At the start of this year, I was inspired to pick a mantra each month and make art to go along with it. It was a way for me to find inspiration and wisdom, to feel grounded, and to create more consistently. I didn't realize it when I started how helpful and comforting this project would become and how much I'd truly enjoy the entire process from finding words I connected with to interpreting it visually.
Even though for a few of the months I cut it really close (like making the art on the last day 😅) I am very excited--and feeling a little bittersweet--to share that this project is now complete!
Below is the mantra for every month as well as details about the art.
If this idea resonates with you, I highly recommend trying it! I felt I was able to take on and finish this project because the timeline of one piece of art a month felt doable and less intimidating. And if you're a lover of words too, it's a fun way to find inspiration in them and incorporate them in your art whether it's with text or images.
I hope some of these sketchbook pages and words resonate with you and that they help you feel grounded, supported, and comforted ❤️
JANUARY
EVERY DAY IS A NEW DAY
I had been saying this to myself a lot at the start of the year because Valentine had started to have a hard time settling down. Each night was a struggle and I was surprised at how much it got to me. But every morning I'd remember it is a new day, a new chance to practice calmness and patience, a new day to take good care of her.
While these words are common and nothing new or groundbreaking, I picked them to start January off with because it's a great reminder that we don't need to wait for a new year, month, or week to do something--every day is a new opportunity.
For the artwork, the color yellow came to mind and I also used gold to create an abstract piece for this mantra. I layered watercolor, acrylic paint, and metallic paint pens. It's messy to represent how each day isn't perfect but the yellow represents the sun rising again. I wanted to capture the energy, possibilities, and brightness of a new day!
FEBRUARY
I TRUST MYSELF.
I LISTEN TO MY INTUITION.
I LOOK WITHIN.
I AM GENTLE WITH MYSELF.
I ACCEPT MYSELF.
I LOVE MYSELF.
In this month where love is celebrated, I wanted to focus on self love, self appreciation, and self care…mostly because I kinda suck at it sometimes! 😅 Maybe you can relate?
There is nobody who is harder on myself or gets more disappointed in myself, than me.
And it has been brought to my attention that the way I care for Valentine is not very sustainable if I also don't make time to care for myself…I realized this is true because there are times I have really felt pushed to my limits.
So instead of being hard on myself for being hard on myself (!), I am trying to embrace this month's mantra--to remember all the times I have trusted myself and things turned out right, to talk to myself like how I would talk to a good friend, to let go of this idea of perfection or being the best, and to chill out a little and simply show myself a little more love! I invite you to do the same. May we all move through the year with the energy and confidence of this fabulous child. :)
For this sketchbook page I began with writing down positive examples in my life as the result of listening to myself. Mistakes always seem to stick so this is a reminder of all the good that's come from it. I added pink watercolor for self love. Then I used a white crayon to write the mantra. I like how you can't see it until you add paint to it--I felt like it represented how our intuition and gut feelings are invisible but so powerful. I added a layer of white paint as a symbol of forgiving ourselves, a clean slate when we need it, and finished it with pressed flowers to symbolize finding the beauty within and growing and blossoming into who we are. (I also love the idea of getting ourselves flowers instead of waiting for someone else to!) Here's a short process video that you can watch on Instagram or TikTok.
MARCH
I AM ROOTED, I AM STEADY, I AM STRONG.
MY ROOTS RUN DEEP, CONNECTING ME TO THE CALM WITHIN.
I AM ROOTED IN GROWTH.
I AM PART OF THE EARTH, I AM ROOTED IN ITS LIFE FORCE.
MY SPIRIT IS ROOTED, GROUNDED IN THE DIVINE.
The theme for this month's mantra is rooted. There were some different ideas and phrases that stood out to me so I shared a few of my favorites.
For the mantra artwork, I wanted to use brown and gold to represent the ground and earth and I was drawn to the curvy shapes of tree and plant roots. The bottom layer was made with kraft paper and the top with a piece of paper covered in watercolor and acrylic paint that was scraped and mixed then cut up and added to the collage. (I wasn't sure where I was going with this at first and it wasn't until I tore the page out because I didn't like it that I realized what I could use it for!)
APRIL
I LIVE WITH EASE.
I MOVE WITH EASE.
I LOVE WITH EASE.
I GIVE WITH EASE.
I ACCEPT WITH EASE.
I know there are SO many things I do that make my life harder: worrying, stressing about things that have not happened yet (that might never happen!), getting too attached, overthinking, being resistant, self criticism, the list goes on! Life IS full of challenges and we all face truly tough times and difficult situations. This is not to invalidate that or dismiss our emotions. This month's mantra is a reminder that we can control our own actions and reactions and to try and let go of the things we may be doing that could be making our lives a little harder than it needs to be.
