Olivia Lin: I think we don't have enough fun and wonder in our days sometimes when that gets lost, but even in the most mundane days, there is something to be found if we look for it. Lindsay Jean Thomson: Hey, and welcome to #The100DayProject Podcast. I'm your host, Lindsay Jean Thomson. If you're new to the community, welcome. Here's the idea: every year we pick a start date. You pick a creative project and beginning on the start date, you do your project every day for a hundred days and document it online. You can find out more at the100dayproject.org. That's the 1 0 0 day project.org. While you're there, sign up for our newsletter to learn more about the next round of the project. My guest today is Olivia Lin of Atiliay. Olivia is an artist who experiments with different mediums and styles, including abstract paintings, collage, brush lettering, mixed media, and more. She currently loves filling the pages of her sketchbook and sharing prompts to help others do the same. And she's also a long-time #The100DayProject participant. Hi, Olivia, and welcome to #The100DayProject Podcast. Olivia Lin: Hi, Lindsay. Thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited to get to be here. Lindsay Jean Thomson: Well, I'm so excited you're here. And I wanted to share that I had put a call out to the community to ask folks who they wanted to hear from. And I got dozens and dozens and dozens of responses.And I want to say like at least four or five people said, Olivia Lin. And I thought, oh my God, I gotta meet this Olivia Lin. I've got to find out who this person is. So you have fans in the hundred day project community and yeah, I'd love to hear how you got involved. Do you remember your first year doing the project? Olivia Lin: I do. And thank you for sharing that. That's so nice. I do love the project. The first year I did it was I want to say seven or eight years ago. And so I originally heard about it because I saw it on Instagram in some posts and I didn't know too much, but then my friend, Susan, who's a watercolor artist, she did it for a year. And so she was posting, you know, her paintings every day. And so that's when I really realized what it was and learned what it was. And I was like, Oh, this is so cool. So the next year I was like, okay, I'm going to do this too. And so I was doing a lot of calligraphy and lettering at that time. And I was like, okay, I'm going to do a gratitude journal and every day I'm going to letter something. But that first project, I actually failed and I didn't complete it because I feel like it was a lot to do in one day. So that was the first lesson learned, but that's when I heard about it. But after that, I was like, okay, you know, this was a good learning experience and I want to challenge myself. And I love this idea of creating every day. I do feel like it's okay to take breaks, but there is something really magical about being consistent, which I don't know about you, but sometimes I have a little bit of a problem with staying consistent, so I decided to continue doing it and the next year I was much more successful and then after that, I felt like I was just hooked. And so every year I always look forward to it. So I also do want to say thank you for facilitating this and creating this community. It's, I think it's like so amazing and it's so cool that, you know, we can all connect over this. Lindsay Jean Thomson: Thank you. It really is such an honor and I'm so proud and I think of it as such like a lovely corner of the internet. You know, I think a lot of people take on a first project that is maybe more ambitious than they realize and it's only really in the undertaking of it that they realize like, oh, this is project takes more time than I thought or more energy than I had or that type of thing. But I think that getting started as a success, whether you finish or not, particularly if you can learn from it as you did. Olivia Lin: That's true. I agree. And I think part of this 100 day challenge or the 100 day project has taught me as well is to be open. Be more gentle on ourselves and we don't have to be so hard. You know, I feel like you're really good at kind of encouraging that. And like you said, if you learn something, if you did it, like even one day and you haven't done it before, I feel like that's one day doing something new. So it's been really great. And trusting the process and kind of trusting yourself has also been a really big lesson. I feel like a repeated lesson that I keep seeing over and over again. Lindsay Jean Thomson: It's funny you say that because one of the podcast guests is Rukmini Poddar. I don't know if you know her, but she is a long-time community participant as well. And she talked about how this act of showing up daily really helped her build trust in herself and what a powerful thing that is. So what has that kind of enabled in you? Olivia Lin: I feel like it actually carries over in like so much of our lives. And I think with art too, we're so connected to it. It's a big part of who we are. But in doing this, it's, it