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100 Days of Contronyms


Every day for 100 consecutive days, I illustrated a contronym.
A contronym is a word with 2 contradictory meanings. For example, bolt means to secure or to flee.




CONTEXT 

           
100 Days of Making is a Tisch course about iteration and its impact on the creative process. Students identify a theme to explore over the course of 100 days and commit to making a variation on that idea (and posting social evidence of their work) every day for 100 days.

It's about generating lots of ideas, never getting attached to one.

The course turns its head on the traditional class structure and, instead of focusing on a final project, focuses on a daily, iterative design practice.


REFLECTION

           

Creativity is sustained through daily practice, not waiting in vain for inspiration to strike.

Students are required to post what they made each day online. At first, I thought this rule was about accountability. But it's more than that. It's about being comfortable with imperfection, not seeing it as failure. It’s the opposite of failure⏤it’s resilience, grit, dedication and evidence of improvement.

Put your stuff out there even if you don’t like it.

Give yourself permission to not be brilliant everyday. The good days wouldn’t happen if not for the bad ones right before. Looking back, fun to see themes emerge and certain designs remind me vividly of certain days.


Grand creative visions translate into small daily increments. ⏤ Mason Currey



DAY 100

alight: to settle on, or dismount from

DAY 99

alight: to settle on, or dismount from

bound: to move with leaping strides, or to be hampered/constrained

DAY 98
bound: to move with leaping strides, or be constrained


DAY 97

bound: to move with leaping strides, or be constrained





DAY 96
original: plain/unchanged, or creative/new


DAY 95
original: plain/unchanged, or creative/new

DAY 94
skin: to remove the skin from, or cover with skin

DAY 93
skin: to remove the skin from, or cover with skin


 
 
Day 92

DAY 92
custom: a common practice, or special treatment

DAY 91
custom: a common practice, or special treatment

DAY 90
custom: a common practice, or special treatment

DAY 89
custom: a common practice, or special treatment


 

DAY 88

outstanding: incomplete, or completed with excellence


DAY 87

outstanding: incomplete, or completed with excellence

DAY 86
screen: to show, or conceal

DAY 85
screen: to show, or conceal




DAY 84

revolution: to change dramatically and irrevocably, or to end exactly where one started, coming full circle

DAY 83

revolution: to change dramatically and irrevocably, or to end exactly where one started, coming full circle

DAY 82
revolution: to change dramatically and irrevocably, or to end exactly where one started, coming full circle

DAY 81
revolution: to change dramatically and irrevocably, or to end exactly where one started, coming full circle





DAY 80

garnish: to furnish, or take away

DAY 79

garnish: to furnish, or take away  

DAY 78
transparent: invisible, or obvious

DAY 77
transparent: invisible, or obvious





DAY 76

fine: of superior quality, or just satisfactory  

DAY 75

fine: of superior quality, or just satisfactory

DAY 74
clip: to attach together, or cut off


DAY 73
clip: to attach together, or cut off




DAY 72

cite: to require a court appearance, or recognize a good deed 

DAY 71

cite: to require a court appearance, or recognize a good deed 

DAY 70
cleave: to separate/cut apart, or adhere/bind together

DAY 69

cleave: to separate/cut apart, or adhere/bind together






DAY 68

weather: to withstand, or wear away 

DAY 67

weather: to withstand, or wear away

DAY 66
buckle: to fasten, or bend/give way

DAY 65

buckle: to fasten, or bend/give way




DAY 64

livid: reddish/flushed, or deathly pale/ashen

DAY 63

livid: reddish/flushed, or deathly pale/ashen

DAY 62

livid: reddish/flushed, or deathly pale/ashen

DAY 61

livid: reddish/flushed, or deathly pale/ashen





DAY 60

hold up: to support, or impede

DAY 59  

hold up: to support, or impede

DAY 58
 splice: to unite, or separate 

DAY 57

splice: to unite, or separate





DAY 56

fast: something stuck firmly, or moving quickly

DAY 55

fast: something stuck firmly, or moving quickly

DAY 54
fast: something stuck firmly, or moving quickly


DAY 53
fast: something stuck firmly, or moving quickly





DAY 52

fix: to mend, or castrate

DAY 51 

fix: to mend, or castrate

DAY 50
finished: completed, or destroyed

DAY 49

finished: completed, or destroyed





DAY 48
founder: one who builds something up, or to break down

DAY 47

founder: one who builds something up, or to break down

DAY 46
garnish: to furnish, or take away

DAY 45
garnish: to furnish, or take away




DAY 44

refrain: to repeat, or desist


DAY 43

refrain: to repeat, or desist

DAY 42

seed: to sow seeds, or remove them

DAY 41

seed: to sow seeds, or remove them




DAY 40

dust: to wipe away, or lightly cover

DAY 39

dust: to wipe away, or lightly cover

DAY 38
adumbrate: to obscure/overshadow, or disclose/foreshadow

DAY 37

adumbrate: to obscure/overshadow, or disclose/foreshadow




DAY 36
adumbrate: to obscure/overshadow, or disclose/foreshadow

DAY 35
ravel: a tangle/knot, or to untangle something

DAY 34
left: remained, or departed

DAY 33

left: remained, or departed




DAY 32
wind up: to end, or start

DAY 31

downhill: things are getting worse, or easier

DAY 30
off: activated (the alarm’s going off), or deactivated (the alarm isn’t going off because it’s off)

DAY 29
scan: to scrutinize, or skim



DAY 28

oversight: watchful/responsible care, or an inadvertent error


DAY 27

oversight: watchful/responsible care, or an inadvertent error

DAY 26

quiddity: the inherent essence of someone, or a peculiarity/oddity/quirk

DAY 25

quiddity: the inherent essence of someone, or a peculiarity/oddity/quirk




DAY 24

skin: to remove the skin from, or cover with skin

DAY 23

bolt: to secure, or flee

DAY 22
trim: to decorate, or remove

DAY 21
trim: to decorate, or remove




DAY 20

enjoin: to impose, or prohibit


DAY 19

enjoin: to impose, or prohibit

DAY 18
sanguine: cheerful, or bloodthirsty

DAY 17

sanguine: cheerful, or bloodthirsty





DAY 16

weather: to withstand, or wear away

DAY 15
cleave: to separate/cut apart, or adhere/bind together

DAY 14

lurid: glowing with color, or pale

DAY 13

lurid: glowing with color, or pale




DAY 12

refrain: to repeat, or desist 

DAY 11
buckle: to fasten, or bend/give way

DAY 10
strike: to create (strike a pose), or eliminate

DAY 9
strike: to create (strike a pose), or eliminate




DAY 8
temper: to soften, or strengthen 

DAY 7
temper: to soften, or strengthen

DAY 6

DAY 6
put out: to create, or extinguish

DAY 5
put out: to create, or extinguish




DAY 4

overlook: to fail to see, or oversee


DAY 3

overlook: to fail to see, or oversee

DAY 2
pit: the stone of a fruit, or a hollow cavity

DAY 1 DAY 1
pit: the stone of a fruit, or a hollow cavity