1. Go for a walk. Draw or list things you find on the the sidewalk. 2. Write a letter to yourself in the future. 3. Buy something inexpensive as a symbol for your need to create, (new pen, a tea cup, journal). Use it everyday. 4. Draw your dinner. 5. Find a piece of poetry you respond to. Rewrite it and glue it into your journal. 6. Glue an envelope into your journal. For one week collect items you find on the street. 7. Expose yourself to a new artist, (go to a gallery, or in a book.) Write about what moves you about it. 8. Find a photo of a person you do not know. Write a brief bio about them. 9. Spend a day drawing only red things. 10. Draw your bike. 11. Make a list of everything you buy in the next week. 12. Make a map of everywhere you went in one day. 13. Draw a map of the creases on your hand, (knuckles, palm) 14. Trace your footsteps with chalk. 15. Record an overheard conversation. 16. Trace the path of the moon in relation to where you live. 17. Go to a paint store. Collect ‘chips’ of all your favorite colors. 18. Draw your favorite tree. 19. Take 15 minutes to eat an orange. 20. Write a haiku. 21. Hang upside down for five minutes. 22. Hang found objects from tree branches. 23. Make a puppet. 24. Create an outdoor room from things you find in nature. 25. Read a book in one day. 26. Illustrate your grocery list. 27. Read a story out loud to a friend. 28. Write a letter to someone you admire. 29. Study the face of someone you do not like. 30. Make a meal based on a color theme. (i.e. all white). 31. Creat a museum of very small things. 32. List the smells in your neighborhood. 33. List 100 uses for a tin can. 34. Fill an entire page in your journal with small circles. Color them in. 35. Give away something you love. 36. Choose an object, draw the side you can’t see. 37. List all of the places you’ve ever lived. 38. Describe your favourite room in detail. 39. Write about your relationship with your washing machine. 40. Draw all of the things in your purse/bag. 41. Make a mini book based on the theme, “my grocery list”. 42. Create a character based on someone you know. Write a list of personality traits. 43. Recall your favorite childhood game. 44. Put postcards of art pieces/painting on the inside of your kitchen cupboard doors, so you can see them everyday (but not become deaf to them.) 45. Draw the same object every day for a week. 46. Write in your journal using a different medium (brush & ink, charcoal, old typewriter, crayons, fat markers. 47. Draw the individual items of your favorite outfit. 48. Make a useful item using only paper & tape. 49. Research a celebration or ritual from another culture. 50. Do a temporary art installation using a pad of post it notes & a pen. 51. Draw a map of your favorite sitting spots in your town/city. (photocopy it and give it to someone you like.) 52. Record all of the sounds you hear in the course of one hours. 53. Using a grid, collect various textures from magazine and play them off of each other. 54. Cut out all media for one day. Write about the effects. 55. Make pencil rubbings of six different surfaces. 56. Draw your garbage. 57. Do a morning collage. 58. List your ten most important things, (not including animals or people.) 59. List ten things you would like to do every day. 60. Glue a photo of yourself as a child into your journal. 61. Trasform some garbage. 62. Write an entry in your journal in really LARGE letters. 63. Collect some ‘flat’ things in nature (leaves, flowers). Glue or tape them into your journal. 64. Physically alter a page. (i.e. cut a hole, pour tea on it, burn it, fold it, etc.) 65. Find several color combinations you respond to in public. Document them using swatches, write where you found them. 66. Write a journal entry describing something “secret”. Cut it up into several pieces and glue them back in scrambled. 67. Record descriptions or definitions of subjects or words you are interested in, found in encyclopedias or dictionaries. 68. Draw the outline of an object without looking at the page. (contour drawing). 69. What were you thinking just now? write it down. 70. Do nothing. 71. Write a list of ten things you could to do. Do the last thing on the list. 72. Create an image using dots. 73. Do 3 drawings at different speeds. 74. Put a small object in your left pocket (or in a bag), Put your left hand in the pocket. Draw it by feel. 75. Create a graph documenting or measuring something in your life. 76. Draw the sun. 77. Create instructions for a simple everyday task. 78. Make prints using food. (fruit and vegetables cut in half, fish, etc.) 79. Find a photo. Alter it by drawing over it. 80. Write a letter using an unconventional medium. 81. Draw one object for twenty minutes. 82. Combine two activities that have not been combined before. 83. Write about your day in an encyclopedic fashion. (i.e. organize by subject.) 84. Write a list of all the things you do to escape. 85. Cut a random shape out of several layers of a magazine. Make a collage out of the results. 86. Write an entry in code. 87. Make a painting using tools from the bathroom. 88. Work with a medium that is subtractive. 89. Write about or draw some of the doors in your life. 90. Make a postcard that has some kind of activity on it. 91. Divise a journal entry using “layers”. 92. Divise an entry using “layers”. 93. Write your own definition of one of the following concepts, sitting, waiting, sleeping (without using the actual word.) 94. List 10 of your habits. 95. Illustrate the concept of “simplicity”.
