100 DAY PROJECT

If you're on Instagram, you're bound to scroll through a #100DayProject at some point. The concept is simple: choose a medium you want to work with, decide how you're going to implement that medium, do it every day for 100 days and share your process online. When our founder, Lalese Stamps was ready to push herself out of her comfort zone the 100 Day Project seemed like the perfect solution. In September 2019 she embarked on a project of her own, making 100 mugs with 100 different handles in 100 days. This is an inside look into her #100DayProject and how it brought major brand recognition to Lolly Lolly Ceramics.

Q

HOW’D YOU COME UP WITH SO MANY IDEAS FOR MUG HANDLES?

A

I sketched out a ton of ideas before I started the project. I came up with pages and pages of exploration, but once I started I realized that a lot of the sketches were repeat ideas. This forced me to explore my surroundings and pull inspiration from items in my daily life: door knobs, architecture, utensils, fences for example—everything could be interpreted into a handle.

Q

HOW DID YOU SUCCESSFULLY MAKE ONE MUG PER DAY?

A

There are so many steps that go into making one mug, from throwing, to trimming, glazing, firing, taking photos, to uploading every day, etc. I had to really plan out this project, but of course, things don’t always go as planned. I started the project making a few mugs at a time, but there were times where I would only had one done in time. It was stresful, but somehow I always had one ready to post on Instagram. Having a small test kiln was excellent because it allowed me to fire 1-6 mugs at a time without wasting as much energy as a larger kiln.

Q

WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE?

A

Having an idea for a mug and it not physically working as planned was really hard. There were a few mugs that would constantly fall apart in the kiln. I had to make mug 59/100 four diferent times, for example. This project didn’t allow for a ton of error so it was crucial that I was working on a few different mugs at one time in case one didn’t work out as planned.

Q

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN STARTING THEIR OWN 100 DAY PROJECT?

A

Do some upfront planning. Doing anything for 100 days straight can be a challenge especially if that’s being added to other things in your daily life. Give yourself some grace and find a person to lean on when days get hard. Completing a project of this gravitas can feel lonely unless you have support from loved ones who can cheer you on.