The Spring Challenge is on!
Hello, hello! After taking a couple of years off from fundraising, I am undertaking the Spring Challenge this month to support children and families at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital going through the toughest of times. Those of you who have seen my challenges before may remember that I am always grateful for the wonderful team at the WCH when my kid was very ill, and have great respect for all the WCH Foundation does.
One of the reasons I took on this year's challenge is to support Cycle 4 Sam and their 20th year of cycling to raise money for those who are facing heartbreak through losing a child. This challenge will help to provide much-needed bereavement care and wraparound support to families in the WCH community - an absolutely worthwhile cause.
Creative challenges are what I do, and 2026 is no different. This year I thought I would go a little smaller than my previous challenges - I will be creating a grid of 30 small illustrations, all on one large A3 sized paper. The theme of these illustrations revolves around 'Small Worlds' - how the smallest of objects can tell the biggest of stories.
If you've reached the end, thank you for reading. And if you decide to donate, or even just share my challenge, thank you for your support!
Let's help Cycle 4 Sam hit that $20K!
My Updates
20/10 : Progress Log – Chipping Away and a Slight Change in Perspective.
Tuesday 20th Oct
PROGRESS UPDATE: 4/30 drawings completed, 11 days to go. Colour waits until the end!
Hi there! Time for an update.
I am pleased to report that since my last log I am gaining traction and have been finding more little gasps of time to draw. As of the time of this log I have completed 4/30 final drawings on my A3 piece of paper, with three more ideas ready to go. I really enjoy finding ways to add that touch of magic and whimsy to seemingly ordinary things. From little helpers to chilled out rocks, it is a joy to see what I can come up with.
One thing that has helped is to look at what I have done so far from a fresh perspective. Rather than not call a drawing completed until it is coloured, I am opting to instead to acknowledge that yes, there is a picture there, the linework is complete, and colour can wait until all of the boxes have been filled out. The pressure to add colour to each individual drawing and not proceeding until it is done has definitely tripped me up a fair bit, and I know I am not going to complete the challenge if I continue in this fashion. Since making this change I have found a lot more flow, which is much more encouraging.
I have posted the drawings here on my donation page, so please check them out. Thank you for reading, and thank you to those who have contributed and helping me to reach my fundraising goal! It is most appreciated.
Until next time, let’s keep at it! -Mel.
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16/10: Progress Log – Challenging Times...
Friday 16th Oct
PROGRESS UPDATE: 4/30 sketches, 1/30 drawn, 0/30 completed. 15 days to go.
Hello! We are halfway through the challenge, so it is time for an update.
I will admit, my progress on this challenge is going much slower than I would like. As noted in my previous progress log, one of my biggest obstacles facing completion of all 30 drawings is time, and time is indeed something I have found tricky to carve out. But this doesn’t mean I have done absolutely nothing; on the contrary, in moments when I have been away from my primarily parental duties I have taken the opportunity to sketch out my ideas for what I want to include in my final drawings. One of the coolest things I’ve found while coming up with what to include is drawing inspiration from the world around me, from my son’s fascination with seemingly random objects to curios I spot in my wanderings.
I have included a sneak peek of the first drawing; while I have not incorporated colour at this stage, the linework has been completed. I am hoping that over this weekend I will be able to draw much more and get myself back on track.
If you have continued to follow along with my journey so far, thank you! I am doing my best. And if you want to help me reach my fundraising goal, please consider donating! It would be most appreciated, and goes towards a very good cause.
Until next time, let’s get drawing! -Mel.
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5/10: Progress Log – Challenge Locked In!
Monday 5th OctPROGRESS UPDATE: 0/30 drawings complete, 25 days to go.
Hello! I hope you had a good weekend, wherever you are.
Time for an update. This weekend I set about to lock in what exactly I’m doing when it comes to my challenge. Usually when I am starting these challenges I have a pretty clear idea of my creative goal: drawing something every day, folding a very large amount of origami butterflies, that kind of thing. This year is different; I came in with a vague notion of drawing 30 things in a month, but wasn’t entirely sure what direction I wanted to take. And this can be pretty common when starting something new – not everything will be set in stone right away.
After doing some brainstorming, I have decided to create a grid of 30 small illustrations revolving around the theme of ‘Small Worlds’ – I like to take the ordinary and add a little whimsical spin to it, and this will be no different. One of my biggest obstacles I often face in these challenges is carving out the time to get these done, so I am hoping that by sticking to this format I will have more of a chance of being successful.
For those of you who have read to the end, thank you! Tonight I will be drawing the final grid, and in the coming days will finally begin creating these illustrations! That’s where the REAL fun is. :)
Please consider donating and enabling me to reach my goal for the WCH Foundation and Cycle 4 Sam. It is indeed a worthwhile cause.
Until next time! -Mel.
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Great stuff Mel! Thanks for all you do xxx