Cheating the Muse - Letter C

Hey there, fellow creative!

I mentioned a list yesterday. Like many (or maybe most) people, I use lists in several forms to plan. Whether it be daily, weekly, or monthly. I don't have many monthlies, but daily and weekly? Absolutely!

Since my effort last year to do #the100dayproject was such a dismal disaster, I got bored and stopped after day 10. I decided to take a different approach: I would commit to time, not a specific project.

Today, April 3, is day 40 of the 100 day challenge, and I have yet to wonder what to do. Hence, the list.

So, what does that list entail?

• The answer is simple: things I like to do—art, craft, or writing. My list does have some details, such as working on the raven drawing or editing the novella Rowan, I Dare You.
• Other items are not specific. There, I have binding a journal or making collage ephemera.
• One item on the list is something I have wanted to do for a while now: finish nearly full sketchbooks. They take up space, but a completed sketchbook is a satisfying thing. I love that feeling!

I have completed several of these but have many more to go. Am I sticking to the list? Oh no, it's a guide to help me when I am too tired to think about something to do. And that is the point of the list: it's a guide, a support for difficult days.

If you're a writer, watch for my post for the Letter I. I will share some exciting ideas specifically aimed at you.

Until tomorrow!

💜 Linzé

 

Cheating the Muse - Letter B

Today, I want to talk about creative challenges. Since 23 February 2025, I have done something creative every day for the #100dayproject. I tried to have a theme last year, and do it 100 times. Yeah, that didn't go so well because I was bored to tears by day 10.

So why mention the 100 day project, or even the A-to-Z blog challenge of which this post is a part?

The answer is simple: I don't like to fail. Don't get me wrong, neither my writing nor my art is perfect. My fabulous editor, Vanessa Wright, polishes my words, but my art is all me. So why mention failing?

The word is probably not the best to use in the context of what I mean, so let me explain. I like a challenge because I commit myself to creating something. The "fail" would be not creating that something.

This year, my 100 day project, is not a single project. Nor is it a themed project, not by any stretch of the imagination. I only committed to a daily practice; that's it. Whether it is 10 minutes, or two hours. The amount of time doesn't matter. Only the effort does. 

So far, the shortest time I spent has been 30 minutes. The longest was 6 hours. It only happened because there was no pressure. I shared my projects on this blog weekly if you want to see what I did. No pressure.

One hundred days is a long time, and if that is not for you, why not commit to once a week? I do that, too. My art group and I meet on Thursday evenings for 2 hours. We started in 2020 - yes, during lockdown, and it has been going almost without interruption.

Tomorrow, I will share some things on the list I made for the 100 day project. Yup, I made a list. 😉 Until then!

💜Linzé

Cheating the Muse - Introduction and A

I find "inspiration" as something I need to do something creative, too much effort. I usually have so many ideas that the choices are more of a problem than wondering what to do.

For this blog challenge, I am going to do the same as last year: make a list instead of trying to follow the alphabet.

This list is not complete at all. It is just my way of deciding what to do next and, sometimes, choosing a project for my art group to do next.

So here we go for the letter A - commitment and accountability 

My art group meets once a week on a Thursday evening for two hours. That time is scheduled in my calendar as a non-ending event. I am always looking forward to it. That is my commitment.

Doing art or crafts with friends also keeps me accountable to show up.

If you are a first-time visitor to my blog, welcome! Comments are welcome.

Tomorrow, I will share with you how I use creative challenges to keep the creative juices flowing.

Until then!

💜 Linzé

The 100 day project Week 5 (Day 29 to Day 35)

Hey there creative friend!

It's been a words week, that's for sure 😀 With working on the new book, and editing the novella, lots of words flowed out of my proverbial pen this week.

The good news is that the novella is finished, and I emailed it to my awesome editor on Thursday evening just as our art group meeting started. I spoke to her earlier in the day and told her the planned release date. With my next novel's release date coming soon, I need to focus on that instead of worrying about the novella...for now.

There was time for a bit of art and craft. Of course, a new set of acrylic markers helped the creative juices to flow too. 😂

Until next time!

💜 Linzé

Day 29

Working on the new novel.

Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Day 30

More words...LOL! 

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Day 31

Some writing done during the day, but mostly after I finished work.

Time: 2 hours

Day 32

The final draft is now done and ended up at about 47,000 words. It might be shorter after the professional edit, but that's okay.

I prefer to get a book out that will be it's best version, which it will be with an awesome editor like Vanessa.

Time: 6 hours

Day 33

Another journal card made from the Uno deck on the left.

The 10x10cm painting on the right was done with new acrylic markers that I got a few days earlier.

Time: 2 hours

Day 34

I made a journal tag. The back has a pocket for storing ephemera or a journal card.

Although it is a large tag (16x8cm), it will fit the junk journal I made last week.

Time: 2 hours

Day 35

Not much time to write today since we are having a party for my husband's birthday and there is a lot to do before everyone arrives.

Time: 40 minutes

The 100 day project Week 4 (Day 22 to Day 28)

 Hey there creative friend!

A new week and it started with the making of a few bits of ephemera for a new junk journal I intend to make from a paper bag. Not my first, but it was fun since I love bookbinding.

We ended the week with a long weekend, which I used to move my vegetable garden (yes, literally moved it). On Saturday I planted the seeds for winter, as well as two pots with flowers just for some colour.

As always a lot of writing since I love telling the stories of the characters in the growing series, The Nations of Peace.

