100 Days Project: 5 Minutes with Kerryn Smith

Celebrating Day 100!
Having now reached the end of this year’s 100 Days Project we grabbed a quick five minutes with Kerryn Smith, freelance Graphic Designer and Illustrator. Her project involved 100 days drawing a small doodle of some real or imagined creature.

Hi Kerryn, can you tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do.
I’m a graphic designer and illustrator, currently freelancing, while also undertaking various creative internships and searching for more permanent work. Being in this position gave me the perfect opportunity to participate in this year’s 100 days project and it has been a fantastic experience.
Tell us more about your 100 Days Project, Mini Creatures.
I set myself the task of drawing a small doodle of some real or imaged creature every day. It was a personal challenge to get back into the practice of drawing for my own enjoyment, and actually drawing the kind of things I love. I often doodle strange creatures when bored, so I knew it would be the perfect starting point. I was aware that I needed to keep my project sustainable to keep myself motivated to do it everyday over the next 3 months.
What inspired you to take up the 100 Days challenge this year? What did you hope to get out of it at the start?
I had been aware of it in previous years but never quite got organised enough to participate myself. But this year I jumped at the chance to get involved when I found myself with a bit of extra time. I hoped it would be a motivator to get myself back into creating for myself, and hopefully finish with a solid collection of work that I could expand upon.

What were the best parts of the 100 Days Project? And what were some of the challenges?
One of the best things is looking back and seeing what I have created. At the beginning of the project it felt quite daunting to keep up the same thing for 100 days, but it’s worth it to see what I have accomplished. Being part of this project has really motivated me to draw every day, and it is a habit I hope to keep up even now the 100 days are up.
Another highlight was the community of fellow participants I discovered while doing the project, all of who have been very supportive of each other as the project went on.
Surprisingly, the biggest challenge was not coming up with ideas for the creatures but finding the time to draw, photograph and upload it on to social media when I was having a busy day. The ideas for each creature came easily once I was on a roll with the project.
How have people responded to what you’ve made?
I have had a very positive response to my drawings, with people both commenting to let me know their favourites or requesting certain combination of creatures or animals they would like to see. It was a huge motivator to get the consistent feedback, which encouraged me to keep up with the daily updates.
Do you have any tips or tricks for people considering taking part next year?
Come up with a solid idea before committing to the project, especially if you want to see it through to day 100. And keep it simple; don’t over think it or force yourself to create a perfect thing each day. It’s a journey so don’t be afraid to share both your successes and failures.