From September 15, 2016 – January 9, 2017 I took part in a #The100DayProject of making a mind map each day, for 100 days. The purpose of The 100-Day Project is to encourage 100 days of making. It’s not about finished products; it’s about the process.
So although each mind map (the product) is not the purpose, below you’ll find them all—to show the process.
Lastly, here’s a reflection I wrote in June 2017 about what this creative challenge felt like and what I learned along the way.
Day 1: How to Respond to Cat Callers
Sept. 15, 2016
Day 2: Things I’ll Miss About My Job
Sept. 16, 2016
Day 3: Reasons I Left My Job
Sept. 17, 2016
Day 4: Friends in France
Sept. 18, 2016
Day 5: Park People (as seen at Parc du Peyrou)
Sept. 19, 2016
Day 6: French Islands
Sept. 20, 2016
The other night I went to dinner with two people from New Caledonia, which I hadn’t known about until that night. The population of the whole island is roughly the same as that of Montpellier, so it was interesting to imagine what life is like. Damien’s sister got married on Réunion, and travels often to Martinique for work, so I hear about those islands often. Above is just a fraction of all the French islands, and I used Wikipedia to help.
Day 7: Places I’ve Lived
Sept. 21, 2016
I spent all day in bed, reading, watching TV online, and sleeping. I had unusual stomach pains in the morning, and didn’t eat anything until around 5 p.m. It was around 9 p.m. when I realized shoot, I hadn’t made a mind map yet today. And since I’m leaving Montpellier in exactly one week, this idea came to mind.
Day 8: Ways to Create
Sept. 22, 2016
I had no ideas today; this one felt like fluff.
Day 9: Moving
Sept. 23, 2016
Day 10: The Power of Categories
September 26, 2016
Today marked a first in this project, as I drew out the above mind map while listening to “The Power of Categories” from the Invisibilia podcast.
Day 11: Phone Call with Chad—Tues.
Sept. 27, 2016
I rather enjoyed not having to come up with all the content yesterday, so I made today’s mind map while talking with my friend Chad on the phone.
Day 12: Where Friends Live
September 29, 2016
Day 13: La vida de Gregorio Luna
September 30, 2016
Made during lunch with Gregorio while visiting Chinchón (~40 minutes from Madrid)
Day 14: Madrid
Oct. 1, 2016
Can you tell where I am this week?
Day 15: Mind Maps
Oct. 2, 2016
During a brief phone call with my younger brother, he asked about this project and I shared in laughter that I’ve quickly realized I actually don’t like mind maps. Some Wiki-ing led me to discover I’ve been making them “wrong,” as words should be written on the branches, and at least three colors are recommended—hence the slight change in appearance today.
I don’t really like writing on the lines, though, so this format probably won’t last long.
Day 16: Watercolors
Oct. 3, 2016
Day 17: My Experiences with Public Transportation
Oct. 4, 2016
Day 18: Metro Ride (Pueblo Nuevo to Ópera)
Oct. 5, 2016
I attempted to live-mind map this metro ride, but it basically ended up being a scrambled list of things I was seeing.
Day 19: Books
Oct. 6, 2016
I bought the Spanish translation of “The Great Gilly Hopkins” at a used bookshop this afternoon, which got me thinking about this topic. Again, here’s another mind map that just feels like a messy list. (Thank goodness for Goodreads.)
Day 20: Surprises
Oct. 10, 2016
Day 21: Chapter 4—Prison Break 101 (from book “Born for This”)
Oct. 11, 2016
Day 22: Da Vincian Principles
Oct. 13, 2016
(From the book “How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci.”)
Day 23: Waunakee Restaurants
Oct. 14, 2016
After over a year living abroad, I returned to my parents’ home this week (in a town of ~13,000). On Friday nights my parents go out to eat somewhere, but the restaurant selection is quite limited. They usually go to one of four or five places.
Day 24: The Alexander Technique
Oct. 16, 2016
I finished reading “How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci” today, and learned of The Alexander Technique in the process.
Day 25: Choices
Oct. 17, 2016
Yet another day’s mind map that feels filler, rushed, and insubstantial. But it’s another day’s mind map!
Day 26: Ideals
Oct. 19, 2016
Day 27: Bullet Journal
Oct. 20, 2016
Day 28: An Ideal World
Oct. 21, 2016
Day 29: NKE
Oct. 22, 2016
NKE was my elementary school. Another sloppy/rushed-feeling mind map.
Day 31: Halloween Costumes
Oct. 24, 2016
Day 32: Grateful for…
Oct. 25, 2016
Day 33: Relaxing…
Oct. 26, 2016
Day 34: Halloween
Oct. 27, 2016
Day 35: Dark La Crosse Radio Show
Oct. 28, 2016
My younger brother performed (piano) in the Dark La Crosse Radio Show tonight, which I attended with my grandma. He composed lots of original music for the show, and adapted a few pieces written by others as well.
Day 36: Caring for the environment
Oct. 29, 2016
Day 37: One episode of Super Nanny (France)
Oct. 30, 2016
I love the show “Super Nanny,” and the French version (with Sylvie) is excellent. Here’s a mind map of the episode I watched tonight.
Day 38: Denmark
Oct. 31, 2016
After finishing the Denmark section of Michael Booth’s book “The Almost Nearly Perfect People: Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia,” I used a couple chapter names as sub-sections in the above mind map to summarize a bit.
Day 39: Iceland
Nov. 1, 2016
Day 40: Teaching ESL to Adult Beginners
Nov. 2, 2016
Day 41: Evicted
Nov. 3, 2016
I read Matthew Desmond’s book “Evicted” a few weeks ago (highly recommended, by the way), and tonight I went to an event hosted at our local library. Desmond spoke in Madison on Tuesday, so the library played a recording of his talk, and afterwards Genna from WNC spoke about homelessness/evictions in Waunakee, and how to get involved in local issues.