is like a sense of accomplishment. When you do your, like you said, if you get to 50 days, whatever, you still did it. And when you get to that 100 day, it's like, oh my goodness, this is a really big accomplishment to be that committed to something. And it's kind of a commitment to yourself. So I feel like it just kind of reiterates that aspect in all parts of your life and knowing that you can do something and small things count every day counts. And if you miss one day, there's still the next day. So I feel like it's kind of helped me look at things a little bit differently, but also. Be more consistent and understand what works for me and being consistent. Like I told you, I didn't finish my first project because it was too much. It was like, I didn't plan every day out. I had to think about it, then I had to actually do it. So sometimes it's like being a little bit more realistic to you on what we can handle. Which I think is a big thing for you. Because you think you can do all this stuff in a day and really it may be like one or two things. So it kind of has helped me, given me that perspective, I think. And that we can do it and what works best for us. Lindsay Jean Thomson: So what works best for you? Olivia Lin: Really small, simple tasks. And so for me, getting everything set up, especially for when we're talking about the project, getting everything set up in the beginning before I begin has been so helpful for me. So that means every day when I show up, I'm actually doing the action. I'm not thinking about what it is. So I would say my first project that I really connected with personally too, was I just did one stroke a day on a canvas. So one brush stroke and I could do whatever I wanted and it could be as big or as small. But you know, I had everything ready. Like here are my brushes. Here's my canvas. This is what I'm going to do. So then every day, it literally, all I had to do was that. And then last year I kind of did a similar project, but I was driving across the U. S. with my dog. We went on this road trip. And so I wanted to continue to do the project, but I was like, okay, I really have to make this doable. You know, it's going to be a little crazy. So I ended up taping a hundred sections onto a piece of paper. And then every day I just had to fill it out. So I had like the canvas ready and then I just had things, you know, like a pencil, whatever, if I couldn't. I was just a quick stop for the night. I just made it as easy for myself as possible. And then also to remember to like, have fun with it. I think sometimes there's like a pressure, like, okay, like, what am I going to do the next day? Or especially when you're sharing on social media, you feel like other people are seeing it too, but at the end of the day, I feel like when we're having fun and we're true to ourselves, it reflects that. And people are not as judgmental as we are on ourselves. I think we were just talking about that. We are so critical. Yeah, we're so critical. We're like, Oh my gosh, like that tiny little mark, you know, like nobody sees it. So yeah. Lindsay Jean Thomson: Yeah. They gather like the broad strokes, just like the way that you noticed your friend, Susan, doing something every day. You weren't necessarily remembering the specifics that she would remember. Exactly. Yes. So speaking of social media, I hear from people a lot that posting daily is both like the best and worst part of doing the project there's. You know, a lot of accountability in doing that. There is the pleasure and pain of being seen. What is your take? And what, what has that done for you? Olivia Lin: So I love creating posts and I think it's so fun and I don't mind the video thing in the beginning when it was just photos. And then we changed to video. It was a little bit of a struggle, but the way I look at it now is I never in my mind would have thought like 10 years ago that I can make a little mini movie, you know, or kind of share my creative process in this way. And I think it's so cool to see the actual action of it. And I do see also the value in a still photo, because you can really kind of examine it more. But I love posting and I do feel like the accountability really does help me so much. And I've also found such a great community through it. And I think I got lucky. I was dabbling in TikTok for one of the 100 Day Projects. So I was like, okay, I'm just going to share my stuff on there. And it I think TikTok pushed it because I was new on there. And so it kind of went viral and it has, I think, 2 million views now. Wow. Yeah. I never in my mind thought that would ever happen. And it was like the wildest thing. Cause you, you see the view count go up and I'm like, what, what is happening? And I think the cool thing too, is you end up connecting with people who are interested in it. I don't post as consistently on TikTok anymore because I feel like Instagram is really where the community is and it's so supportive. So I feel like for people who are hesitant about posting, it's actually such a great place to