It's nearly impossible.
So, if quality is taken care of, what's left?
Quantity.
Quantity gives many gifts in return for doing the work. Chief among them is the habit to create work on a regular basis. There is also the opportunity to explore your chosen medium or the way you work for a concentrated amount of time.
However, I've always thought one of the greatest gifts that working in quantity brings is the ability to recognize that perfection is not needed nor necessary when creating. Instead of getting caught up in whether the work is a success or failure, the challenge encouraged each artist to simple move on to the next, and then the next painting. To keep going no matter as to whether the work was deemed a success or a failure.
Learning not to judge our work in the moment, to simply move forward is a key element to being a successful artist.
Throughout the years, many artists have made their way to the 100 Painting Challenge and have successfully completed the challenge. A few have started but have not been able to complete it due to circumstances beyond their control, but ALL of the artists that have happened this way have found a value to the challenge and felt stronger as an artist for having participated.
Many friendships have formed around the challenge and I am so very pleased to have been a part of the journey these artists have been on as well as enjoying the constant parade of growth and expansion that has been evident in the works posted.
As the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end and so it is with the 100 Painting Challenge. The time has come for me to move forward with new and different challenges. So after three glorious years, the Challenge is closing.
I invite you to continue to visit the blogs of the women who have participated in the challenge so that you may continue to witness the growth and be a part of their journey.
Cathy Orfall (no blog)
To those of you who thought of joining the challenge but did not, I hope you will consider doing a challenge on your own. Make yourself accountable to others by setting goals and letting others know what you want to accomplish. It will make it easier. I also hope that you'll get started today, or as soon as you possibly can so that you can begin to garner the rewards of such a challenge.
To all you who have stopped by and visited, left comments of encouragement and cheered the participants on, I thank you—you made the challenge sooooo much easier and enjoyable.
I wish each of you the very best in your journeys forward.
Take care,
Laure
