On 22nd February, we begin this year’s 100 day project.
But this time, I’m not chasing 100 finished pieces.
Instead, I’m creating a mixed media artist book — a space dedicated entirely to exploration, layering, and showing up daily without the pressure to perform.
If you’ve ever considered a 100 day art journal challenge but felt intimidated by perfectionism, this approach may feel softer. More sustainable. More honest.
Let me share how I’m doing it.
Why I’m Approaching the 100 Day Challenge Differently
In past years, the quiet pressure was always there.
Finish something.
Post it daily.
Make it look good.
But that subtle expectation shifts the focus outward. It turns growth into performance.
This year, I want the focus to return inward.
Not validation.
Not perfection.
Just presence.
This creative daily art practice is about consistency — about who I become after 100 days of showing up.
Designing My Mixed Media Artist Book
To support this shift, I built a handmade artist book in an accordion format.
It’s a mixed media accordion journal made from:
10 stitched booklets
10 pages in each
100 pages total
Together they form an unfolding accordion artist book, also known as a concertina mixed media artist book.
Why the Accordion Structure Matters
I rarely work in just one journal at a time.
When I’m painting, pages get wet. Layers need drying time. So I naturally rotate between three or four sketchbooks.
This expandable structure allows me to open multiple sections at once and work fluidly across them.
It supports how I naturally create.
The book is divided intentionally:
- Day 1–50 on one side
- Day 51–100 on the other
Each booklet holds ten days.
Instead of finishing one page daily, I allow each booklet to evolve over time. Layers build gradually. Marks accumulate naturally.
This structure transforms the 100 day art journal challenge into a steady unfolding process.
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What I’ve Done So Far
Right now, I’ve completed only the cover pages for Days 1–50.
They’re labeled:
- Day 1–10
- Day 11–20
- Day 21–30
- Day 31–40
- Day 41–50
Working on those covers was pure play — collage, paint, texture, intuitive layering.
That beginning energy matters.
It sets the tone for the entire 100 day art journal challenge.
Want to See How I Created This Book?
If you’re curious about how this mixed media artist book came together, I’ve filmed the entire process — from the moment the idea sparked to stitching all ten booklets into this unfolding accordion artist book.
In the video, I share:
- How I constructed the base structure
- How I bound the booklets into a mixed media accordion journal
- My thoughts behind dividing it into 10 sections
- And a glimpse into how I’ve started working inside it
If you’d like to create your own handmade artist book for a 100 day project, you can watch the full process here.
It’s not a strict tutorial — it’s a behind-the-scenes look at how the idea evolved and how I built it step by step.
My Intuitive Art Journal Practice Plan
At the heart of this project is intuitive art journal practice.
There is only one rule inside this book:
There are no rules.
Inside this mixed media artist book, I’m allowed to:
- Paint freely
- Collage scraps
- Make messy marks
- Journal thoughts
- Leave pages unfinished
- Abandon a spread
- Return later
Experiment without outcome
No expectations. No hierarchy between “good” or “bad” pages.
This is about listening inward instead of performing outward.
The 15–20 Minute Commitment
Each day, I’ll sit with the book for 15–20 minutes.
Some days I may finish nothing.
Some days I may work across three pages.
Some days I may simply build background layers.
I will not be posting a completed page every day.
Instead, I’ll share weekly glimpses of how the book is developing.
This keeps the focus on growth rather than validation.
The goal is presence, not production.
How This Supports a Creative Daily Art Practice
There is something powerful about containing 100 days inside one object.
A mixed media artist book becomes a visual record of:
- Hesitation
- Growth
- Experiments
- Messy layers
- Quiet days
Over time, pages thicken. Layers deepen. The book gains weight.
And so do I.
That is the real transformation of a creative daily art practice.
Consistency compounds.
Inspired by My Gentle Reminders Class
This new handmade artist book was partially inspired by a class I created last year called Gentle Reminders.
That project also features a similar-sized accordion artist book, built as an unfolding reflective space.
Revisiting that structure felt natural for this 100 day project.
If you’re interested in learning how to create and work inside a concertina format step-by-step, you can explore that class as well. It walks you through building and developing your own accordion-style book.
If You’re Considering a 100 Day Project
If the idea of a 100 day art journal challenge excites you but also overwhelms you, try reframing it.
What if:
You focused on practice instead of product?
You allowed unfinished pages?
You designed a format that supports how you actually work?
There are many artist book ideas, but the best structure is the one that reduces resistance.
For me, that’s this mixed media accordion journal.
Final Thoughts
This year, my 100 Day Project is not about producing 100 finished artworks.
It is about becoming more consistent. More intuitive. More trusting.
The pages will unfold slowly, just like growth does.
And at the end of 100 days, I won’t just have a book.
I’ll have proof that I showed up.
And that feels far more meaningful.
