The 100 Day Project Journey- PART 3

The Ending

I am finally finished with my 100 Day project I started way back in February of this year. Seasons have changed from winter to spring to summer and here I am, finally done, feeling like I have transformed with my learning and growing along with the seasons. All because I spent 100 days thinking about and taking action on one topic: Colour mixing and theory. Or Colour Play as I prefer to call it. 

I wrote two other blog posts earlier talking about how I went about this 100 day project- my preparation, my challenges, my motivations etc.- you can read Part 1 about preparing to start the project, and Part 2 about the messy middle stages.

This time I want to talk about finishing my 100 day project. I have to say it was a challenge. I didn't do my project perfectly in 100 days. I missed over two weeks worth of days in between, which means, I finished over 2 weeks late. I changed plans in the middle when some exercise felt like total drudgery. And there were times when I literally had to drag myself down to the studio. 

In other words…

I meandered

I got lost

I complained (in my head)

I questioned my sanity

I felt fake

I felt like a failure

I almost gave up

Except that I did not.

Life for me got super busy towards the end. I had an art show coming up. Which means I was preparing for that including making a new series of paintings. After spending time in studio working on new work, most days I did not have the energy or the time to mix more paint, and call it play. So I gave myself the space to say no to the 100 day project on those days.

Between keeping my sanity, and finishing another page and exercise of mixing paint, I chose my sanity. But I also promised myself to come back when things cooled down. 

Instead, I just opened my eyes. I looked. And saw interesting colour combinations around me. In another mental exercise, I tried to figure out how I would go about mixing a particular colour that had caught my attention. Or gave paint names to colours around me (other people’s clothing!), much to my family’s amusement. 

So, even though mixing paint colours and building my swatch library was not front and centre in my life, I did not totally let my attention go from colours. I kept the inspiration alive by looking, thinking, verbalizing what I was seeing. 

And then, finally the art show was done. I was left completely depleted after spending my words and thoughts all weekend at the show. So on Monday, as self care, I cleaned my studio a bit. With some empty space that showed up on my table after the clutter was gone, I found myself getting drawn to open my Colour Play sketchbook. And before I knew it, I was doing a page. And having great fun at that!

Because I had never let the 100 Day project wander too far from my mind.

Because I let the Colour Play sketchbook always lie around on my table (along with everything else though!)

Because I had finally cleared out my biggest commitment, and suddenly had space for what truly interested me

Because I had never really given up on it, but was just taking a break

Because I gave myself the space for whatever needed to be done then 

Because I had not burnt myself out trying to do everything all the time

Since that day, getting to the finish line has been a joy. I had all my resources already at hand. Then the rhythm came right back, along with the mojo.

And finally, it was DAY ONE HUNDRED! I was excited to go to my studio to get it done, but the biggest emotion was that of relief when it was truly DONE. 

Relief for having finished what I had committed myself to, but also to not have to put that daily pressure on myself anymore.

And there was joy for all that learning that happened over the past four months for me. I could already see it being reflected in my colour choices and combinations in my work. I could notice myself looking around in the surroundings assessing and enjoying and noticing colour more than ever.

The four months of almost daily practice of colour has given me this special gift of appreciation- of commitment, of perseverance, of giving myself grace, of keeping up with the roller coaster of emotions, and of course, of the beauty of colour. 

These gifts are mine to keep for ever and ever.