A Photo a Day Keeps Despair at Bay: The Power of a 100-Day Creative Challenge
Episode Description:
In this episode of The Writer's Journey, acclaimed author and writing teacher Laura Davis shares the story of her 100-day photography challenge—a daily creative practice that has become a surprising source of joy, presence, and connection. Laura explores how committing to one tiny beautiful thing each day, with the support of an accountability partner, can transform the way we see the world and sustain us through even the most demanding seasons of life.
Whether looking for a sustainable creative habit, a way to deepen a friendship, or a daily reminder that beauty is everywhere, listeners will find a practical and inspiring model for showing up creatively every single day.
NOTE: This post is definitely intended as a photo essay. You can see Laura and Kendra’s. photo conversation here:
https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/p/14dc28d8-07ed-46a8-8e28-cbc5fea8166b
What Laura Covers in This Episode:
How Laura discovered the 100-Day Project (the100dayproject.org) through Suleika Jaouad's (suleikajaouad.com) creative community and its origins with designer Michael Bierut
Why Laura chose photography instead of writing for her creative challenge
The value of having an accountability partner for sustained creative practice
How Laura's photography skills developed through mentorship with her partner Kendra on the Camino de Santiago
The three simple rules that make the daily practice sustainable and pressure-free
How daily photography has shifted Laura's way of seeing the world
Why creativity, friendship, and community matter more than ever in difficult times
Episode Highlights:
The spark of inspiration: Laura describes hearing about the 100-Day Project at one of Suleika Jaouad's (suleikajaouad.com) monthly creative hours and immediately knowing she wanted to participate.
Choosing photography over writing: Despite being a lifelong writer and writing teacher, Laura felt drawn to photography as her creative medium.
Finding the perfect partner: Laura reached out to friend Kendra Webster, whose photography talent she'd admired on the Camino de Santiago, to be her daily accountability partner.
A lunchtime lesson on the Camino: Laura recounts how Kendra taught her a dozen iPhone camera features over tortilla de patatas at an outdoor café on the pilgrimage trail in Spain.
Three simple rules: The challenge requires just one new photo per day with a number and title—and it doesn't have to be a good photo.
The range of a daily practice: Some days Laura heads out on long hikes with her dog, carefully composing shots along the beaches and woods of Santa Cruz. Other days, the photo is a sunset from the back porch in pajamas or her dog splayed on the kitchen floor.
A practice worth continuing: On Day 43, Laura asked Kendra if they should keep going after 100 days. Kendra's immediate answer was YES.
Beauty as a daily choice: Laura reflects on how this practice provides a daily reminder that wonder, awe, and joy still exist—and that seeking them out is something we can't afford not to do.
About Host Laura Davis:
Laura Davis is an acclaimed author and writing teacher with more than 35 years of experience helping writers tell their most important stories. She is the author of seven books, including the award-winning memoir The Burning Light of Two Stars (BookLife Prize Winner 2021) and the groundbreaking bestseller The Courage to Heal. Laura hosts The Writer's Journey podcast, leads weekly writing classes via Zoom, and conducts international writing retreats, including her upcoming 2026 creative hiking retreat on the Camino de Santiago in Spain (lauradavis.net/camino). Her teaching integrates personal vulnerability with practical craft, drawing on her own lived experience to inspire writers at every stage of their journey.
Resources Laura Mentions:
The 100-Day Project (the100dayproject.org) – A free, global creative challenge originally created by Michael Bierut, international designer and Yale professor. The next round starts February 22, 2026.
Suleika Jaouad (suleikajaouad.com) – New York Times bestselling author, Emmy Award-winning journalist, and creator of The Isolation Journals (theisolationjournals.substack.com). Laura first learned about the 100-Day Project at one of Suleika's monthly creative hours.
Design Observer (designobserver.com) – Publication featuring examples of past 100-Day Projects
Laura's 2026 Camino de Santiago Creative Hiking Retreat(lauradavis.net/camino) Laura is returning to the Camino in 2026 with a new group of pilgrims for writing and watercolor on the pilgrimage trail.
Laura's Substack: laurasaridavis.substack.com
Laura's website: lauradavis.net
Key Takeaways from This Episode:
A daily creative practice doesn't have to be big or perfect—the 100-Day Project proves that committing to one tiny beautiful thing each day is enough to shift how you move through the world.
An accountability partner adds joy and staying power—having someone to share your daily practice with turns a solo commitment into a meaningful connection.
Choose a creative medium that excites you—stepping outside your primary craft can open new ways of seeing and expressing.
Simple rules remove pressure and build consistency—one photo, one title, taken that day, no quality bar. That's it.
Seeking beauty is not a luxury but a daily practice—in uncertain and demanding times, choosing to notice what's beautiful is an act of resilience and creative renewal.
Episode Call-to-Action:
Ready to start your own daily creative challenge?
The next round of The 100-Day Project (the100dayproject.org) begins February 22, 2026—but you can start anytime. Sign up and join thousands of creatives worldwide.
Your project doesn't have to be photography: choose any creative act you can commit to for 100 days. A sketch, a haiku, a voice memo, a walk.
And if this episode inspired you, share it with a fellow creative who could use a reminder that beauty is still everywhere—we just have to look for it.
Join Laura next September on the Camino de Santiago for 17 days of walking, writing and watercolor in a group of supportive fellow pilgrims. www.lauradavis.net/camino
Connect with Laura Davis:
Substack: laurasaridavis.substack.com
Website: lauradavis.net
Podcast: The Writer's Journey with Laura Davis
Writing Classes & Retreats: Visit lauradavis.net for information on weekly Zoom classes, workshops, and international retreats including the 2026 Camino de Santiago Creative Hiking Retreat (lauradavis.net/camino)
The Writer's Journey with Laura Davis is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support her work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. You'll receive regular posts like these, as well as beautifully curated poems and nature photos, essays on life and the craft of writing, and more.
You can subscribe here: https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/
Learn about Laura's writing classes, books, workshops, and international retreats at: https://lauradavis.net/
