My name is Jae, and this is my culminating experience for my master of Instructional Design and Technology.
Necromancy for the Dead Inside is a 100 day / 100 prompt creative practice intending to help heal and restore the inner artist in us all. We will work together as an artistic community supporting and nurturing the artists in us all.
Over the next few weeks, this space will be populated with prompts intended to facilitate a practice of creative healing and rejuvenation.
For the full HTML version, click here.
There will be 100 prompts designed to help you think about creativity and art. We will do the prompts together, though asynchronously. You will be able to see what others before you have created from prompts and those coming after you can see what you choose to share.
While I encourage participating as close to daily as you can, I do not expect perfection from anyone. You can do prompts as you can, you can break a "daily" prompt up to be done over multiple days. This is your practice. You do it as you want.
First, everything is a suggestion. Please adapt this practice to your own needs. For example, if you are visually impaired, you can use audio tools in lieu of the notebook and wall calendar.
Research has shown that writing reflections after an exercise:
Further, the physical act of writing, not typing, leads to widespread brain connectivity. The act of physically writing helps to rewire your brain.
Plus, if you have a notebook, you can doodle. Doodling has been shown to be good for your mental health, help build creativity, and increase engagement.
I prefer unlined, but lined or unlined is up to you.
Label sheets (not pages) 1-100 so you can easily find any given prompt. The numerical labeling also allows you to skip as needed and go back as needed.
A 2023 study found participants assigned to paper calendars were more likely to complete scheduled activities than those using digital ones, apparently because paper supports a big-picture view of plans. Studies have also shown a physical calendar increases psychological commitment.
This is a little less optional. Please have a blog. The blog is where you will post your art and your process. The blog can be made private, public, or any mix of the above.
The inspiration for this project is the educational theory of connectivism. Largely, we learn through community.
Not a people person? That's fine. Neither am I. I had a panic attack yesterday when it took me 3 hours to buy a car because I couldn't be around people anymore, I GET IT!
But even for hermits (maybe especially for hermits), growth is best built in networks and learning lives in the ability to make connections - mental and social - across the networks.
Yes, that is some hippy shit. But it is also backed by science.
Connectivism says knowledge lives in networks. Not just people - ideas, tools, notes, links, conversations, patterns. Learning is making connections and strengthening them. You do not have to love people to benefit from the network. You just have to participate in it. (please.)
WITH THAT SAID you can also set your blog to private. This allows you to look back at your growth through these projects. Maybe one day you will want to share an entry. This is your practice. Yes, I have strong suggestions. But I'll still meet you where you are.
No criticism of any kind. We do not criticise the works of others or our own work.
This includes things like:
NONE.
For many of us, it was criticism from ourselves and others that sent our creative inner artist to the grave. If we want to bring them back to life, we must offer support only.
Try things like: "I especially love the way you ______."
While you may say who inspired you, do not compare your work to theirs. If they are further on their creative journey than you are, that is fine. We must all be beginners first. If they have been doing this for the same amount of time and you think their work is "better," that is also fine. We all move at different paces.
Please also do not compare other people's work to your own or other artists. You might think the person you're comparing them to is a genius, but you do not know how they feel about it. It is safest not to.
Yo, I will not fuck around here.
This also includes any homages to figures who are known bigots or oppressors.
I have been asked what a "dog whistle" is.
From Wikipedia: "In politics, a dog whistle is the use of coded or suggestive language in political messaging to garner support from a particular group without provoking opposition. The concept is named after ultrasonic dog whistles, which are audible to dogs but not humans. Dog whistles use language that appears normal to the majority but communicates specific things to intended audiences. They are generally used to convey messages on issues likely to provoke controversy without attracting negative attention."
It is common in our current political climate for people to say or do bigoted things and then claim they are not being bigoted. The intention is to express their prejudice without facing consequences.
This will not stand here. This is not that space.
