Wow, so it’s been way too long since I have posted here. However, planning a wedding, studying and all of the other ridiculous things that happened during the pandemic did not help. But I figured I would come back to share an art project that I wanted to get involved in. The 100 Day Project – also known as #The100DayProject – is an online international art project. This year, it is back for the 9th time. Starting today – on 13th February 2022 – artists all around the world are joining to participate in this project.
The project is very simple. Create something every day for 100 days. That’s pretty much it! Of course, a lot easier said than done! If you see this late or want to join, it’s is never “too late”. Just start whenever you want, using that date as the first date. Hell, if you want, join in for the remainder of the challenge and just do what is left. Alternatively, you can even start now but take longer than one hundred days to complete it.
The challenge is to encourage people to work on their creativity regularly. Whether that is to complete one hundred pieces of art or to simple work on something for one hundred days straight is up to you. The whole point of the challenge is simply to get creative.
In the 19th Century, Birmingham was the centre of the world’s pen trade. Here, in an area called Birmingham Jewellery Quarter, various writing utensils were created. An upgraded pen nib was created that could be mass produced in a manner that allowed them to be made efficiently and sold cheaply. These were sold worldwide, allowing many more people to write. The Birmingham Pen Trade not only boosted the economy but also provided people with writing instruments for cheaper – which boosted education and literacy for all. The irony of that, however, is that the history of this pen trade is not taught very widely in school. And so, in 2001, the Pen Museum was opened in one of the former pen factories.
The past few months have been a bit of struggle. A lot of trying to find my feet in the world and getting back to where I want to be. In order to improve my physical wellbeing, I started to focus a bit more on my health. Attempting to eat a little healthier, take the stairs more or walk a bit. But my physical health is also very intertwined with my mental health. To look after the latter, self-care became a priority. For me, this was finding a way to relax as well as express myself. Self-care means something different to everyone, unique to people’s hobbies and interests. For me, stationery is one of the biggest ways for me to look after mental wellbeing. After all, I did list the top 
I’m a total beginner when it comes to calligraphy. I would love to be better at it. However, a lack of practice thus far in life has prevented this from happening. My plan is to practice today so I can hopefully pick up a trick or two. There’s plenty of ways for you to get involved too and give it a go! Whether you’re a beginner or a world renowned calligrapher, there’s always a way to get involved.
