The 35-Year Wait and a 100-Day Project

Using the watercolor palette my late husband left behind to begin a creative reset

(Click below to read this post with my voice.)

I made a dumb decision.

I’ve committed myself to a 100-day creative project. This concept was initiated in 2006 by Michael Bierut, a former art professor at Yale. The idea is simple but demanding: repeat a single creative act — sketching, writing, photography, or whatever you choose — every single day for 100 days.

Bierut originally practiced this discipline on himself, using daily drawings to find a sense of order after the 9/11 chaos. He later assigned it to his graduate students to help them foster creativity and analyze the process of making over time.

I’ve chosen watercolor painting. I want to create pieces that emanate joy, love, light, healing, or a good laugh. If these paintings can tap into my courage, my emotional sensitivity, and my wild heart, I’ll add those to the list, too! These qualities pretty much represent who I am or the meaning of my existence. The sun is my biggest source of inspiration, so expect to see a lot of that.

The Calling

I’ll be honest: after Day One, I wanted to give up. I have enough on my plate. What am I thinking? But I’ve already told people. I can’t quit now. Stephanie has a tendency to make her life difficult!

But I see this as a calling from the Divine. Last Saturday, I read about the project in Suleika Jaouad’s The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life. That evening, I met an artist named Amy Hernandez, who was displaying her own 100-day project at a monthly local art event. I had a wonderful time, though something upsetting also happened that night. It was a moment that forced me to reevaluate my life and the way I am living it.

Committing to this project suddenly felt right. A reset, to me, means clearing space mentally, physically and emotionally. I’ve often found that when space opens, something new and greater often enters. With spring approaching, and Southern California already feeling almost summery, the timing felt deeply symbolic.

The Shocking Discovery

For three years, I’ve felt a strong urge to paint. I have minimal background in art, save for a bit of art history and some Chinese ink drawing in high school. Yet the urge wouldn’t go away, even during the dark hours when my husband, Andy, was dealing with cancer.

Andy passed away in November 2024. He was artistic himself and was a talented photographer. I knew he had left behind art supplies; I’d seen them for years, but I never truly paid attention to them until now.

What I discovered was shocking. I picked up a watercolor palette and pad that Andy had owned before I even met him. They are at least 35 years old. When I really looked at them, I realized the palettes were almost entirely unused. Most of the paint pans were still wrapped in their original plastic.

They work beautifully! Looking through the pad, I saw a few sketches Andy had started, a project of his own that never went very far. Knowing I am using his tools, finally unwrapping the colors he saved, makes me even more eager to finish what he couldn’t.

Facing the Voices

By Day Two, the inner critics arrived. As I painted the landscape I watch every morning while conversing with the sun, a voice in my head said, “What a mess! You don’t know what you’re doing. What will people think when you post this on Instagram?”

I had to ask myself: “Are you doing it for yourself or for others? For yourself!”

It’s interesting how much weight we give to others’ opinions, even when we know better. I’ve also learned that when you are forced to be brave, you just step up. Commitment means listening to those voices of resistance and choosing to keep going anyway.

But boy, isn’t it difficult. I expect I’ll feel like giving up many times.

A Message from the Dream

The morning after I completed my first painting the night before, I was woken up by music playing in my dream. I was humming it in my dream, wondering what the name was. When I searched for it after I woke up, I realized it was “Air on a G String.” This was the opening music at Andy’s UK memorial service. It brought a mix of joy and sadness. I knew immediately that it was a reminder from him that he is still very much present, guiding my hand.

Ultimately, your world is for you to create. Make it as colorful as you’d like!

I already know what I’m painting for the next three days, and I’m excited!

“Now, that is the attitude, Stephanie!” I told myself, adding a pat on my back.

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To check out my daily artwork and follow the 100-day journey, visit my Instagram account here. Come cheer me on over on Instagram!

Here is a journal prompt from Bierut, shared in Jaouad’s book, for you to reflect on:

Write about a time when you began doing something daily, be it a creative endeavor, a new course of study, or a form of exercise. What prompted you to start it? What obstacles got in your way? When you felt resistance or missed a day, what called you back? Now reflect on what you gained from it and how you might apply that knowledge to a new daily creative practice.

With lots of love,

Stephanie Hoi-Nga