Dear Izzy I love reading your newsletters, an absolute joy. Your honesty and humour are so refreshing. Thank you so much for sharing. I find your work inspiring and your words encouraging. I spend too much time reading books, watching you tube videos on techniques, scrolling through instagram and filling my head with ideas. I need to create more because I love creating, textiles and mixed media but I find it so difficult to get started. Sending you love and a big hug. Ju xxx
Hello Julia, how lovely to meet another curious, creative soul who has too many ideas to know what to do first! I often wonder (by that I mean every time I post) if I share too much, but I also find it very hard to pretend to be anything other than what I am. So thank you so much for your very kind comments, I really appreciate it - and also feel hugely relieved that my words are useful in some way 😅
Definitely confirms it was the right decision for me not to carry on with this project (ever again!!!) even though last year it really worked for me. It's so driven by having to post on Instagram. But like you, I do like a felt tip! Maybe 100 days of felt tip drawings.... (only joking!)
I'm not sure a 100 day project is for me....as you said, life gets in the way and I'm certain there would be days I couldn't possibly squeeze something in, setting myself up for that feeling of failure. That being said, maybe sometime I'll try my own 30-day project. Wouldn't necessarily have to be consecutive days, just 30 days when I have 15 minutes and am in the right headspace to experiment with something outside my comfort zone. Will ponder that.... I feel you're being much too hard on yourself about this whole thing. Not all creations can be your favorite, but as I look through your collection I see interesting bits even in those that I don't like as well as others. I say Bravo to you for sticking with the thing! Didn't it lead you to rediscovering the enjoyment you get from using ink and felt tips?! Seems like that alone makes the effort a big win. I absolutely LOVED your seaweed gelli prints. I'm still trying to find time to attempt printing with a gelli plate I bought that's still in it's package. I find all your work inspiring and love to peruse it for inspiration.
I’ve only just found your comment 😱 Karen!! Thank you so much for your thoughts, I like your idea of a 30 day project over non-consecutive days. I might give that a go, marking the end of a batch of work/pages, not a timescale.
So refreshing and inspiring to learn about your experiments, Izzy. I admire people's ability to tackle challenges like these. They cross my mind from time to time, but I lack the discipline and the will to compromise to something like doing 100 of the same thing for a set of time. I know I would quickly dread the weight of it all, and would be a minute before thinking of something else I want to try. The only similar thing I ever did from beginning to end was Morning Pages, and all I learned was to never do that to myself ever again... :D
Thank you Ana. I’m not sure trying something like this is necessarily to be admired 🤪 but I hope by sharing both sides of the story it helps anyone considering doing something similar (or the actual #thing next year) - if only to know for sure that it’s not something they ever want to do! I dutifully tried morning pages too, ages ago when I first read The Artist’s Way. I never ever found it helpful, only a chore. I’ve tried since, but I find going outside for a walk a far more effective way to clear the mind!
Oh Izzy, “a hundred mile trek wearing flip flops and no midge repellant”— I love it!😂
Julia put my feelings into words. I love your openness. I commend you for completing the 100 day project-I know I never would so I don’t start. And I too spend way too much time on you tube, Instagram and Pinterest looking for inspiration and instruction. Or, to borrow your expression, faffing about. I just love that expression- not one we hear in Texas😉.
You are amazing! In no way should you be disappointed at your output. What dedication and imagination.
I recognise the work you did in France - no holiday that!
I love working in my studio on many projects including foils, but it’s all taking a back seat at the moment as my passion for growing Dahlias has taken precedence.
Thank you so much for sharing, very much appreciated.
Thank you Marion! Made my day. I’m proud of myself for completing, for sure, and satisfied with the two fat sketchbooks, and I’m in a different place than before I started. Which I guess is the point - it’s a journey! I’d love to be able to grow beautiful flowers…I blame my garden for having the wrong soil and aspect and climate…and gardener 😉
I admire your tenacity. Not in a million years could I pledge to make art for 100 days. What I would like to do is maybe decide that for the next year, when an idea popped into my mind I would quickly get on with it for a previously specified amount of time, +/-, and then forget about it. By the end of the year you might surprise yourself with what has piled up. I hate being regimented.
