What Is the 100 Day Project and Was It Worth It?

6th June 2025

What I learned from 100 days of floriography

Back in February, I decided to take up Lindsey Jean Thomson’s 100-Day Project challenge. I’m not usually one to enter into these sorts of challenges, but this one drew me in. So, were 100 days of drawing worth it? And most importantly, did I complete it?

Discovering the #100DayProject

I spotted an Instagram post about #The100DayProject, a global creative challenge encouraging people to create for 100 days straight. I’d been slack recently at keeping up a daily drawing practice, and this seemed like the perfect challenge to get my teeth into and get me back sketching again.

I’m usually not one for these kinds of things; I can easily get distracted or, quite honestly, forget between client deadlines, raising my daughters, and piles of ironing.

Setting Manageable Goals

From the beginning, I set the bar low, knowing that if I committed to a large drawing a day, I most likely would not be able to achieve it. I needed something small and focused.

So, I set about drawing 100, 5cm square boxes and focused on my favourite subject of floriography, deciding to do it alphabetically. Of course, 26 divides many times into 100, so I thought I would try and do four for each letter and then make up the remainder at the end with either requests from Instagram or whatever took my fancy.

Did I Achieve the 100 Days?

Yes, but sadly not quite in the 100 days set, and I had many days when I was playing catch-up. I’m not seeing this as a failure, as I did achieve the full amount, and what is a few days between friends?

Challenges Along the Way

Well, at Easter, I caught the flu (maybe COVID, as I still cannot smell or taste), which put me in bed for nearly two weeks. Then, at the next school half-term, I caught another bug. Other things that made it hard were client deadlines, just being tired, or my daughters needing me. But the challenge ended on the 2nd of June, and I completed it on the 6th of June, so I take that as a win.

Lessons Learned from the 100 Days

I really wanted to complete it and committed, which I am proud of. I also discovered that a 5cm square is not big enough for me to get the detail in I wanted. You can see from my images below that I liked to escape the restrictive box and zoomed in on the flowers’ detail rather than the whole plant.

I could experiment with my line work; some have more detail than others. Some I stippled, some I cross-hatched, some are messy, some are neat.

I also realised that some flowers I loved to draw, and loved the result. Others made me want to throw my sketchbook out the window, or I hated what I’d drawn.

Another realisation was that I don’t know my alphabet. Yep, I got a couple of letters in the wrong order, and I did repeat some plants. It is also hard to find four plants for every letter of the alphabet. ‘U’ – I’m looking at you in particular!!

Would I Do It Again, and Do I Recommend It?

Yes, I think I would, but not straight away. Next time, I would not restrict myself to such small squares. I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to get back into daily drawing practice; it does keep you on track, and setting a theme helps you avoid that “what do I draw today?” question.

What Flowers Did I Draw?

Well, I diverted a bit from just flowers and was soon drawing plants, vegetables, and fruit. But I always drew something natural with some symbolism. Here they all are and their meanings. I’d love to know if any surprises you or if you have a favourite.

Anemone illustration in fine line ink, symbolising forgotten love.

Sketch Book Day 1 – 6

Day 1 – Anemone – Abiding Love and forgotten love

Day 2 – Allium – Multilayered Protection

Day 3 – Apple Blossom – Love, beauty and new beginnings

Day 4 – Amaryllis – Pride

Day 5 – Babybreath – Everlasting love, love and innocence

Day 6 – Bluebell – Gratitude and thinking of you

Botanical illustration of Cornflower, symbolising hope and elegance.

Sketch Book Day 7 – 12

Day 7 – Bergamot – Enchantment

Day 8 – Buttercup – Radiant charm

Day 9 – Crocus – Cheerfulness and Happiness

Day 10 – Cacao – Food of the gods and sensual

Day 11 – Cornflower – Hope, love and elegance

Day 12 – Common Jasmine – Cheerfulness and glee

Zoomed-in view of Dahlia petals, representing dignity and grace.

Sketch Book Day 13 – 18

Day 13 – Dahlia – Dignity and elegance

Day 14 – Daffodil – Hope, renewal and new beginning

Day 15 – Daisy – Innocence, faith

Day 16 – Dewberry – Envy and remorse

Day 17 – Elm – Dignity and grace

Day 18 – Eucalyptus – Purification

Foxglove close-up sketch, symbolising magic and healing.

Sketch Book Day 19 – 24

Day 19 – Echinacea – Strength, healing and protection

Day 20 – Erica – Good luck and protection

Day 21 – Fritillaria Meleagris – Persecution

Day 22 – Foxglove – Magic, healing and deceit

Day 23 – Forget me not – Faithful love, don’t forget me

Day 24 – Freesia – Motherly love (pink)

Hydrangea bloom in pen detail, for gracefulness and appreciation.

Sketch Book Day 25 – 30

Day 25 – Hydrangea – Gracefulness and appreciation

Day 26 – Hellebore – Serenity and tranquillity

Day 27 – Garlic – Courage and strength

Day 28 – Geranium – Availability, fertility and friendship

Day 29 – Gerbera- Innocence, purity and strength

Day 30 – Gardenia – Emotional support, good luck

Ivy trailing sketch, representing affection and endurance.

Sketch Book Day 31 – 36

Day 31 – Honeysuckle – Bonds of love and devotion

Day 32 – Holly – Courage, good luck and cheer

Day 33 – Iris – Courage, faith and five

Day 34 – Lily of the Valley – Fortune, in love and good luck

Day 35 – Ivy – Affection and endurance

Day 36 – Impatiens – Joy, balance and resilience

 

Lavender sprig illustration, symbolising devotion and faith.

