressure of coming up with a creative idea every single day.

When she's bored, Scissors experiments with makeup.
She especially likes lash extensions.

Just as important, while I have always appreciated drawing from observation, I feel that way more than ever now. No matter how challenging a subject might be, it’s still easier to draw it from sight than from my head!

In a recent post, Art vs. Entropy busts the myth that “true” artists can simply imagine anything they want to in their minds and then plop that image onto paper or canvas. There may be some artists who can make it look as if they are doing that, but I have no doubt that many, many years of practice and experience are behind that so-called “natural talent.” The past 100 days have certainly shown me that it takes a lot longer than 100 days!

Thanks for coming along on my (overlong) journey! To see all my 100-Day sketches with one click, see this Flickr album.

When Faucet Handle is feeling blue, she puts on '80s dance music.
Nothing like shakin' your booty to put you in a better mood.

Soap Dispenser can't imagine what life was like before public libraries were invented.

Faucet Handle really gets into mashing down her over-stuffed recycle bin.

When her bike goes too slowly, Faucet Handle gives a tire a swift kick because that seems to work with cars.

When she's feeling stressed, Scissors
finds a quiet place to hang out and meditate.

This was the only time I tried writing the caption directly
on the image. 

Party time! Soap Dispenser, Faucet Handle and Scissors are celebrating the last day of The100 Day Project so that they can go back to living their normal lives without being Instagrammed every day!

No Lighting Required

 

Flossing is frustrating for Scissors, but her hygienist says it's important.

Years ago, I attended a gathering of the Sketch Pistols, a group who met regularly in pubs and coffee shops to socialize and sketch together. I had been a member of Urban Sketchers for a few years by then, and I thought it would be fun to meet more sketchers. I was also curious about how other groups sketched socially.

I was surprised that the chosen venue was very dark. I could barely see the décor or patrons enough to draw them. But the sketchers were nice people, and I enjoyed the conversation, so I stayed, struggling to see what I was drawing.

Faucet Handle has colorful terms for people who don't pick up after their dogs.

As the evening wore on, we started sharing sketchbooks, and I realized that I was in the minority as someone who drew from life. One other person was drawing other patrons, but the rest of the group all seemed to be drawing from inside  their heads – comic strips, elaborate, fantastical scenes with creatures or vehicles, and one artist was designing a deck of playing cards. In my narrow experience with Urban Sketchers, I guess I had assumed that this group would be drawing from observation too, so it was mind-expanding to see the diversity of their work. I laughed wryly to myself about their chosen venue: No wonder they didn’t care about how dark the interior was – as long as they could see their sketchbooks, their own minds required no lighting!

I recalled that evening with the Sketch Pistols recently when I found myself hoping to fill a few minutes with sketchwaiting, but the surroundings were dark and dismal. That’s when I remembered that I could work on sketches from my imagination! I pulled out my Field Notes and started scribbling ideas. Although I will probably always prefer drawing from observation, it’s liberating to have the option to dig something out of my mind if I want to. 

Hayfever season sucks. (After posting this on Facebook, most readers didn't realize that the shapes floating over Soap Dispenser's head were supposed to be soap bubbles. My sloppy circles led most people to think they were pollen particles. I learned the importance of drawing carefully if the meaning is essential to the drawing.)

Soap Dispenser had lent her some books he thought she would enjoy, but Faucet Handle is not much of a reader.

Scissors' personal best was 27 dandelions in one snip, but she's off her game this year. Plenty to train with, though.

Soap Dispenser listens to podcasts while knitting scarves, but sometimes he forgets to stop.

Faucet Handle is not superstitious, but today she's hangin' with her four favorite rabbit's feet, just in case. 

Showing Up

 

Soap Dispenser prefers reading hard copy books because his Kindle
always seems to need recharging at the most exciting part. 

Although Weather Bunny isn’t on my blog often, she still makes occasional appearances on Instagram and Facebook. (Lately, most of her public appearances have been on stickers and T-shirts. Merchandising was bound to happen. 😉) On the last legs of my 100 Day Project, I sometimes forget that Weather Bunny was my original attempt to draw from my imagination. I have to thank InkTober 2016 for that. (Reading my blog post from then, I realize that she made a gender change along the way. . . I clearly see her as female now, but I had referred to her as “him” back then!)

Interestingly, Weather Bunny began in much the same way as Faucet Handle, Soap Dispenser and Scissors did. I looked for images of real rabbits online, drew from one of those photos, then allowed the character to morph organically as I drew her repeatedly. And also similar to the way Faucet Handle and friends have developed, I didn’t necessarily set out to create a cartoon character when I first started sketching Weather Bunny. But characters have a way of taking on a life of their own. Her personality and attitude evolved along with the drawings.