start with the 100 day project and using the hashtag of discovering other people and having other people discover you. I think it's such a great community and it's very, very positive. And so I think it's not scary to do it on there. And I encourage people if they want to post that they can and they should. Lindsay Jean Thomson: Yeah. I love to hear that. I, I think that a lot of people who are maybe newer to posting feel some frustration or some anxiety about posting. Like it's a little scary to put yourself out there. It can't be, but by and large, I think the response that people get is really positive. And if you are thinking about it, just get started and keep going because sometimes it takes a while for people to find you and for you to find your people. And that's, that's okay. That's just part of life. Olivia Lin: That's so true. Yes. I completely agree. Lindsay Jean Thomson: Have you made friends through the hashtag? Olivia Lin: Yes. I was just going to say I've made lifelong friends through the hashtag. It's so amazing. Like Melissa is someone that I met and we're Instagram friends. And so we started with a project and we kind of did it together this one year basically, cause we followed each other, you know, commented and it's just so cool to see our journeys kind of doing it together in a way. And that's kind of how I feel about the community. We're all rooting for each other. We're all doing it together. It's so inspiring to see what everyone does. Because everyone's also so different and unique, but I feel like I've made so many friends through that. And because I was traveling last year, I was able to go to different states, so I was meeting people from my Instagram friends in real life. So that was really fun. Honestly, when I tell people about the 100 day project, besides kind of your own, the benefits for yourself, it's so cool to actually connect with people and you can really become real friends. Lindsay Jean Thomson: Yeah, that is like the dream. If anybody's listening and would like to sponsor this, I want to get like a van and like paint the hundred day project on it and the go around and go to every state and meet creatives in every state. I love that you did like your own version of that. That's so incredible. And Melissa, is that Melissa Lakey? Olivia Lin: It's Melissa McClure. And her hashtag is insplorations. And what I really like about her posts too, is she shares everything because I feel like especially with social media, there's a lot of pressure, right? For everything to look perfect and look good. And she posts just what she's been doing, whether she likes it or not. And I think that's really inspiring. And also her way with words is so beautiful. So the captions, it's a lot of self-reflection. So to me, it's really beautiful. And I think that's why I really got to know her because I think when we're sharing these projects where we really are, I mean, you can share as much, you know, whatever you feel comfortable with, but when you do bee more vulnerable and be more honest you really do find that connection with people because it's, it's real. It's not just, Oh, here's a picture for social media or something. Lindsay Jean Thomson: Well, I will have to check out Melissa's work. You know, the, the beauty and the challenge of this project growing is that I can't possibly see all of the posts or all of the people. And so it's really fun to hear from people about who, some of their favorite participants are, who they love to follow or who the friends they've made are. So thank you for sharing about that. Olivia Lin: Of course. And please do the van thing. That sounds absolutely amazing. Lindsay Jean Thomson: Just imagine a hundred day project meetup in all 50 states! Olivia Lin: Oh my goodness. That'd be amazing. Lindsay Jean Thomson: Someday. We're, we're putting it out into the ether. It will happen. Maybe it's a podcast. I mean, it really goes to the project in general is you start with something and you have no idea the things that it could possibly snowball into. Olivia Lin: That's so true. There's so many possibilities. I think that's also why, you know, how we're talking about if you want to start sharing on social media to try it because you really just don't know what could happen. And it's pretty amazing. Yeah. Lindsay Jean Thomson: Yeah, I agree. And as a community builder, hearing that people make lifelong friends through the project just makes my spirit feel so big. Olivia Lin: Yes, I feel like you're fostering so many, so many relationships. Lindsay Jean Thomson: And if you're listening and you're like, well, how do I know that my art or my post will do that? The thing is, is that you might not, or it might take a really long time. Most people on social media are observing, they're lurking. Olivia Lin: That's a good word. Yeah, it's true. Lindsay Jean Thomson: They're not necessarily commenting, right? Or taking any kind of action that you might on social media. And it's been so interesting to me that years into doing the project, I'll get an email from