I notice that in arts groups and crafting groups, people often complain about seeing politics. Art is inherently political by nature. You do not have to make your art political, but do not complain about anyone else's art being political unless that political expression breaks the bigotry rule.
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/CreativeNecromancy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativenecromancy/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@creativenecromancy
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1HpaBJDynA/
Discord: https://discord.gg/X7CCdsUa
What it art??
Before we can create, we have to know what we want to create. You might have an idea in mind, but also, there might be ideas out there waiting for you. Let's take some time to think on what art IS?
Choose your medium for writing- it can be a Google Doc, a pen and paper, the notepad app- whatever you want. Hell, you can me it your first blog entry! (Did you make your blog? Right now might be the perfect time!)
Set a timer for 15 minutes. Take that time and write out as many forms of art as you can think of. Think outside the box! We know painting on a canvas is art, but what about painting your house? Drag is art, but is putting on clothes? Pretty much anything can be art if you're creative about it. Take this time to explore various options for expressing your creativity!
Even this list is a form of art!
Getting your feet wet!
First, let's refer to the word cloud we made with the last prompt. I will be updating this weekly, so don't fret if your words aren't there.
Then, with all these forms of expression in mind, take some time in any creative venture you want to play in. You can split time between them too, so long as at least 15 minutes is spent on each one. Practice self love as you begin. You will not be perfect. You will make mistakes. You will sing out of tune, you will mess up your shapes, you will get eyeshadow on your cheeks... you will mess up. This is part of art. When you do, practice loving yourself for trying. Practice understanding that everything has a learning curve. You cannot be good at something without first being bad at it.
Spend some time practicing this patience, this compassion, and this embrace of yourself as a whole person who has imperfections. You will doubtless get frustrated at yourself anyway. That's okay. We are also learning self love and understanding. We will get better at that as we go too.
If you are practicing a movement or sound, record it. If you are making visual art, take photos - at the very least a photo of what you came up with in the end. Blog this. Don't worry, you can keep it private. But blog this for yourself or to share your creative journey when (and if) you are comfortable doing so.
Also take a few minutes to jot down your experience in your notebook.
Start Before You're Ready
Set a timer and begin making immediately with whatever materials are closest. No planning, no choosing "the right" thing-just start and keep going until the timer ends.
Make a Mess on Purpose
Set a timer and make something intentionally messy, excessive, awkward, or ugly. Do not fix, edit, or clean it up-stop when time is up and document what you made.
The Art You Quit
Pick one creative practice you used to do and stopped. Do a simple version of it for the full time at your current level, then record how it felt to return.
The Art You Never Tried
Choose one creative thing you've wanted to do but never started. Do a first attempt with zero research or prep, then document what you tried.
Seek What Inspires You
Spend time finding one thing that genuinely sparks you (artist, song, poem, image, performance). Then make a response or short homage by borrowing one element (mood, rhythm, color, shape) and translating it into your own version.
Use Your Body
Create through movement, gesture, posture, voice, rhythm, or physical action instead of sitting and thinking. Record a short clip or write a brief description afterward.
Work for a Fixed Time
Set a timer and work continuously until it ends. When the timer stops, stop-no polishing-then document what you attempted.
Return to Major Project
Open your major project and do one concrete action (draft, sketch, rehearse, revise, outline). If you can't make, review notes and decide the next tiny step, then document it.
Reflect and Choose
Write or record what worked, what didn't, and what got in the way this week. If you skipped anything, note why without judgment and choose one adjustment.
Commit to Continue
Write a short commitment for the next cycle (what you'll do, when, and the first step). Keep it small and realistic, then document the decision.
Restart Lightly
Start again with a small, low-stakes action-no catching up. Do anything creative for the full time, then document that you restarted.
Work with One Constraint
Pick one constraint (one tool, one color, one word, one movement) and stick to it the whole session. Make something within that limit and note what the constraint changed.