She tried rollerblading with Faucet Handle, but skateboarding makes
Scissors feel more like a badass.

Some people avoid challenges like InkTober or The 100 Day Project because they seem contrived or too restrictive. I say, whatever encourages creativity is a good thing to try. I do believe that it helps to do something for a sustained and committed length of time – 31 or 100 or 407 consecutive days – to push myself past whatever resistance I might have and arrive at something new.

Creative inspiration doesn’t happen by waiting around for the Muse to show up and drop a bolt of lightning. The showing up has to be done by me – regularly, daily, even if I’m not in the mood and especially when it feels too hard. Most days, nothing interesting happens. But once in a while, it does – and if I’m not there when it does, I’ll miss it. That’s what the creative process is.

Soap Dispenser was running late for his appointment, so Faucet Handle gave him a lift.

Hands are not necessary to enjoy a new handbag.

Weather Bunny appeared last week to observe May the 4th.

Scissors is careful not to cut her ramen noodles...it changes the flavor. 

Whenever he sharpens a pencil, Soap Dispenser gets 11 steps on his FitBit.

Weather Bunny stickers

Scissors

 

Scissors loves bubblegum but misses the old-school kind that came with a corny comic.

Last week in my imagination series, I introduced another new character, Scissors. Now Faucet Handle and Soap Dispenser have another friend to interact with, which gives me more material to work with. I’m finding that the ideas come relatively easily compared to the drawing. I will sometimes reject ideas that I like because I simply don’t know how to draw them. It sometimes helps to look at images online (like the trumpet), but it’s still not the same as drawing from life because I have to create an angle or context that makes sense (and is drawable with my still-limited imaginary vocabulary).

The Manhattan is not her favorite cocktail, but Scissors likes
to show off that she can tie the maraschino stem into a knot.

I usually start the day with my 100 Day Project drawing, and later in the day I’ll do a sketch from life. It’s always such a welcome relief to draw from observation compared to using my mind! I’m on the home stretch now, though . . . only 24 days left!

It's been a long time since her high school band days, but Scissors
has received a request, so she's trying to get her chops back.

Meanwhile, Faucet Handle has been trying on hats at vintage
clothing shops. She envisions herself as Lauren Bacall.

Faucet Handle asked if her new Jackie-style pillbox made her look fat.
Scissors kept her mouth shut.

Faucet Handle has encouraged Soap Dispenser to try yoga to
improve balance and flexibility. Soap Dispenser needs to work on
flexibility, but he has nailed balance!

Some people pop bubble wrap to relieve stress. Scissors shreds Lands End catalogs.

A New Sidekick

 

I’m now more than two-thirds done with my 100 Day Project – I can finally see the finish line! Although it’s become easier by developing short series around my “characters,” it’s still a challenge every day.

Faucet Handle now has a sidekick, Soap Dispenser. Hands are much more difficult to draw than feet! You’d think that I, of all people, wouldn’t have trouble with hands, but the scale I’ve chosen (a 3 ½-by-5 ½-inch page) is too small for detail. It’s interesting that when I’m drawing from imagination, I often have to make the hand gesture or do the yoga pose with my own body before I can draw it.

Technical note: For most of my 10-year drawing practice, I have not used a pencil underdrawing. Whether I use pencil or ink, I simply restate the line and leave the original in place because it usually disappears in the shading. I think it has forced me to become a more confident draughter. But that’s because until now, I have always drawn from observation. Now that I’m drawing from imagination, I find that I sometimes don’t know what I’m drawing until I get some lines down, and those initial thinking/searching lines make a muddy mess if they are visible in the finished sketch.

Soap Dispenser plays the mandolin in a bluegrass band.

For the first time, I’m making regular use of a non-photo blue pencil for the initial underdrawing. It’s not literally invisible when photographed or scanned, but it’s pale enough that it doesn’t muddy the final ink drawing. Although I could erase it, I don’t want to – I like seeing the evidence of my thinking and searching. My current favorites are the Blackwing and the Caran d’Ache Sketcher. Both are dark enough to see easily and soft enough not to inscribe the paper.

Two of my favorite non-photo blues.

Soap Dispenser despises house flies.

Although it's slower, Soap Dispenser prefers using a manual typewriter.

Soap Dispenser doesn't mind chopping onions because he has no eyes.

After reading unsettling news, Soap Dispenser uses the newspaper for origami.

Trying to open a child-proof cap gives Soap Dispenser a headache.