a friend who I haven’t seen since high school or something. Right. And they'll say, hey, I've been watching the a hundred day project. I think it's amazing. And I had no idea, you know, I had no idea that they were observing. Olivia Lin: That's so cool.Yeah, it does. It is very much like that. I, I have a newsletter and you do too. And so sometimes you send it out and it feels like you're sending it out to just the blank space of the world. But then once in a while, someone will be like, Oh, you know, I love reading these or something just like, it's so makes your day and then to kind of what you were saying that sometimes people don't necessarily interact. I think sometimes it's okay for us to make the first move too. I am very much a proponent of if you see something that you like to say it and to tell them what you do like about it. And I think that's how conversations can start when you really truly feel that way. And like you said, maybe it doesn't, and I do think it does take time, but I also think that's what's so great about the 100 day project because you have a hundred days to share and a hundred days for people to get to know you through that. Lindsay Jean Thomson: Yeah, I love that Olivia. I think you don't have to wait for people to come to you. I think that's a really important thing to learn. Olivia Lin: I love stalking the 100 day project hashtag and just seeing what's there and just, yeah. And it's interesting because, you know, let's say like you're like an abstract painter, that doesn't necessarily mean that, you're going to like all of those projects. Maybe you'll like someone who does embroidery or watercolor. And I think that's what's also so cool. And you can kind of expand your community that you're a part of now. Tto something that is more unexpected or different than what you would even imagine. Lindsay Jean Thomson: Yeah. It's interesting to see what like really strikes a chord with you. And oftentimes it might be totally unrelated to the thing that you do. Yeah. I love that. I also love to follow the hashtag and it's just so lovely to get in your feed, to get expression, to get somebody's sincere, creative effort. So tell me a little bit about what's next for you. Olivia Lin: So I love the idea of community. I think that's also why I gravitate a lot towards what you do and the 100 day project. And I also love sharing prompts to help inspire people because something that I learned from the project was the power of prompts and how one word can really kickstart your imagination and ideas. So going forward in 2025 and the new year, I'm really excited to be hosting free monthly challenges. I'm going to be calling them “creative spark challenges.” So I'll be sharing a prompt as well as inspiration and tutorials every month. And then at the end of the month, I would love for everyone who participated to join in on a zoom call so we can kind of just share about what we made, where that prompt took us. I love that we can go in so many different directions and we are all using the same word. And I think it's really cool to just hear about the thought process and have a place to share, because there's something special about connecting. I know we're not in the same place, but like to get to see your face right now and to be live, I think that's really cool. And in our personal lives, not all of us are surrounded by people who are artists as well. They might support what you do, but it's a little bit different when you're talking to somebody who's kind of going through the same thing. It's a different type of connection that you have. So I would also really like to follow in your footsteps and kind of foster more community and, and find a way to bring people together. I've always loved doing that, but like you said, you mentioned with all these different platforms, there's so many changes and sometimes it feels a little bit challenging to find your people. So it'd be really great to do something where we can all connect over our creativity and maybe connect over more as well. Lindsay Jean Thomson: I love that. What a great name. I can't wait to participate. And if you're listening, I will of course be sharing the details in the newsletter. So this is going to kickoff in January. Olivia Lin: So it's going to begin in January. Because of the 100 day project, I made a creative spark deck and it's like a mini deck of cards and it has different prompts on it. So I'm trying something new. I'm trying to go out of my comfort zone, but at the end of the day, the start of every month, I'm going to be randomly like pulling a card and then, and sharing some ideas and then also putting it more in written form. But my idea is to kind of do live video call at the beginning of each month and just pull one and see what happens, which I'm a little nervous about because there's no prep, you know, we're going to do it by the seat of our pants, but I think that's also fun too. And so people can either join in to see what it is, but if they miss it, that's fine. They can rewatch it or I'll be actually