What if we let go of the things that no longer serve us? What if we physically relax--exhale, drop our shoulders, unclench our jaws--and move a little easier? What if we choose to love with ease and to trust again? To not let past heartaches and decisions harden us and make us weary? What if we always gave generously, with no second thoughts or judgements? What if we easily and freely accepted the positive things that come our way, because we truly believe we deserve good things?
For the artwork I decided to go with something that felt easy and stress-free to match the mantra. Just making this decision took the pressure off and this idea immediately came to mind (whereas sometimes it can take me a long time / feels difficult to come up with a concept for the mantra artwork!)
I started off by taping a border on my sketchbook page as well as 5 horizontal lines across the page. I added watercolor to the exposed parts of the page--choosing random colors and letting them move around and mix--and let it dry. Then I removed all the tape and in the white spaces, added in each line from the mantra in pencil. If you have these supplies, I highly recommend trying this process! Feel free to write the mantra above or whatever words you feel connected to.
While creating this piece, I realized that “easy” has a negative connotation for me--like doing less is bad or lazy, that I should be more aspirational. But you know what? There's nothing wrong with doing less--it makes room for what we want to do more of!
PS: IF BEING HARD ON YOURSELF WORKED, IT WOULD HAVE WORKED BY NOW! Read more from Lindsay over on the #The100DayProject Newsletter --I really enjoyed this post.
MAY
I HONOR MY GRIEF AS A TESTAMENT TO LOVE
This month's mantra is centered around ideas of grief and love and honoring both.
Inspired by Valentine. Read more here.
JUNE
I AM OPEN TO THE UNEXPECTED
There is something unexpected when creating. In visual arts, I have found this to be especially true with certain materials and techniques. I feel like I never really know how watercolor will turn out until it's completely dry or where paint splatters will land and what shapes they will take on. And sometimes even when there's a specific idea planned out, the piece does its own thing and turns out a completely different way! The unexpected in art comes with curiosity and experimentation and collaboration.
Could that be applied to other areas of our life?
From the opportunities that find their way to us to the tough losses to the routine days that go as planned to the changes that happen daily in the world around us--I am wondering, can those things be approached the same way as art? Can I tap into curiosity, look at it like an experiment, find ways to collaborate? When it's an unexpected event that brings up hard or negative feelings, can I still somehow approach it in this way to find a way through it, to process it, to turn frustration / sadness / anger into some type of healing action for myself or others? These are some of the ideas I am trying to embrace as we continue to navigate through all the twists and turns that is life.
While this mantra came quickly to me, I got a little stuck on the art part. When I told my friend Archna, she said, “Don't put too much thought into it and be open to the unexpected 😂". Excellent advice! Lol. It totally helped me unblock and I chose to do things where I would not know what the outcome would be: writing with my eyes closed, using markers and water and letting the ink flow, and adding splatters! It's nothing fancy but I had fun creating it and letting go. Here's a short process video.
JULY
I ACQUAINT MYSELF WITH THE WORLD UNDER MY FEET
When I read this mantra it felt fitting for the summertime here in the northern hemisphere, encompassing different meanings and ways we may be spending this season…
I could picture long summer days, sinking toes into sand and water, taking things slowly and soaking in the surroundings and warmth of the sun.
It could also be for the adventurers and explorers, taking excited steps in places they've never been before and seeking new experiences.
And it reminded me as well of not going anywhere at all and feeling grounded from within and the flip side of not knowing where you want to go but figuring it out step by step.
Maybe it's because my word for the year is “rooted” but I have found myself circling back to questions like, are my feet planted where I want them to be--literally and figuratively? What people / places / things do I want to acquaint myself with? Am I being true to myself? I find that this mantra anchors me as I continue to find the right path for me.
While this collage is quite simple--torn out images from a magazine--it really speaks to me. There's something about that simplicity and the colors, layers, and hand torn edges that make me feel a sense of happiness, excitement, and mystery.
Or maybe I just have a thing for using photos of my feet in the frame and wanderlust? Lol Please refer to exhibit A, a collage I made in 2023 for the prompt “destination”. I didn't have words for it then but this mantra is quite fitting for it as well…it looks like this might be a running theme for me!
What about you? What does this mantra mean for you? Can it help support you in some way? How are you spending your summer? What are some themes that keep popping up for you?
AUGUST
THIS IS TEMPORARY
These words have really been resonating, especially when you don't really want to hear that you need to be more compassionate, kind, patient, etc. because you already know that and have been trying and it's just not exactly working out, ya know what I mean?? 😅 So I offer you these 3 words for some comfort, peace of mind, and encouragement.
This was a good reminder to myself for both the tough, annoying, harder times as well as the good, happy, joyful times: things are always changing, the hard times will pass, live in the present moment and when it's good, embrace it and take it all in.