Day 42: #NoDAPL #StandWithStandingRock
Nov. 4, 2016
For more information, here are the basics about what’s going on at Standing Rock, and here’s how you can help.
Day 43: Saturday, November 5
Nov. 5, 2016
Day 44: Multilevel Marketing (Last Week Tonight with John Oliver)
Nov. 8, 2016
Summary of John Oliver’s important segment on Multilevel Marketing. (<<< Watch it there.)
Day 45: Reactions to Election Results
Nov. 10, 2016
And post-election thoughts made of complete sentences can be found here.
Day 46: How to Build Bridges Between People
Nov. 11, 2016
Day 47: Meanwhile in Myanmar…
Nov. 12, 2016
This is a summary from an article in Flow Magazine, an amazing magazine that takes its time.
Day 48: English with Rebe blog post ideas
Nov. 13, 2016
[Brainstorming session]
Day 49: English with Rebe Pinterest categories
Nov. 14, 2016
[brainstorming]
Day 50: Frontline: Children of Syria
Nov. 15, 2016
Tonight I went to a “Soup for Syria” event put on by the Madison-based Open Doors for Refugees organization. We watched the PBS Frontline documentary “Children of Syria” (54 min.), which you can watch here. I highly recommend it.
Day 51: Reality
Nov. 18, 2016
Day 52: Should
Nov. 19, 2016
Made after reading the book “The Crossroads of Should and Must.” <<< Highly recommended
Day 53: Must
Nov. 19, 2016
Day 54: My Piano Teachers
Nov. 20, 2016
Day 55: My Cello Teachers
Nov. 21, 2016
Day 56: Christmas Gift Exchanges
Nov. 22, 2016
Day 57: Values
Nov. 23, 2016
Day 58: Thanksgiving Meal
Nov. 24, 2016
Day 59: Games Played on Thanksgiving
Nov. 25, 2016
Day 60: Sending Christmas Letters (2nd Year)
Nov. 26, 2016
Day 61: 2 Years Without Facebook
Nov. 27, 2016
Day 62: [Brainstorming] Alternatives to “So What Do You Do?”
Nov. 28, 2016
Day 63: Parenthood (Season 1)
Nov. 29, 2016
Day 64: December Resolutions (To-dos)
Nov. 30, 2016
Day 65: Responses to “What Do You Do?”
Dec. 1, 2016
Day 66: [Brainstorming] How to Combat Hateful Emails/Comments Online
Dec. 2, 2016
Day 67: My Siblings
Dec. 3, 2016
Day 68: Creative Mornings – Matt Trinetti
Dec. 4, 2016
This is of Matt Trinetti’s Creative Mornings speech “On The Magic of Being Human.”
Day 69: Les Cent-Jours
Dec. 5, 2016
Day 70: 21st Century Activists
Dec. 6, 2016
Day 71: Labels That Have/Do/Will Describe Me
Dec. 7, 2016
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how much I dislike labels, and how they can distort our perceptions of people. The labels that describe me now do not even tell 5% of the story. Humans are complex beings.
Day 72: 30-Day Challenges
Dec. 8, 2016
After the “going without” and “daily doing…” categories, I had no idea how to fill the other half of the page. Felt a bit incomplete with just three, but I called it a day.
Day 73: Main French Political Parties
Dec. 9, 2016
Day 74: My H.S. Co-Curricular Activities
Dec. 10, 2016
Day 75: When Under the Weather…
Dec. 11, 2016
Day 76: Front Page of “The Guardian” International – @ 8:51 p.m.
Dec. 12, 2016
Day 77: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Dec. 13, 2016
Day 78: “Rebel” Story Ideas (Going Against the Grain)
Dec. 14, 2016
Day 79: Baking Christmas Cookies with Kayse
Dec. 15, 2016
Day 80: Fictional Story Ideas
Dec. 16, 2016
Day 81: The Big, Scary-to-write-down Life List Things
Dec. 17, 2016
Day 82: 2016
Dec. 18, 2016
Day 83: Books
December 19, 2016
Day 84: New Inspiration
December 20, 2016
Day 85: My Interest in Transformation
December 21, 2016
Day 86: To Write About
December 22, 2016
Day 87: Latest Inspiration from Books
December 23, 2016
Day 88: Apple Spice Cake
December 24, 2016
The vegan cake I brought to a family Christmas celebration the next day.
Day 89: Wichelt Christmas
December 25, 2016
Day 90: Thering Christmas
December 26, 2016
Day 91: Permission to … Cards
December 27, 2016
Day 92: 2017
December 28, 2016
Day 93: Stachovak Family
December 29, 2016
Day 94: Weddings
December 30, 2016
Did this one with my sister as she drove us up to Wausau to see family for the new year. Our cousin is getting married in March, and my sister often plays music for weddings, so we challenged ourselves to try and think of all the elements of a “traditional” full American wedding.
Day 95: NYE Drinks
December 31, 2016
Topic was graciously provided by my Great Aunt Lois.
Day 96: Thank You Notes to Write
January 1, 2017
Day 97: Things I Like
January 2, 2017
Day 98: Dinner Appetizers
January 3, 2017
In preparation for a dinner I was going to on the 6th… but ended up getting sick two days later and had to cancel.
Day 99: I Want to Live in a World Where…
January 4, 2017
Day 100: 100 Days of Mind Mapping
January 9, 2017
After 5 days sick in bed, I finally finished!