Dear Izzy I love reading your newsletters, an absolute joy. Your honesty and humour are so refreshing. Thank you so much for sharing. I find your work inspiring and your words encouraging. I spend too much time reading books, watching you tube videos on techniques, scrolling through instagram and filling my head with ideas. I need to create more because I love creating, textiles and mixed media but I find it so difficult to get started. Sending you love and a big hug. Ju xxx
Hello Julia, how lovely to meet another curious, creative soul who has too many ideas to know what to do first! I often wonder (by that I mean every time I post) if I share too much, but I also find it very hard to pretend to be anything other than what I am. So thank you so much for your very kind comments, I really appreciate it - and also feel hugely relieved that my words are useful in some way 😅
Definitely confirms it was the right decision for me not to carry on with this project (ever again!!!) even though last year it really worked for me. It's so driven by having to post on Instagram. But like you, I do like a felt tip! Maybe 100 days of felt tip drawings.... (only joking!)
I very nearly tagged you in this as an example of the sensible option! Why do we do these things to ourselves?!
I'm not sure a 100 day project is for me....as you said, life gets in the way and I'm certain there would be days I couldn't possibly squeeze something in, setting myself up for that feeling of failure. That being said, maybe sometime I'll try my own 30-day project. Wouldn't necessarily have to be consecutive days, just 30 days when I have 15 minutes and am in the right headspace to experiment with something outside my comfort zone. Will ponder that.... I feel you're being much too hard on yourself about this whole thing. Not all creations can be your favorite, but as I look through your collection I see interesting bits even in those that I don't like as well as others. I say Bravo to you for sticking with the thing! Didn't it lead you to rediscovering the enjoyment you get from using ink and felt tips?! Seems like that alone makes the effort a big win. I absolutely LOVED your seaweed gelli prints. I'm still trying to find time to attempt printing with a gelli plate I bought that's still in it's package. I find all your work inspiring and love to peruse it for inspiration.
I’ve only just found your comment 😱 Karen!! Thank you so much for your thoughts, I like your idea of a 30 day project over non-consecutive days. I might give that a go, marking the end of a batch of work/pages, not a timescale.
So refreshing and inspiring to learn about your experiments, Izzy. I admire people's ability to tackle challenges like these. They cross my mind from time to time, but I lack the discipline and the will to compromise to something like doing 100 of the same thing for a set of time. I know I would quickly dread the weight of it all, and would be a minute before thinking of something else I want to try. The only similar thing I ever did from beginning to end was Morning Pages, and all I learned was to never do that to myself ever again... :D
Thank you Ana. I’m not sure trying something like this is necessarily to be admired 🤪 but I hope by sharing both sides of the story it helps anyone considering doing something similar (or the actual #thing next year) - if only to know for sure that it’s not something they ever want to do! I dutifully tried morning pages too, ages ago when I first read The Artist’s Way. I never ever found it helpful, only a chore. I’ve tried since, but I find going outside for a walk a far more effective way to clear the mind!
Yep... "Chore" is the word. 🤓🙄
Oh Izzy, “a hundred mile trek wearing flip flops and no midge repellant”— I love it!😂
Julia put my feelings into words. I love your openness. I commend you for completing the 100 day project-I know I never would so I don’t start. And I too spend way too much time on you tube, Instagram and Pinterest looking for inspiration and instruction. Or, to borrow your expression, faffing about. I just love that expression- not one we hear in Texas😉.
It’s what it felt like at times!
And thank you so much for reading and supporting me, and taking time to comment, it means the world to me ☺️
You are amazing! In no way should you be disappointed at your output. What dedication and imagination.
I recognise the work you did in France - no holiday that!
I love working in my studio on many projects including foils, but it’s all taking a back seat at the moment as my passion for growing Dahlias has taken precedence.
Thank you so much for sharing, very much appreciated.
Marion.
Thank you Marion! Made my day. I’m proud of myself for completing, for sure, and satisfied with the two fat sketchbooks, and I’m in a different place than before I started. Which I guess is the point - it’s a journey! I’d love to be able to grow beautiful flowers…I blame my garden for having the wrong soil and aspect and climate…and gardener 😉
I admire your tenacity. Not in a million years could I pledge to make art for 100 days. What I would like to do is maybe decide that for the next year, when an idea popped into my mind I would quickly get on with it for a previously specified amount of time, +/-, and then forget about it. By the end of the year you might surprise yourself with what has piled up. I hate being regimented.
Cheers, Mary :))
Ooh, I like that - might have to steal it!