100 Days of Tiny Things I Found in Nature (Mostly)

Find time to indulge your curiosity with a 100 Day Project ✨

It seems in life we're always waiting for the big things to happen. But so much of life is made up of the tiny things that fill a day - the cup of coffee at sunrise, the walk in spring, a project that lights us up. Do you make space to indulge something you are curious about? Because carving out 30 minutes a day can create a well of creativity in you. You will not be in the same place as when you began.

Each day, I sat down at my desk and drew something. It was almost always inspired by something I saw on my daily walks - something that spoke to me. I’ll never tire of spring. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed it as much as I have while indulging in this challenge.

“ideas splinter”

I think many of us have been in this place, where every minute of the day is booked with work, we buy things we don’t need, overextend ourselves with plans, or binge-watch television. When I look back at those times in my life, I realize I was just keeping myself busy. I was trying to fill a space, because I didn’t know what was next.

Investing in a creative practice is self-care at its finest. It gives shape to all the little bits and pieces inside us that we can’t always put into words. You follow a flicker of curiosity, you show up for it, and you see where it leads.

Committing to 100 days is a challenge at first, but then it becomes a habit. You stop forcing it. You begin to look forward to it. The trick is to keep it small. Many of these cards took me 20 minutes or less. I began the project by cutting out words from a book to create quotes. While I loved that part, it sometimes took me 30 minutes to find the right words. It became a barrier to entry and cut into the time I had to make the actual art. So, I let it go.

These projects can evolve over 100 days. I don’t like sticking to strict rules, because it’s my intuition that tells me where to go next, and they often get in the way. That said, structure is key. I pre-cut all the 4 x 4 cards and selected a limited palette of alcohol markers that I knew would work well together. I kept them set out on my desk, ready to go. Too many decisions can become a barrier.

“let yourself be known”

There are so many seeds of ideas in these cards. I’ve already turned several into finished pieces. I’d even say it’s advanced my art practice. I sketched a quick idea I would have normally let go because I didn’t have time to do a big piece of art. Creativity is a muscle - the more you use it, the more naturally it moves through you.

Is there something you want to explore? My main motivation was to notice tiny things that bring me joy in nature every day. But it became much more than that.

I’m a little sad to stop. So maybe I will take a brief break. I may start a new challenge this summer - something more ambitious. I want to work on a book. So, I’m going to challenge myself to show up for 30 minutes a day and see what takes root. I need to plant some seeds of ideas. And from there, I’ll see what grows.

Until next time✨,
Kim