Return to Abandoned Art II
Return to the same abandoned practice from Day 3 or choose another you quit. Do it simply for the full time and document what's easier or harder now.
Try a Different Medium
Choose a medium you don't usually use (sound, collage, movement, ink, clay, etc.). Stay with it for the full time and document what it forces you to do differently.
Homage: Translate an Artist
Pick an artist you love and study one piece for 10 minutes. Then recreate one element (composition, rhythm, palette, tone) in your own way and document the link/influence.
Change Your Scale
Make something much smaller or much larger than you normally would. Keep the scale change the whole time and document what it did to your choices.
Identify a Creative Injury
Write down one memory of being criticized, shamed, graded, or discouraged creatively. Keep it brief, then document the exact message that stuck. Write this message on a sheet of paper. Take some time focusing on how you will let go of this creative injury. When you are ready, burn the paper with the injury written on while focusing on letting go. Speak the words of your emancipation.
Work on Major Project II
Put 20-60 minutes into the major project with one clear deliverable (one page, one sketch, one take, one section). Document what you added or changed.
Notice Patterns
Review the last 10 days and list 3 patterns (when you engaged, avoided, judged yourself, felt alive). Document one pattern you want to keep and one you want to interrupt.
Integrate What Stuck
Choose one tool or practice that actually helped (timer, constraint, movement, homage). Use it for a short session and document why you're keeping it.
Begin Again
Start with a new piece today even if you're mid-project. Make something from scratch for the time block, then document what it felt like to begin again.
Claim the Insult
Write down one criticism that stuck with you (e.g., "too thick," "too weird," "dance like a duck"). Then intentionally exaggerate it on purpose for the full time and document the result.
Return to Abandoned Art III
Go back to the abandoned practice and do it again, but keep it simple and unshowy. Document whether the shame is louder or quieter than last time.
Try the Opposite
Identify your default style (busy/clean, loud/quiet, fast/slow). Then do the opposite for the whole session and document what changed.
Homage: Copy One Element
Choose a work you love and pick one specific element to copy (line thickness, rhythm, structure, phrase length, gesture). Copy only that element and make everything else your own, then document the source.
Use Found Materials
Make something using only materials you didn't "buy for art" (packaging, receipts, sticks, junk mail, objects). Keep it to found materials and document what you used.
Push Back Against Injury
Choose one creative injury message from Day 17 and do the opposite in the work. Make something that disobeys the message for the full time and document the act of pushback.
Work on Major Project III
Do one focused step on the major project (revise one section, add one component, practice one piece). Document what you did and what the next step is.
Document Resistance
Write down what you resisted this cycle (time, materials, exposure, boredom, judgment). Then document one workaround you can try next cycle.
Recommit
Make a short recommitment statement and then do 10-20 minutes of actual making to seal it. Document both the statement and the action.
Start Without Mood
Set a timer and work even if you don't feel inspired. Make something anyway and document what happened once you started.
Simplify Radically
Choose one simple structure (two colors, one shape, one sentence length, one movement). Keep it simple the whole time and document what you removed.
Return to Abandoned Art IV
Return again to the abandoned practice and do a short "practice session" rather than a finished piece. Document what you did and how it felt.
Begin Something Risky
Choose one thing that feels slightly risky (a topic, a form, a performance, a style). Do a first attempt and document the risk you took.
Homage: Recreate a Gesture
Choose an artist and focus on one gesture or move they use (brushstroke style, cadence, camera angle, dance step). Recreate that gesture in your own piece and document the reference.
Change Location
Work in a different location than usual (floor, kitchen, outside, different room). Make something there and document what the location changed.
Name and Ignore a Critic
Write down a critical voice you hear in your head (real or imagined). Then work for the full time while refusing to respond to it, and document what it tried to say.
Work on Major Project IV
Do one sustained session on the major project with a timer. Document what moved forward and what still feels stuck.
Review Progress
Look back at your documentation and choose one thing that's improved (not quality-consistency, bravery, range, stamina). Write it down and document evidence.
