27 + 1 Days of Painting : A Letter From the Artist

On August 9th, 2023, I celebrated my 27th birthday. In honor of this milestone, I decided to challenge myself to create one painting a day for 28 days. Why 28? Because you must always have one to grow on! 

I faced my fair share of anxiety and doubts going into this project. Could I really produce a painting every day? What if they turned out less than beautiful? But isn’t that what makes new projects exciting? They push you beyond your comfort zone, make space for growth and teach you new lessons. 

This journey has been profoundly meaningful for me. Each painting presented its own challenges, but collectively, they fostered my growth as an artist. I set out with a simple rule: one painting a day. I didn’t set a standard of beauty or time constraint.

I chose a smaller canvas size (5 x 7 in), which felt like a realistic goal and also felt less intimidating. This size ultimately allowed me to experiment more freely. I explored a variety of new mediums and painting styles. With daily deadlines, perfectionism had to take a back seat, which made room for spontaneity and joy in the creative process as opposed to calculation and hesitation. It taught me that my creativity is not limited to the days where I felt inspired and that inspiration lived everywhere if I looked for it. My old belief about needing to be in the “right mood” to paint was proved wrong. 

Overall, I am in love with how the paintings came together and with the journey that unfolded. I can’t wait to see what next year's birthday month will be like. 

As I bring these paintings out of my studio and into the world, I hope that they can bring some joy and peace into your life. Perhaps, they can inspire you to pursue your own aspirations, even if taking the first step feels scary. I firmly believe that magic always waits for us on the other side of our fear.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. Your presence here means the world to me.

With love,

Gali Du