There Are Many Ways to Be Creative. Some of Them Involve Paint
Weekly Wonder Drop 005 | Week 5 PROMPTS #100DaysofWonder2024
I got online ready to write you this afternoon and finish the content waiting for its finishing touches, only to be greeted with a Substack outage that lasted well into the evening here. So this wonder drop is going to be slightly different in the service of getting it out to you on time.
In some ways, it was a fitting end for a fairly wonky week. I want you to be comfortable with your ups and downs on this journey, so I am fully committed to being transparent with my own.
This isn’t about being perfect or creating a creative taskmaster of a practice for which we have to perform. It is about creating a safe place and practice that nourishes our soul. A practice that wakes us up to wonder and helps us to gather the small moments of beauty that happen every day.
So in full transparency… the only thing I’ve painted this week is this ⬇️
But it is just one of many things I’ve created.
Here’s a secret you will hear me repeat many times over the longer you stick around these parts.
More creativity anywhere means more creativity everywhere.
Whether it’s a painted prompt, a written post, a planted garden, or a slight glow-up on our logo 😉… or a video that still needs editing. (It’s coming… I share some of our back story at The Wonder Habit™ in it).
Sometimes creativity looks like dirt wedged up under your fingernails. Or listening to a friend. Or caring for a family member. Or making a pot of soup.
I’ve realized more than keeping up with my own prompts, creating this space we are all gathering in and pouring courage into your creative dreams is the essence my 100-Day Project this year.
You are my 100-Days of Wonder. I couldn’t be more honored.
(And yes, I’ll get back to painting this coming week alongside you. I’ll be using these prompts to help me create some wonder-filled original art for an art show I just got accepted for at a historical museum in the USA’s oldest city, St Augustine in mid-April.)
Creating Beautiful Things is a Way to Build a Beautiful Life
Making time to create regularly isn’t selfish. It’s essential. It isn’t wasting time or being unproductive.
It’s building a life filled with beauty and goodness even in the midst of hard things, frustrating moments, and scary unknowns.
Sometimes when things feel overwhelming I challenge myself to find the smallest moment I can that holds wonder in my day.
A sunbeam on my desk. A tomato growing in the garden. Someone who helps load bagged dirt into my trunk. Bird song that breaks through the noise of traffic. Homemade blueberry frozen yogurt pops.
My little cottage in a commercial district isn’t always the quiet oasis of my dreams. And that’s OK. Sometimes it’s about building a beautiful life right in the middle of imperfect circumstances. Because there will always be imperfect circumstances.
It’s about finding quiet space in the noise, embracing the tiniest moments, and seeing how much you can slow time down to savor the goodness right where we are.
Seeking beauty is a superpower. Not all superheroes wear capes. Some wear paint-splattered jeans and aprons. And dirt under their fingernails.
Also, here’s a little closer look at the glow-up on our logo. I wanted it to have a touch more whimsy than it did before. (Hazards of being a brand designer in another business lifetime. I am very particular. 🤣)
Week 5: Weekly Wonder Prompts
So this coming week, what is one thing you can do to simplify your creative practice?
What’s the teeny-tiniest moment of wonder you can find? Jot it down somewhere. Incorporate it into your art as you create around these very springtime-y prompts. Share it when you post your work.
The Reading Round-Up
Our 100 Days of Wonder is just one of several features and categories of content that will be rolling out over the next days and weeks as we grow. Instead of overwhelming your inboxes the majority of them will be quietly posted on the site. Then on Saturdays, I’ll share them all here so you can take a look at the ones that catch your interest.
Housekeeping Notes
The practical things. Announcements. Upcoming events. Things to get excited about.
COMING UP
TUESDAY 03/19 is our OPEN STUDIO Check-in Chat Thread for our paid subscribers. It will go live around 12 PM EST and stay live until Friday morning. We will check in on it daily. This is the place for works in progress, questions, and general feedback on your work related to the 100 Days of Wonder.
THURSDAY 03/21 is our weekly SHARE & CELEBRATE Thread for everyone. It will go live at 12 PM EST and stay open until Saturday afternoon so you can post your favorite work from the week (related to the 100 Days of Wonder).
If you are on Instagram and are comfortable doing so, please share your work there by using the #100daysofwonder2024 hashtag when you post.
Well over 90% of you who shared on the poll (THANK YOU) were interested in a beginner watercolor color mixing class, so I’m working on the best (simplest) way to get that set up.
Thank you again for being here.
All my love,
This section includes behind-the-scenes content, the extended prompts, and a look at my process.