putting together a blog post that has the card with the prompts on it. And then as well as a bunch of different ideas that they can try to use as like brainstorming or maybe something that they want to try doing for that month. So I'm really excited. Lindsay Jean Thomson: That's so fun. I love, I love the magic and the serendipity of it. There's a practice called bibliomancy and it started by using a Bible, but you could use any book, you know, collection of artworks. But the idea is to sort of like a tarot deck is to choose something at random and see what it inspires and I think as creative people, it's sometimes more fun to lean into the magic than to be really organized and prescriptive. There's, there's a balance though, right? Like you, you talked to earlier in the podcast about setting yourself up for success by having your materials ready. So kind of splitting the framework with a little bit of freedom, I think is something that probably a lot of people can really relate to. Olivia Lin: I love what you said about like the serendipity of it, I think that it's so fun and you just don't know what's going to happen next. I really love that part of it, but having some sort of a loose framework is nice. So I'm hoping I can kind of help provide that and then just see what happens and what everyone does. So fun. Lindsay Jean Thomson: And you're also going to be a guest contributor to the 100 day project newsletter. Olivia Lin: Yes. I'm so excited. Thank you for having me for that too. Lindsay Jean Thomson: Well, I'm so happy to have you. What are you going to be writing about? Olivia Lin: Should I keep it a secret? I do want to share some prompts and see kind of what we can do together and kind of just share different things that will help us in our creative practices, but also really to make it fun. I think we don't have enough fun and like wonder and all in our days. Sometimes that gets lost, but even I think in the most mundane days, there's something to be found if we look for it. So I really kind of liked the idea of that tapping into that. And kind of what you said about magic. Lindsay Jean Thomson: Oh, well, I can't wait to read them. It's so fun having guest contributors to the newsletter because I get to be a recipient. Olivia Lin: Yeah, I love that. Lindsay Jean Thomson: Yeah, it's been really delightful. That's a newer thing that we just started doing maybe last year or the year before. So it's been really fun to bring in more voices and, you know, a lot of other people who are facilitating creative community to connect more people. Olivia Lin: It's always cool to kind of hear what different people are doing. And I just find it so inspiring because it's, you know, it just might not be something that's on your radar and you learn something new and there's like so much in art, even the types of art, right. Art forms, you know, whether it's like writing or visual arts. So, so yeah, I love like having that inspiration available. Lindsay Jean Thomson: Yeah. Okay. So creative spark challenge. I'll share your newsletter with the community and your website. You also do tutorials on YouTube. You're doing a lot of things. Olivia Lin: Sometimes it does get to be a lot. So, so like I said, you know, kind of learning from the project, don't bite off more than you can chew, but yeah. So I'm trying to keep that in mind as well. Lindsay Jean Thomson: Well, I look forward to sharing all of those with, with the community. And I just want to thank you so much for being here today and for being a proponent of the project. I'm so glad so many people recommended you to join us. Olivia Lin: That's so nice. Thank you. Thank you, Lindsay, for putting all of this together. I know it's a lot of work. And so thank you so much. I know so many people appreciate it. And I know you said you can't see all the projects and you don't know of all the friendships, you know, so I think if people are out there, maybe they can send you a little note or reply to one of your newsletters and let you know – I think that would be so nice because I do feel like you're you reach so many people and what you're doing is so awesome. So just thank you and thank you for having me. It's been so fun and I really appreciate it. Lindsay Jean Thomson: Well, that is incredibly sweet and generous of you. Thank you. It's such a great thing to be a part of. And again, I'm so excited to see what you do with Creative Spark. Thank you. Olivia Lin: I'm so excited to see what you do with your band. Lindsay Jean Thomson: Coming soon. Yes. Thank you, Olivia. You can find Olivia online at atiliay.com or @atiliay on Instagram. That's A T I L I A Y. And here's a look at next week's episode with Rukmini Poddar. Rukmini Poddar: It was such a profound experience for me because I would share things that were so vulnerable and so personal. And when I posted it, and again, it was the posting part for me, that was my growth edge. People would see it and comment things like, I have felt this way my whole life and never had words for it. Thank you for sharing this.