100 Days Project

The project is wonderfully simple, and deceptively challenging.

If you sign up to take part in the project, you agree to these two simple rules:

1. You will repeat a simple creative task every day for the duration.

2. You'll record each days effort.

It's that simple, and that difficult!

Choose one creative 'exercise', and then repeat it every day for 100 days.
Record each daily effort and see what evolves in the work and in the self over time.

The project gives anyone (young & old, artist and non-artist) a framework and the permission to be creative. It challenges you to dig deep into your creative reserves, to rely on your readiness to work in order to achieve creative breakthrough. 

It can be an end to procrastination, and the development of resilience. It takes a lot of energy, and yet the rewards can resonate for a long time after the 100th Day is over.

You do not need to have any prerequisitive creative or artistic skill to take part in the project. You can participate from anywhere in the world.

In 2011 New Zealand graphic designer Emma Rogan started the 100 Days Project after reading about a class called ‘100 Days of Design’ – run by Michael Bierut at Yale School of Visual Arts.

Emma invited others to join her and word of the project quickly spread. A lot of people saw the potential rewards in doing something creative every day for such a long stretch of time. Since 2011 over 3,000 people from all over the world have participated in the project.

In 2012, Emma gave a talk at TEDx Auckland about the project – watch it here.

The Day 100 Show

At the end of every 100 Days Project we celebrate with a public exhibition of the projects. The Day 100 Show is a celebratory showing of the projects created by the hundred dayers. Exhilarated by our achievements (and exhausted by the effort) we usually celebrate with beer and pizza! After 100 Days it is exciting to stand face to face with the other participants and explore the incredible range of projects on display. Thanks to the efforts of volunteers and hundred dayers themselves, we have held shows in Auckland, Wellington, Melbourne and the Netherlands.

The project has always been funded privately by Emma Rogan herself, and our great sponsors and community of Hundred Dayers.

From 2017 the 100 Days Project requires a small payment from participants in order to keep the project running. All funds and any donations are used to keep the website up and running, data archiving of all projects, and of course, putting on the Day 100 Show exhibitions.

If you'd like to contribute in some way – however small! – you can make a donation here.

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Support for 100 Days:

“One of my favorite artists, Chuck Close, once said, ‘Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work.’ I love the idea of getting to work as a way to unlock the creative impulse that exists in all of us. Committing to doing a creative act every day for 100 consecutive days is an intimidating challenge. But it’s a way to force yourself to simply show up. And to quote another great artist, Woody Allen, ‘Eighty percent of success is showing up.’ And why not give yourself an eighty percent head start? I applaud Emma Rogan for taking my simple exercise and making it a movement. More power to her!”

Michael Bierut – Partner at Pentagram, Teacher at YSVA

The 100 Days Project has been running since 2011. Since then we have only missed one year, (when life took over and got too crazy). Take a look at what amazing things have been done over each 100 days:

Click the links to explore previous projects:
Go to the 2016 website
Go to the 2014 website
Go to the 2013 website
For the 2011 and 2012 projects, click here.