Integrate Lessons
Pick one lesson from this cycle and use it in a short creative session. Document how you applied it.
Restart with Intention
Write one sentence about what you're aiming for this cycle (e.g., "more play," "more honesty," "more time"). Then work for the time block and document whether you stayed aligned.
Exaggerate a Tendency
Identify one natural tendency (messy, minimal, repetitive, dramatic, quiet). Exaggerate it on purpose for the full time and document what you learned.
Return to Abandoned Art V
Return again and do a small, repeatable version of the practice. Document what makes returning easier now.
Try a Tool You Avoid
Choose one tool or method you avoid (ink, voice, dancing, color, scissors, editing). Use it for the full session and document what you feared.
Homage: Steal a Structure
Choose a piece you love and steal its structure (beginning/middle/end, verse/chorus, composition layout). Fill it with your own content and document the source.
Slow Way Down
Work slower than is comfortable-deliberate marks, long pauses, careful movements. Document what slowing down reveals.
Respond to Old Feedback
Choose one piece of feedback you've carried (even if it was "helpful"). Make something that refuses to obey it, then document the response.
Work on Major Project V
Do one concrete build step on the major project (add content, refine a section, rehearse a piece). Document the step and the next one.
Notice Energy
Note when you had energy and when you didn't this cycle. Document one condition that supports energy (time of day, music, location, silence, etc.).
Integrate Forward
Choose one change you'll carry into the next cycle and write it down. Then do 10-20 minutes of making using that change and document it.
Begin Midstream
Start working immediately in the middle of something-no warm-up, no introduction. Document whether starting midstream changes your resistance.
Limit Your Palette
Choose a limited palette (colors, sounds, words, movements) and stick to it. Document what the limit forces you to prioritize.
Return to Abandoned Art VI
Do the abandoned practice again, but focus on showing up, not results. Document how your relationship to it is changing.
Attempt Something Complex
Pick something slightly more complex than usual (layering, longer piece, multi-step). Attempt it for the full time and document what broke down.
Homage: Translate Across Media
Take inspiration from one medium and translate it into another (song -> drawing, poem -> movement, photo -> writing). Document what you translated and from what source.
Use Repetition
Choose a simple action and repeat it (marks, lines, steps, phrases) for most of the session. Document what repetition does to your mind and the work.
Confront a Block
Identify one block that shows up repeatedly (starting, finishing, sharing, choosing materials). Do a session designed to confront it directly and document what helped.
Work on Major Project VI
Put a timed session into the major project and complete one defined chunk. Document what you completed and what's next.
Document Insights
Write down 3 insights from this cycle (about process, energy, fear, tools). Keep it blunt and document them for later.
Integrate and Rest
Do a short creative session, then stop intentionally. Document both what you made and how it felt to stop on purpose.
Restart After Rest
Restart with a small piece and a timer-no catching up. Document the restart and what made it easier or harder.
Break a Rule
Choose a rule you follow in your work (neatness, realism, grammar, symmetry, "no singing," etc.). Break it deliberately for the full time and document the rule you broke.
Return to Abandoned Art VII
Return again and do the practice with less self-commentary. Document how often you judged yourself during the session.
Begin Without Instructions
Choose a medium and start without a plan or reference. Keep going for the full time and document what emerged.
Homage: Reinterpret a Theme
Choose a theme you see in work you love (loss, desire, power, humor, decay, tenderness). Make your own piece on that theme and document the influence.
Change Your Pace
Work at a different pace than usual (faster, slower, stop-and-start). Document what pace does to your choices.
Act in Spite of Doubt
Set a timer and work while letting doubt exist in the room. Document the doubts you had and what you did anyway.
Work on Major Project VII
Do one focused session on the major project and leave a clear note for future-you about the next step. Document both.
Notice Satisfaction
Identify one moment this cycle that felt satisfying (even tiny). Document what created that satisfaction.
