And so it begins!

The 100 Day Project starts today, and I’m here for it.

Some people launch into the new year with gusto. I’m not one of them. January was hard for me. I had urges to make plans and create stuff, but I made very few plans, followed through on even fewer, and created hardly at all. It takes a long time to warm up my engine when there’s so little daylight and so much cold.

So I didn’t do much about choosing a word of the year for 2026. Last year, when I first started this Substack, I had chosen CREATE as my True North, and it worked well for me. I began putting my creative time first — or at least, trying my darndest to make sure my creative time wasn’t last. And, for the most part, that worked.

February rolled around and it dawned on me that this year’s 100 Day Project was fast approaching and I hadn’t decided what I was going to do. I was digging through boxes of collage fodder and sorting tubes of watercolor and flipping through handmade journals and I came upon a journal page with one word: notice.

That’s my word. That’s what I want to do this year. I want to notice — take note of — small moments I could easily take for granted… beauty that might slip by if I’m distracted… simple happenings that could add joy to my days if only I paid better attention.

Notice. OK, great. But what about choosing my daily creative practice for the 2026 100
Day Project?

My inspiration came, at last, during a series of texts with my dear friend Janet. During the holiday season, Janet had sent cards to just a few people — family members and friends who are elders. She mentioned that it was hard to find cards with illustrations and messages that didn’t revolve around a specific aspect of a specific holiday. And then she texted: “I know someone who makes art that could be turned into cards…”

Meaning me. She meant me.

And that settled it. All at once, I knew exactly what I wanted my 100 Day Project to be. I will be making small paintings in watercolor or gouache, and attaching those small paintings to blank cards for people like Janet, who want to write their own sweet and newsy notes without the pre-printed, canned messages you find in the greeting card shelves.

I love fooling around with paint. And I especially like working small. And, I told myself, I want to settle into a daily painting practice that’s not dependent on classes or tutorials. I like those, too, but right now I feel the need to paint my own way and I don’t even know what that means. Yet.

The decision was made. And that led me to examine my feelings about art supplies. See, when you’re a perpetual learner like me, you think: “I’m not good enough to use the good stuff. I’ll save it for later, when I get better at this.” And you get stuck. At least, I have been.

But I’ve also been very fortunate to find a few online art teachers whose attitude about the good stuff is that we should use it. The expensive watercolor paper, the good brushes, and the professional grade paints are tools to be used. Now. Right now. Creating with high quality supplies isn’t something you have to earn or deserve. Painting with the good stuff, these online mentors told me over and over, actually helps you built your skills.

I chose to believe my teachers. And over the past year or so, I’ve allowed myself to buy some really good art supplies. Better brushes. Professional quality paint. High grade, 100% cotton watercolor paper.

Yes, Kathy, you may use the GOOD art supplies!

And you know what? It actually does make a difference. So… I’m challenging myself to use my very best supplies. They’re not doing any good sitting on the shelf, waiting for me to get better!

My plan, starting tonight, is to make a small painting — just 4 inches by 3 inches —every day. I’ll be experimenting with techniques and materials and really diving into water control and brush control, not to mention learning more and more about color mixing. Sometimes I’ll be using watercolor and somtimes gouache — watercolor’s opaque cousin, a medium I love but haven’t come close to grasping. Yet.

Occasionally, I might fool around with little mixed media or collage. Every small piece of art I create during these weeks and months will eventually become part of a greeting card. Creative practice with a purpose. I love it. I’m pretty excited.

This is my fifth 100 Day Project. And I know 100 days is a loooooong time. I’ve learned from experience that accountability (and a little bit of an audience) goes a long way to keeping me on track, keeping me consistent. So I will be posting my little paintings weekly here on Substack, and daily on my Instagram (at) kathy (dot) the (dot) poet.

There are hundreds — maybe thousands — of people all around the world who are launching into the 100 Day Project right now. I love picturing each of us at an easel or an art table, in a studio, at a loom, or in a rocking chair, each one pursuing a curiosity. I’m excited and grateful to be part of this community.

Here we go!

And so it begins! Day 1 of 100.

PS - This post was 100% human-created. I was using the em-dash before AI was born.