I have a problem with consistency. It’s not because I don’t want to be consistent. I just can’t find the time to do all the things I have planned. There is a conflict between the time in my brain and the actual time on the clock. Part of the problem that I will admit to is that since menopause started I realize how much I need to rest. Prior to that, I could easily live on 3 hours of sleep. Now 6 hours don’t seem like enough.
My work life has changes as well. Commutes that are an hour plus take a toll on my planner. And regular life task are constantly being rearranged to other days.
So why would I take on challenges when I already don’t have enough time to get things done? I DON’T KNOW!
2026 is all about getting back into my art practice. I want to eventually start art classes for adults as a way for them to destress.
I love collage and multi media but sometimes when I have a bit of free time it’s not my most creative time. My most creative time is actually late at night when I should be sleep for work the next day. Challenges with prompts are good ways for me to stretch my brain and to have something to think about as a topic.
Prompts are a low stakes way to get going. Usually when I started I can get into the creative zone and I usually have to force myself to stop.
The year started with Februllage. I was to create a collage everyday in February. This was (and is) a fun challenge. But collages take time. I even worked in a small art journal specifically for this challenge. I thought it would make it easy to have a portable workspace in case I was inspired on my lunch break.
In collage you have to search for elements. This is already a challenge when you have your own idea but now you have no control over the prompts. An example was the word “Oblibvious” – not an easy concept. Here is mine:
Getting home at 7 pm did not make it easy to look for elements. I was glad they provided the list with all the prompts up front. It allowed me to brainstorm and at least start looking for things that could be used for any of them. The cutting and pasting still take time, not to mention waiting for paint to dry for backgrounds.
Februllage is an annual practice. This was my first year. Today is March 1st and I have not finished all 28 collages. I have about 12 more to do. But I plan to keep going to prove that I can finish it. I will be the last artist crawling across the finish line about two weeks late but I will finish! You can see all my collages on my IG account under the Februllage highlight.
So now because I am a glutton for punishment I decided to take part in The 100 Day Project. This is another annual challenge that I just learned about. Same idea as the previous one but for 100 DAYS! Why Lord? I must be a sadist.
This challenge officially started on Feb 22. There are people all over the world taking part. On the up side you can pick what ever project you want. I’ve since been listening to 100 Day Vets who say they do this challenge several times a year. You can start anytime you want really, but because I a newbie I started on the 22nd even though I wasn’t finished Februllage.
I would be more methodical about this challenge. I decided to create backgrounds. That’s it. No other constraints. Backgrounds for what? I don’t know that yet but I figured I could used them for the journals I create or for future collages. Nobody likes a stark white page. So there you have it. I’ve foolishly started another challenge.
I’m not going to lie. I’ve already had two nights that I was sleepy and ALMOST skipped it but I pushed through. Was the background great those nights? No, but they were done and that’s the point. I have been posting them on my IG as well.
I’m told that posting them online is a way to keep you consistent because “people are watching”. I don’t have many followers and I don’t stress about online bullying so not sure it matters to me. I do like to see them all in one place and it’s easier to track what number I’m on.
I hope this practice will help me develop a habit of creating something everyday. I also hope that I will see some type of improvement. Art does truly feed my soul. I will keep you posted if I can improved the consistency of these blog posts.
YardGirl Creations 
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