100 ideas (pdf)
7:28 pm
Oh no what happen to the rest!?
2:19 pm
Emma, you’re supposed to make the last 5 yourself! This is fun. I found it in the Dutch Flow magazine and have been doing a number of the ideas, at random. I love your work Keri!
5:23 pm
Great list! But…what’s the difference between # 91 and #92? :)
8:34 pm
no difference
10:35 am
i luv ur work keri
when people call me weird im proud i love drawing my dream life is to be an auther illustrator who owns a coffe shop i love the ideas on this page and it inspired me to make my own
thx !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D
3:52 am
I happened to stumble on this blog… and I love this list =) I’ll definitely do a few of them.
Haha, I do 70. all the time
8:30 pm
this definetely inspired to make my own and do it all on this list! by the way im paula recart’s son.
10:53 pm
you inspire me. make me feel optimistic and happy :) thank you
1:26 pm
# 99. write a song about a letter of the alfabet that you did choose at random. sing it, or play it.
5:51 pm
You give me hope…. Thanks! :)
1:41 pm
just stumbled over ur blog today and went through most of it..two words…loved it!! orginal and fresh with beautiful child like lightness
. thank you for inspiration
god bless
4:56 pm
will be putting list to work with my son- he’s always up for an adventure! :)
12:25 pm
In eighth grade I discovered your website and was influenced to write poetry every day whilst riding the school bus. You caused me to realize that everybody contains a spark, which in truth can be cultivated quite simply. I am now skimming through your lovely posts once again, and I believe I have realized my inspiration. Which admittedly happens from time to time but rarely lasts if my mind falls idle. Your work has caused me to attempt to understand the complexities of myself rather than consuming myself in grief and frustration. Many thanks.
2:30 pm
I always wanted to tear up that book. I would walk past it in the bookstore and stare at it. But I couldn’t tear it up. Now that I have my own means of buying it, I believe I shall go tear it up.
6:57 am
i think everybody should have this list!!! it is magnanimous!!! loveliest thoughts for you
4:41 am
wow, so weirdly lighthearted :) and such a great idea. we are making our own list with my boyfriend. Today we decided to draw a caricature of ourselves…we’ll see how we do :) thanks for being so inspiring
6:18 pm
i love this list: i will definitely try some of these!
i love your work keri~ it always makes me think.
#96: find a mini zen garden (look it up)… try different designs.
#97: learn the alphabet backwards
#98: contemplate why most maps show north america on the top. who said it was that way?
#99: learn to lucidly dream (control your dreams)
just a few ideas. thanks!
1:28 pm
This is site is great, just great! I love the choice of type, I love the the wire scribble, hell, I love everything about it. You should be designing every site on the web — it needs your help.
Thanks, I needed that.
K
8:28 am
I’m a dutch girl, and I love this! I have your book; Wreck this Journal. I don’t use it every day because I don’t have a lot of sparetime. But somethimes, when I have class.. I take the book with me and instead of learning stuff and listening to the teacher. I draw things in your book, that’s really more exciting! And now I have english homework. I have to find a few texts in english. We have to read them, and aswer a few questions about it. My second text I’m gonna make is about one of yours!!! Called 10 ways to (…). And it has to be 1000 words but it’s only 999 words. :’) But that’s ok, the teacher told me a few days ago. Thank you for doing this amazing work and keep making history! I’m sorry for my bad english, I’m only 15, but I hope you can read it as well. Keep on the good work. Love, E.
11:34 am
I love you ideas they are just soo creative i now no what to do for my new journal :)
4:21 pm
I think I’m going to print off this list and put it in my room to remind myself and make myself want to spend my time creatively, rather than sitting in front of facebook all afternoon.
