What Is the 100 Day Project and Was It Worth It?
6th June 2025
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.
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
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
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
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)
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Love flowers that have meaning or stories to tell? Discover how I weave stories into floral illustrations and surface pattern collections.
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