Ack! It's 24 days into 2022 and this will be my first post of the new year! To be fair, I have the excuse that 2022 was not the best of starts for me, with some health issues and life changes that made thinking and blogging difficult. While I'm ok now, and with many knocks on wood, being on the mend, I can now hopefully resume life. It was a rough start!
Life has been sort of crazy for me. 2022 has been a very odd and difficult start, one that has left me a bit un-grounded and de-centered. I feel like my vision for 2022 was wiped away, and I was left a bit lost. These things happen, and through my studies and attempts to re-ground and re-center, my thoughts came back to that first 100 days project. One of the things I have found I want to find and use again is my creativity.
I did my first 100 Days project back in 2020. I started it just as our lives were spun into chaos, and over the course of that 100 days, it was both a source of sanity and a coping mechanism. It was an amazing experience, even if I look back and shudder at my terrible art. <insert LOL emote here> If you want to find it, you can find it under the hashtag #chocosjournal (and under my personal Instagram fatchocobomom- I didn't have Liminal Raven yet!) Full disclosure- I did not do it at the same time as the official #The100DayProject though that was my inspiration at the time. I believe I found a video on skillshare that made me want to play along. When I came across the idea though, it really resonated with me and I found I had to do it.
I’ve decided to do another one this year, although this one will be a tiny bit different. I’m hoping the prompts will be a bit simpler, mostly one word prompts that can interpreted in different ways. We are, after all, different people with different visions of the world. And it’s both an art journaling project, as well as a spiritual one. It’s an invitation into mindfulness, creativity, and exploration, of both the self, the shadow self, and the Divine, in whatever form that word means to you.
For my own project, my canvas will be a lot smaller. The 2020 project, I was using a big 7 x 10 inch mixed media notebook (it ended up being 2 50 page notebooks!) I love mixed media, and plan to use that again, but on a smaller scale. I took 18 x 24 inch mixed media pages, and tore/folded into 11 x 14ish pages. I plan to work my own binding later, and create my own book.
I want this to be a rich experience, something that you connect with, and not just something to do mindlessly (though, maybe that’s what you need, and you certainly can do that!) If you can, I want you to meditate on the word. What does it invoke within you, what are your first thoughts and feelings? What is the first image that comes to mind? And I hope, sometimes the prompt leads you down a rabbit hole of self discovery. Maybe a word will resonate with you, or the work you do ignites something within. Maybe it will trigger something within your shadow, and I hope you can dig deep and settle that shadow into a healthier relationship within.
What if you can’t draw? Well, everyone can draw. Maybe it’s not top level artist work (Mine is not, for certain!) but that shouldn’t stop you. Art is doing, it’s not always beautiful or perfection. It comes from our hearts and souls. So don’t be shy. However, I get it- if you don’t want to do art, journal with words. Let the word guide your pen, whether you write your thoughts, create a story or poem.
Simply put, the only rule is that there are no rules.
The Prompts
1. Beginning
2. Gratitude
3. Thoughts
4. A word that resonates with you
5. Winter
6. Soul
7. Path
8. I am
9. Blue
10. Geometry
11. The Weather
12. Poetry
13. Stars
14. Power
15. Pocket
16. Emotion
17. Fire
18. Tears
19. Bubble
20. Balance
21. Peace
22. Red
23. Discovery
24. Song
25. Faith
26. Friend
27. Black
28. White
29. Grow
30. Whisper
31. Your favorite word
32. Spring
33. Magic
34. Nowhere
35. Ecstasy
36. Love
37. Hate
38. Bloom
39. Earth
40. Soil
41. Dark
42. Orange
43. Inspiration
44. Sunset
45. Story
46. Abstract
47. Moon
48. Philosophy
49. Goal
50. Storm
51. Summer
52. Dream
53. Fight
54. Fear
55. Metamorphosis
56. Muse
57. Vision
58. Shine
59. Green
60. Sacred
61. Past
62. Present
63. Future
64. Life
65. Kiss
66. Nourishment
67. Pinwheel
68. Rainbow
69. Death
70. Tea
71. Weakness
72. Water
73. Opposite
74. Touch
75. Prophecy
76. Clouds
77. Purple
78. Rain
79. Spiral
80. Justice
81. Spirit
82. Passage
83. Face
84. The Universe
85. Flowers
86. Blessing
87. Curse
88. Grey
89. Joy
90. Flood
91. Renew
92. Autumn
93. Feather
94. Wild
95. Bold
96. Quiet
97. Freedom
98. Phase
99. Hurt
100. The end
I was incredibly proud my first 100 days project. If you have not done one yet, you might surprise yourself on how it’s both very easy to do if you are committed and have a solid plan to do it, and yet how hard it can be- 100 days is a long time. I was committed to the task though. It was hard. I started March 25, although I had the plan and the prompts ready weeks beforehand ready. That was also the same time Covid hit NY and lockdown began. In that time, we went through all the emotions and events of that year. I lost a good friend on day 34. Things that were important to me ended up being cancelled, and there was a lot of unknown going on. That first 100 days journaling project granted me some sanity and purpose. It was incredibly therapeutic.
It's also fun because it gave a chance to explore various art techniques and mediums. I did watercolor, acrylic, gouache, alcohol ink markers, calligraphy, colored pencils, and I mixed them at times. I didn't focus a lot on technique last time, so maybe this time, with a smaller canvas, I will. I already have a huge list of youtube art journaling videos I want to watch, and have a list of inspiration that I'd like to try. Not only are all the prompts an opportunity to rabbit hole, so is the actual art!
The first day will be February 13, 2022. I don’t promise it’ll be helpful to anyone, but I’m a huge believer that things are what you make them. I have set the intention into this work for myself that not only will it be beautiful and beneficial for my soul and spirit and creativity, it’ll be fun and something worth doing. And I've weaved in the intention that anyone seeking and participating will find their own peace and divine message, if they listen for it. If you want to play along, use any of the hashtags #ChocosJournal #100DaysOfJournaling #LiminalRavenMinistries #JournalOfMe #JournalMagic #JournalingPrompts
I'll be posting more information on my instagram, so if you don't follow me, you should! I'm so excited about this- I already regret not starting it February 1!! I'm itching to (st)art!