2:27 am
I bought your journal for my 14 year old daughter and she loves it! Browsing through it I got inspired…I’m in medical school and neck deep in memorization and terminology and other people’s facts…Starting tomorrow I’m going to start doing this list, one a day, in order, just to force myself to keep the creativity flowing. A doctor needs to be able to think creatively and not just spew the transmission routes of disease…
3:52 pm
For #25 “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach is a really good one.
1:59 pm
Hi from Brazil. I’m jornalist and I have one blog where for 30 days, I try somethings diferents. Next month, I try your Ideas. Hope you learne. kisses (and sorry my english…). Natália
12:05 pm
you could learn how to write with your feet
learn how to write with your weaker hand (if you’ve got one)
draw smiley faces everywhere you write for a day
make a list of your secrets and hide them in a friends/family members room
learn at least 1 sentence in a different language
smile at random people and see how many people smile back
10:06 pm
for #25 a great one is Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke.
Thanks for creating a fab site, Keri.
7:27 pm
when senior thesis is over, i’m keeping the ball rolling with this one!
1:09 pm
I wrote a message, yesterday,,, but I can’t find it back here…. I like your blog very much and I linked this post on my facebook…hope you don’t mind
lasja
9:41 am
I think you work hard on discovering ways people can use to draw.
Jenny Lamburg
8:43 am
Olá! Adorei suas 100 ideias. Até postei sobre elas no meu blog. Vou fazer um caderninho e coloca-las em prática. Sucesso, Keri!
10:32 pm
you are my role model.
10:33 pm
you are sosososososo awesome.
10:37 pm
this is a picture that i have drawn of my self (manga style) :
you inspire me!!!
7:50 am
you have great ideas kere
7:52 am
you inspired me,you gave me great ideas of what to draw,thanks keri and sorry if i spelt your name wrong before x
4:58 am
Starting to list projects on my facebook page… These are really fun and I enjoy your books very much. Thank you.
6:37 am
i am going to do this in my summer break! :)
12:48 pm
I Simply love Keri Smith :))
9:49 am
Hi Keri,
I’m about to start an art course & was referred to your website by the course tutor. Little does he know but I’m a blog addict so a browse through wasn’t enough… I’m now totally hooked, ha ha!
Love this list & will be having a go.
#96 draw the alphabet with food (apple, banana, carrot, doughnut etc….) started this last night.
Thanks!
12:53 pm
I simply love these 100 ideas… Just started a few days ago, but love it. Makes me so creative. I am now busy with listing 100 uses for a tin can.
Thank you for inspiring me!
6:19 pm
I will start with these… You are just totally awesome!!!
3:50 pm
This is so awesome. I have this little journal and i wanted to do something fun with it. Now i know! Thanks :D
3:49 pm
Hi Keri. I was having such a dull and down day until I stumbled on your blog. I’ve been called childish and a daydreamer all my life (not in a flattering way) and have struggled to fit in, and have a normal job – I do like it, because I create things, design furniture, work with CAD (which I absolutely love)- but at the end of the day all I want to do is rest and switch off my mind!! WHAT A TERRIBLE MISTAKE. Just reading your blog has awaken that little monster that makes me awe at everything and everyone around me, because the world it’s a fantastic place to be in. I can’t thank you enough. My best to you Keri.
3:48 am
away from cliche and on to inspiration!
as wasitjohnlennon said life is what happens to you while you are planning other things – we’ll all have to stay awake and open to everything around us!
best thing i read here was “anti-advertising”
love it.
btw i work for a so called top advertising company in seoul………..:-)
please update us with more “real stuff”
thankyou
5:52 pm
Keri Smith you are my hero.
Wreck This Journal saved my life.
Then came How to be a Guerilla Artist, and I was smitten by its simplicity all over again.
Please continue inspiring us poor mortals to see the beautiful and extraordinary in everything we do.
12:56 am
I’m glad I found this blog that I’m grateful thanks
8:51 pm
I love this so much! I am the newest fan of your blog, I love it. Can’t wait to explore some more. :)
2:56 am
Like everyone else, I love this post. I’m going to print out the sheet and give my two girls a copy for Christmas, along with a new journal…
Thank you for the ideas and the motivation :)
8:43 pm
Keri is cool.
1:15 am
this is exactly what i was looking for! will do this for sure. thanks a lot keri :)
10:28 pm
101. Make up your own list of 100 creative things to do.
Thank you for sharing. Blessings.
