My Mixed Media Artist Book for the 100 Day Project

I’m now 40 days into this year’s 100 day art journal challenge, and something has shifted.

The first 20 days were about settling into the rhythm.
These next 20 days have been about learning, unlearning, and loosening control.

If you’re new here, I’m working inside a handmade mixed media artist book in an accordion format — focusing on process rather than finished pieces.

If you’d like to start from the beginning:

👉 Read how I created this book
👉 Explore Days 1–20 and the first visual flip-through

(Insert your links here)

This post is a continuation — a look at Days 21–40, along with the most important things I’m noticing as my creative daily art practice deepens.

This Is Becoming a Practice

Somewhere between Day 25 and Day 30, this stopped feeling like a “challenge.” It started feeling like a practice.

That shift is subtle, but important.

I’m no longer asking: “What should I create today?” Instead, I sit down, open the book, and begin. This is what intuitive art journal practice feels like when it becomes embodied — less thinking, more doing.

And the more I show up, the more natural it feels.

Learning to Let Go of Layers

One of the biggest things I’ve noticed in this phase is my hesitation around covering things up. There’s always that moment: “I like this… what if I ruin it?”

Earlier, I would stop there. Now, I’m slowly learning to move through that fear.

Because the truth is — in a mixed media artist book, nothing is final. Everything can become a layer. And that understanding is freeing.

What I Do When a Page Doesn’t Work

There are days when a page doesn’t come together. Instead of forcing it or abandoning it, I’ve started doing something simple: I add a cluster.

Small pieces. Scraps. Fabric. Paper. Fragments. And suddenly, the “failed” page becomes a background. This is something I explore deeply in my Gathered Fragments class — how to create clusters using leftover materials and use them intuitively in your work.

These clusters shift the page completely. They remove pressure. They create texture. They open up new directions. And most importantly — they reduce fear.