Integrate Choice
Choose what you're emphasizing next cycle (range, depth, courage, consistency). Document the choice and do a short session aligned with it.
Start Where You Are
Work with your current conditions (energy, time, space) without trying to "optimize." Make something within those constraints and document the conditions.
Make Something You Would Hide
Make something embarrassing, crude, overly emotional, or unfinished - something you would normally keep private. Do not fix it; document it privately.
Return to Abandoned Art VIII
Return again to the abandoned practice and do it in a way that feels lighter or more playful. Document what makes it feel different now.
Try a Public Form
Make something intended to be shown (a short post, a simple video, a small image)- but sharing is still optional. Document how it felt to make "as if public."
Homage: Echo an Influence
Choose a clear influence and intentionally echo it in your work (style, voice, structure). Document who/what you echoed and what you changed.
Use Your Voice
Create using your voice (speaking, singing, sound, reading aloud), even if it's awkward. Record a short clip or write a description afterward.
Reject a Limiting Story
Write one limiting story you tell yourself ("I'm not an artist," "I'm too old," etc.). Then make something that contradicts it and document the shift.
Work on Major Project VIII
Do a timed session on the major project and produce a tangible piece (draft, sketch, take, section). Document what you produced.
Review What Changed
Compare early work to recent work and identify 2-3 changes (risk, stamina, honesty, variety). Document evidence.
Integrate Courage
Choose one courage habit you want to keep (posting, trying, starting, finishing). Do a short session that uses it and document why it matters.
Begin Without Outcome
Start a piece with no intention of finishing or improving it. Work for the full time and document what happens when outcome isn't the goal.
Work with Scarcity
Limit yourself to very few materials or tools today. Make something anyway and document how scarcity changes your inventiveness.
Return to Abandoned Art IX
Return again and focus on consistency over quality. Document that you showed up and what helped you do it.
Try Something Awkward
Choose something that feels awkward (new medium, new subject, movement, voice). Do it for the full time and document what felt awkward and why.
Homage: Borrow a Method
Borrow a method from an artist you admire (daily sketching, looping, collage rules, structure). Use the method for one session and document the source.
Alter Your Routine
Change one part of your routine (time of day, music/silence, lighting, place). Create under the new condition and document the difference.
Act Against Old Fear
Choose one fear that still drives avoidance and do a small action that challenges it. Document the fear and the action.
Work on Major Project IX
Do one session on the major project that aims for completion of a piece or a section. Document what you finished or advanced.
Document Growth
Write down what grew across the last cycles (not "better art" -more range, more honesty, more return). Document concrete examples.
Integrate Confidence
Choose one practice you now trust (timer, homage, constraint, movement). Use it in a short session and document why it's reliable.
Start the End
Begin a piece that acknowledges you're nearing the end of the 100 days. Make something that feels like closing or summing up and document the intent.
Simplify One Last Time
Strip your tools down and make something simple on purpose. Document what you kept and what you removed.
Return to Abandoned Art X
Do one last deliberate return to the abandoned practice as an act of respect for persistence. Document what you want to keep doing after Day 100.
Begin What Continues
Start a piece or plan that clearly continues beyond the 100 days. Document what continuation looks like for you.
Homage: Thank an Influence
Choose one influence and make a piece that thanks it (explicitly or quietly). Document the influence you honored.
Use Stillness
Spend part of the session in stillness or quiet attention, then create from that. Document what stillness changed.
Release a Final Block
Name one block you're ready to stop obeying. Make something that ignores it and document what you released.
Work on Major Project X
Do a final focused session on the major project that brings pieces together or clarifies next steps. Document what's complete and what continues.
Reflect on 100 Days
Review your documentation and write a blunt summary of what changed, what didn't, and what mattered. Document it as a final record.
Decide What Continues
Decide your next cadence (daily/weekly) and the tools you'll keep using. Write a simple plan with a first date/time and document the decision.