So, I just finished my 100 Day Project. Phew! 100 days, a critter drawn and posted each day. It was a labor of love and dedication. It wasn’t easy in so many ways. Carving out time, learning to “see” differently, finding inspiration, just showing up and frankly, being brave. Some days it was a solid color bug, and there’s no shame in that! Some days it was a frog that made me nervous, or a bird that I loved and was scared to muck up – see the egret that I ended up being rather proud of!
As challenging as it was, it was equally if not more, rewarding. Each finished critter made me feel accomplished in some way. I discovered things that made my process flow more smoothly . I loved sharing and connecting with others. I looked forward to their posts and was excited to see what new things they’d come up with each day. I was inspired by them, and found things I wanted to try.
It’s over though … so now what?
It’s time to find a new balance. I found a balance and routine with this project. Doodling is something that makes me very happy, but how to continue these doodles? More sketchnotes? Doodles to relax? Doodles at school? Yes please! My brain is beginning to head back to my classroom, where just like life, there are so many little places to find balance. Work and play, create and take a break. Or maybe could the break be to create, just in different ways? I had more or less taken a blog break last year. I didn’t intend to, but finding balance between work, play, rest and sharing here was just not happening. I guess it really all just boils down to passions and priorities.
One of my all time favorite book / movie quotes is from Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. Jo March is with a group of men having a discussion. One of the men tells her she should’ve been a lawyer and she replies “I should have been a great many things, Mr. Mayor.”
I feel like everyone could be, should be, even is, “a great many things”. The challenge is to find balance and joy for ourselves, and as educators to demonstrate it in the classroom too. We may not have it all figured out but we can lead by example, and work to find the right balances for ourselves and our students. I really believe fueling our own passions spills over and inspires those around us.
So, with all that rambling over, I’ll keep working to find a good balance between personal projects, school, life, and hopefully even a bit more blogging too.
Thanks for reading my brain dump, and possibly enjoying my project too. If you wanted to check it out, it’s all on my Instagram at #100daysofmzcritters.
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