NICOLA YOUNG

I’ve just completed week six of the 100 Day Project and, if I’m honest, I’m starting to feel that familiar dip. Like many others taking part, my motivation is beginning to wane.

But I also know myself well enough to recognise another force at play — I like structure, I like a deadline, and I have a stubborn streak that refuses to let me quietly drift away from something I’ve committed to. So, whatever life throws at me, I’m determined to see this through to the end.

Is that the healthiest motivation? Maybe not.
But it is getting me into the studio every day — and that feels like something worth holding onto.

Reigniting the Spark

When I began this project, my goal was simple: to reconnect with my love of making.

Over the past year, I’ve found it increasingly difficult to stay present in my work — to lose myself in the rhythm and joy of paint. I tried all my usual methods to shift creative block, even going so far as to create a guide for others on how to navigate it. But this time, those familiar “go-to” techniques just didn’t land.

This felt different. Heavier. More persistent.

And that’s why I’m so grateful for this challenge. The quiet discipline of returning, day after day, has started to reawaken something — a small but steady pull back towards creating. A reminder that the desire is still there, even when it feels distant.

(If you’re experiencing something similar, I’ve put together a free artist guide with ideas to help reignite creativity — you can find it here.)

Benefits of Artist Challenges

There are many benefits taking part in artist challenges, confronting creative block being one of them.  I’ve written about the benefits in a previous blog so I won’t repeat myself. You check out my old blog post here.

100 Days of Blue

I set myself a very loose framework for this project: 100 Days of Blue.

Blue has always been the colour I return to — it holds so much for me. The sea. The sky. Distance. Depth. A sense of both calm and longing.

Working within this single colour has given me freedom rather than restriction. Some days it’s a quick paint sketch, others it’s a photograph. There are no strict rules, no pressure for a final outcome. Just attention. Just showing up.

Small Shifts, Quiet Wins

In those first few weeks, I struggled to maintain any kind of rhythm — managing only a couple of sketches here and there. But something has shifted.

Now, I’m making something every day.

It might be small. It might not feel significant in the moment. But the act itself feels important. So whether I reach day 100 or not, I’m already counting this as a win.