Until next time!

💜Linzé

Day 22

Top is an envelope from a scrapbook kit that I bought many years ago. I just folded and glued it together.

Middle is a pocket, and bottom are three journaling cards made from an Uno deck of cards I bought because of the size. I don't play Uno.

Time: 2 hours

Day 23

The story is evolving. 😃

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Day 24

Another gouache painting in my sketchbook. With only 5 pages left, I am getting excited to finish it.

Time: 3 hours

Day 25

I started making the junk journal from a paper bag. The blue image is a shell on the fabric that I stitched to the paper bag to form the base of the cover.

It will have three signatures.

Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Day 26

Another Thursday session to work on the raven project. I see a few areas that need some attention, but as a WIP, it is not going badly at all.

Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Total time: 10 hours

Day 27

The junk journal finished. Made with a paper bag, covered with fabric, and three signatures made from mostly magazine pages. It is empty, and ready to be filled with thoughts, quotes, or ephemera when I am ready to use it.

Time: 8 hours (over three days)

Day 28

I didn't write all these words today. In fact they were written in bits over the past week in a notebook that I carry with me everywhere. I spent today transcribing the words into the file on my computer.

Time: 3 hours

The 100 day project Week 3 (Day 15 to Day 21) + A-to-Z Challenge Theme Reveal

Hi there creative friend!

A really busy week and sometimes I had to remind myself of my creative todo list. The words were both a struggle and easy. The muse definitely had a field day with me during the third week.

But I didn't beat myself up about my struggles and did what I could during those times.

I am adding the A-to-Z blog challenge (happening in April) to my 100 day list of creative projects. Take a look at the blog challenge, link is here on the right.

And my theme this year? Cheating the Muse - why I don't struggle with creative block. It helped me in the past, and continues to do so during the 100 day project challenge.

Enjoy your week and remember to take it easy on yourself on those difficult days.

Until next time!

💜Linzé

Day 15

Our art group decided to do a phenology journal this year. Record our local environment on a weekly basis which included a drawing. But I didn't like the way it looked, so at the beginning of February I changed mine to one drawing instead of 4 or 5 small ones. 

I am using a Hahnemuhle nature study notebook, with a lined page and a blank page for every spread.

I record rainfall, maximum temperature, UV exposure, relative humidity, sunrise and sunset, and the time of day.

The drawing is a flowering plant in front of my office window (no idea what it's called) done in coloured pencils.

Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Day 16

The words didn't flow easy today. It happens, but still better than nothing, I say. 💜

Time: 2 hours

Day 17

Another ink flower drawing on a piece of the old dictionary page.

Time: 15 minutes

Day 18

An incredibly busy day with work and some personal stuff, and yet I found the time to write a lot of words. If only every writing day was this productive *sigh

Time: 3 hours

Day 19

And as usual I worked on the group project during our Thursday meeting. I focused on the first flowers this week. Not quite finished yet, but so far I am happy that it looks like a rose. 😂

Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Total time: 7 hours 30 minutes

Day 20

Another WIP - this is the Match challenge of the art group, Artkula, that I am a member of. Of course you can see that it is far from finished. Oil pastels used to be a medium that I didn't like, but currently I actually like using them. This project is on Canson Sand Grain paper.

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes (so far)

Day 21

Lots of writing this week. I did most by hand in a notebook, which makes it difficult to count until I transcribed it to my computer.

Time: 3 hours

The 100 day project Week 2 (Day 8 to Day 14)

Hello creative friend!

How is your week going this week? Are your creative juices still flowing strong, or do you need some inspiration?

I am having so much fun I didn't notice the spelling mistake in my post last Sunday. Oops! 😂 Good thing I have a fabulous editor for my books, so it won't happen for those.

Anyway, here are my next set of projects from the past week, which I hope will inspire you to keep going with your own projects.

Until next time!

💜 Linzé

Day 8

Collage tag made with old dictionary paper, stencil, stamp, and a bit of fabric that I found in my stash. The birdcage took a while since it is a piece of ephemera that I tweaked with a craft knife to fit over the bird image. 

The bird and peach images were cut from an Ideas magazine.

Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Day 9

It was a writing day, but I need to finish editing a novella for publication this year, so I had to do some work on it as well.

So it was a productive words day, I would say. 😁

Total time: 5 hours 30 minutes

Day 10

I recently updated my computer, but it has been a struggle to get it to connect to my printer. My printer is old, but it is small and a colour laser printer is not cheap to replace.

So a few days ago, I tried again. And voila! It worked. I printed a few images for my journal on sticker paper, but they didn't cover the whole sheet.

Instead of throwing the remainder away, I did my drawing for today on that leftover piece.

Time: 30 minutes

Day 11

It was a productive writing day for sure.

Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Day 12

This is my "long term" project. It is the group project of my art group that we started in March. What you see here is still a WIP, but so far I am quite happy with the result. It is done with graphite on A3 drawing paper.

Time: 2 hours

Total time spent so far: 5 hours

Day 13

I am so happy that my printer is working again, that of course I had to print a few more things. LOL!

And not wishing to waste a blank strip of unused paper at the bottom of the page, I used it for another drawing just for fun.

Time: 20 minutes

Day 14

I have been editing the novella, but was itching to paint or draw something. So I pulled out these tiny canvasses that I've had for years.

My acrylic markers were perfect for the tiny paintings instead of using brushes and acrylic paints.

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes