Going Live with Melissa Lakey
+ more opportunities to gather online
Hello, friends!
We’re a few weeks into getting ready for the next round of The 100 Day Project (starts February 22, 2026), and I’m excited to keep the warm-up going with another Substack Live. Next up I’ll be joined by Melissa Lakey, an artist and illustrator who makes mixed-media work that celebrates the landscape and animals of the American Southwest.
Melissa writes,
“I wanted to be a cowgirl when I grew up but ended up an artist instead, and now cowboys ride through my paintings, picking flowers and stopping to swim in every creek they pass.”
How dreamy is that?
Join us to talk about:
How Melissa found her way back into making art (and what helped her keep going)
Community, documenting + sharing, and how small daily acts add up
The not-always-fun middle stretch—and what it can teach you if you stay with it
DETAILS
📅 When: Tuesday, February 10 at 2 p.m. Pacific
📍 Where: Right here on Substack (you can join live, or catch the replay)
If you’ve ever stopped making art and told yourself you can’t start again—this is for you. And if you’re choosing a project for this year’s 100 days, I think you’ll come away with ideas that make it feel lighter, more doable, and more yours. (We’ve also got a workshop for this coming up, you can find out more and sign up here).
Hope to see you there! In the meantime, share your questions for Melissa in the comments.
XO,
Lindsay
ICYMI
How to choose your project: brainstorm ideas, especially ones that activate delight and curiosity, then think about how they fit with the creative season you’re in now
Frequently asked questions about the project
Upcoming events (including how to document and share your creative work)
I was starting to experiment with woodcut printmaking as a new medium and wanted to see if I was any good at it and if I even liked it haha so I thought this was the perfect opportunity. I chose to do a mini botanical print (only about 4"x6" to make it doable) of a different flower every day. I shared the prints weekly on my substack too. While it did take me a little longer than the 100 days because I had also just had a baby, I'm so glad I stuck with it! Here is a link to all of the 100 woodblocks I made:
https://open.substack.com/pub/valalcorn/p/100-plant-devotions?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=2bri3w
And here is a link to the prints I would share weekly 😁
https://open.substack.com/pub/valalcorn/p/standing-on-the-edge-of-a-season?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=2bri3w
So excited! Love Melissa and this project. I made 100 woodcut prints last year during postpartum and it truly got me through. Thank you!