Sketch Book Day 37 – 42

Day 37 – Juniper – Love, purification and strength

Day 38 – Jasmine – Cheerfulness, wealth

Day 39 – St John’s Wort – Simplicity and superstition

Day 40 – Jade Plant – Affluence and friendship

Day 41 – Kangaroo Flower – Unusual

Day 42 – Lavender – Devotion, faith and love

Magnolia flower pen drawing, for dignity.

Sketch Book Day 43 – 48

Day 43 – Lily – Beauty, birth and purity

Day 44 – Lemon – Patience

Day 45 – Lambs Ear – Spiritual Borders, ward off evil

Day46 – Magnolia – Dignity

Day 47 – Marigold – Grief

Day 48 – Mint – Consolation

Nectarine flower pen drawing, for fertility, love and longevity.

Sketch Book Day 49 – 54

Day 49 – Myrtle – Love

Day 50 – Monkshood – Chivalry

Day 51 – Nettle – Cruelty

Day 52 – Nutmeg – Increase clarity of thought

Day 53 – Nectarine – Fertility, love and longevity

Day 54 – Nailwort – Love, rendezvous, and will you meet me

Oak illustration in ink, expressing bravery.

Sketch Book Day 55 – 60

Day 55 – Oak – Bravery

Day 56 – Olive – Peace

Day 57 – Orange Blossom – Eternal Love

Day 58 – Orchid – Elegance

Day 59 – Pansy – Occupy my thoughts

Day 60 – Passion Flower – Faith

Peony illustration in ink, expressing bashfulness.

Sketch Book Day 61 – 66

Day 61 – Peony – Bashfulness

Day 62 – Poppy – Eternal Sleep

Day 63 – Queen Anne’s Lace – Sanctuary

Day 64 – Quamoclit – Affection and attachment

Day 65 – Quince – Fruit of Love, fertility and unity

Day 66 – Quaking Grass – Agitation and frivolity

 

Rose drawing in full bloom, for love.

Sketch Book Day 67 – 72

Day 67 – Rose – Love

Day 68 – Rosemary – Remembrance and wisdom

Day 69 – Rhubarb – Achieve

Day 70 – Radish – High status

Day 71 – Snowdrop – Hope

Day 72 – Sunflower – Intellectual greatness

Tulip ink sketch, symbolising romance.

Sketch Book Day 73 – 74

Day 73 – Sweetie – Blissful pleasure, thinking of you

Day 74 -Sage – Virtuous industry

Day 75 – Tarragon – Lasting commitment

Day 76 – Thistle – Harshness and independence

Day 77 – Tomato – Contrariness and nitpicking

Day 78 – Tulip – Romance and love

Violet flower drawing, for affection and faithfulness.

Sketch Book Day 75 – 84

Day 79 – Umbrella Squash – Protection

Day 80 – Violet – Affection and faithfulness

Day 81 – Vetch – growth and connection

Day 82 – Venus Flytrap – Confinement and Deceit

Day 83 – Vine – Connection and flow state of mind

Day 84 – Wheat – Riches and wealth

Zinnia bloom sketch, representing everlasting friendship.

Sketch Book Day 85 – 90

Day 85 – Walnut – Infertility and intellect

Day 86 – Weeping willow – Forsaken and melancholy

Day 87 – Witch Hazel – Magic spell and chargeable

Day 88 – Xyris – Sharpness and resilience

Day 89 – Zinnia – Everlasting friendship

Day 90 – Zebra Plant – New beginning

Wild Strawberry sketch, representing perfect excellence

Sketch Book Day 91 – 96

Day 91 – Wild Strawberry – Perfect excellence

Day 92 – Pea – Respect, love and money

Day 93 – Clover – Good luck and hope

Day 94 – Fever Tree – Fever breaker

Day 95 – Cowslip – Brilliance, desire of riches

Day 96 – Radish – High status

Geranium ink drawing, meaning friendship and returning joy.

Sketch Book Day 77-100

Day 97 – Raspberry – Temptation

Day 98 – Hawthorn – Hope

Day 99 – Fern – Confidence and dreams

Day 100 – Geranium – Availability, fertility and friendship

Tools & Inspiration

Every drawing in this project was created using the refillable, eco-friendly Lumos Pen from Tom’s Studio. It’s my go-to for fine line botanical illustration. I particularly love the 0.1 and 0.3 nibs.

My reference library included two inspiring books: The Complete Language of Flowers by S. Theresa Dietz and Floriography by Jessica Roux. Both are rich with symbolism and historical context, which helped shape not just the subjects I chose, but the meanings behind each bloom. I also searched a few up on the internet. Though, as with most things from the past, I found that different reference sources gave contrasting meanings or more than I could note in my sketchbook.

Final Thoughts

This project gave me more than a stack of drawings, it gave me momentum for Spring. It reminded me that creativity thrives on consistency and that small steps lead to big growth. Through the frustrations and flu bugs, it became a meaningful body of work, rooted in a deep love of nature and storytelling. I’m already thinking about how to evolve it next time, perhaps with larger illustrations or a more focused botanical series. Maybe I will get the watercolours out for a change of medium. The world is my oyster, and what makes this project so easy to repeat year after year.

I also noticed it has improved my techniques, I have gained more line control, finer hatching, not to be afraid of denser black areas to make things pop, or that sometimes less is more.

If you’re feeling stuck creatively, I wholeheartedly recommend giving the 100 Day Project a try. Choose a theme you love, keep it manageable, and see where it takes you. Do share it with me too, I’d love to see what you create.

The 100 Day Project

Love flowers that have meaning or stories to tell? Discover how I weave stories into floral illustrations and surface pattern collections.

BRITISH VS SPANISH BLUEBELLS   A MOTHER’S DAY BOUQUET