For the artwork I used tape to block out the words (a temporary placeholder) then wrote the mantra on top in black marker, colored pencil, and crayon. Each mark turned this piece into something new--there were so many temporary iterations. When the page was covered in writing, I peeled the tape off. While this piece will now stay the same, every time I look at it, it will be with new eyes in a new moment and wherever I am in my experience, these words will continue to be a good reminder. You can watch a short process reel on IG or TT.
SEPTEMBER
I TRUST THE JOURNEY THAT IS AHEAD OF ME
One of the prompts from this month's Creative Spark Challenge is “surrealism”--it inspired the collage I made for this month's mantra. Putting together something that didn't have to make sense was actually really fun--I'd definitely recommend! Based on the collage, can you guess what the mantra is?
Every year is a gift of new experiences, new connections, new adventures. This mantra reminds me to trust and embrace not knowing what's ahead. While it's scary, it's also exciting--what could go RIGHT and what wondrous things (like mountain goats and highland cows!) that we cannot even fathom are waiting for us? I hope to make the most of this next trip around the sun and to try my best to appreciate and acknowledge each day. (If you guessed the mantra was something about the road leading to goats/cows/animals, I will give you a point lol.)
OCTOBER
I LET MY CREATIVITY GUIDE ME
October's mantra came about while I was working on my piece for the Sketchbook Un-Slump! The inspiration came from Richard Kamler's artist statement where he lists reasons why he practices art. Although I came up with something a little different, I began with reading his words and thought about what art and creating means to me. I think this mantra can be applied to many things--not just the arts--as we use creativity to solve problems and innovate in many different areas of our lives.
This mantra is a reminder to lean into our creative ideas and callings, to think outside the box, to try new things, to find outlets for our creative energy, and see where it takes us! No matter what the outcome is, I'm like 99% sure we'll learn something and that it'll be an interesting journey!
This piece was created with embroidery floss and inspired by The Red Dress Project. At first, I started off by penciling in the words. I wasn't really happy with it then realized, I should listen to this mantra! :) I erased everything and approached it word by word. I also started filling in the spaces around the text as I went.
The words and elements are either stitched or created from a combo of stitching and gluing (like for the circles and curvier letters). It took me all 3 Maze Runner movies to finish this (I thought the cast was great and would recommend the trilogy!) but it was really fun to see it come together and to take an afternoon to slowly make something.
NOVEMBER
I AM GUIDED BY MY INNER VOICE
In November the idea of listening to myself--my heart, my intuition, my gut--was coming up. When we are in a place where we don't know what to do, we may want advice or guidance or hear about other people's experiences. There's nothing wrong with that and it can be helpful. But it can sometimes lead us astray and quiet our own voice.
Don't forget to listen to yourself. What do you want? What is right for you? What will make you happy? What will you regret? We are the only ones who have to live with the consequences--both good and bad--of the decisions we make. Every. Single. Day. We are the only ones who truly know how we feel and the situations we are in. And in my experience, almost all of the time, the answer was always found by looking within, not looking outside.
There are so many stories (I'm sure you have some yourself!) where it feels like everyone is saying no, don't do it, this isn't right for you, etc. but so many successful businesses, loving relationships, life changing adventures would never have existed if those people had listened. So you do you! :)
The artwork for November was inspired by the idea of inside (our inner voice) / outside (other people's words) and a mirror (the mantra).
DECEMBER
The 4 Agreements:
Be impeccable with your word
Don't take anything personally
Don't make assumptions
Always do your best
I was introduced to the book, The Four Agreements by don Miguel Luiz, years ago by my mom and it has stuck with me every since. The 4 agreements are based on ancient Toltec wisdom and what beliefs limit us and what we can do to live lives that are more free, content, happy, and loving.
While these aren't new or ground breaking ideas, they can be so much easier said than done and easily forgotten! But when applied, it can really be powerful and address the source that is causing pain, confusion, or discomfort.
Whenever I refer back to these sentences, I'm always like, this makes SO much sense! Usually one of the agreements is what I needed to hear and I've been able to apply them to all kinds of situations. When things feel chaotic, when I feel like I'm not doing enough / getting enough done, when the perfectionist or people pleaser in me creeps in, when I feel overwhelmed, when there are issues with other people / relationships, I try to remember and apply these words (again, easier said than done :)).
The one that has really resonated is that if I've done my best (meaning my intention and what I can do with the energy and capacity I have at that time) that is enough.
For the artwork I split my sketchbook page into 4 sections:
- Cut out words for speaking impeccably,
- A heart surrounded by paint with none of it reaching the inside for don't take it personally
- Don't assume reminded me of how in the book they mention that you wouldn't assume the calculations of a bridge so I made the center arrow in the shape of a bridge. It also represents the main intention. All the smaller arrows represent how an intention can be muddled, confused, and taken the wrong way if assumptions are made.
- For try your best, I wrote “you are enough” in silver ink then layered it with soft watercolors to represent all of our efforts and to be gentle with ourselves.