Atiliay noun, a play off the French word “atelier”; a workshop/studio, esp of an artist or designer; my creative space

Notes plural noun, a brief record of facts, topics, thoughts written down as an aid to memory; a short informal letter

 

 

Happy New Year! It's January 1st which means it's the beginning of a new 100 Day Project, 100 Every Days! I have no idea what the next 15 weeks will hold but I'm looking forward to experiencing each one as fully as possible--the good, the bad, and everything in between--and to visually document a part of it. 

 

I'm extra excited because it looks like over 1500 of you have signed up to do it with me! This blows my mind and I can't really describe what it means to me. I've always wanted to do creative work that feels meaningful and to encourage others to create. Having you join me for this is like a sign that I'm on the right path-- thank you for this incredible affirmation. I can't wait to see how our projects unfolds! (In case you missed the info page, you can find it here.) 

 

In this first note of 2026, I wanted to share a few things to move through the new year with (whether or not you're participating in this project): thoughts on joy (which is our first prompt!) and a joy bingo card download, a few snapshots from the start of my project, and some reflection questions that have really got me thinking. I hope they can give you some support and inspiration for the month ahead. 

We have so many lists for things that are…well, not very fun lol. To-do lists, resolutions to improve our habits, shopping lists, etc. etc. I love the idea of switching things up and making a Bingo Card filled with things that bring us joy! It can be simple things like smelling your favorite flower or something bigger like planning a road trip with friends. (Don't forget to include your 6 mini adventures for the year on here :)) Here's a blank Joy Bingo template if you'd like to make a fun list too! (Write or draw in the sections to fill them in. I included some quotes I love about joy on there--if you prefer your card without it, you can trim that portion off.) I'm going to tape this on the wall next to my big ol' calendar (here's my affiliate link for the one I use--I really love it!) so it stays front of mind!

 

“Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath have room to grow. Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place.” – Rumi  2025 was a hard year for many of us, filled with loss and grief. Having to say goodbye to Valentine filled me with sorrow. And although Val and so many of the things we have lost cannot be replaced by something better, there is something about these words that have stuck with me. That sorrow and joy are all part of the same cycle that we experience as humans and each serves its own important purpose.

I picked the prompts for 100 Every Days randomly and I love that joy happened to be for day 1--something to look for and set the tone! I also happened to be visiting one of my oldest and best friends, Connie, and her family. here in Taiwan! They are all very creative so I had them help me with my first section. We drew things that brought us joy and the act of doing this together was a representation of joy for me! It's making me ask: how can we experience joy with our loved ones? How can we share and bring joy to those around us? Here's a short process video and a post about my canvas for this year.

 

If you're not participating in this project but would like a theme for your creative practice this month, I encourage you to explore joy in your art. Where does joy find you? What does it look like? Is it best represented with colors, shapes, drawings, photographs, words? Is there a quote about it that really speaks to you or a memory that evokes this feeling? Here's some plushy inspo from Manooni's whimsical felted creations.

My friend Ellen always shares beautiful ways to reflect and learn--today she texted me about The Five Lists from Suleika Jaouad. It includes 5 questions Suleika shares as journaling prompts--you can read the full post here. 3 of the questions really stuck out to me:

 

 

I've been finding it to be true that you receive and discover things when you most need it and I feel like these questions came at the perfect time. I wanted to share in case you feel like you need them too. Thank you, Ellen!

Thank you for being here and starting the year with me. Take good care and I will talk to you soon!

Have a good start to your January,

PS: A few pics with my day 1 collaborators :) (Missing Scott who is behind the camera!)

 

 

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