The Half 2026 - an introduction
Ahoy, fellow traveller.
If you've heard of The Half: a voyage of discovery somewhere on social media or a friend has recommended it, this blog post is for you.
My name is Amanda Billing and I'm an artist living in Auckland, New Zealand. I'm chuffed you're interested in this new, free (sort of) venture.
A bit of background about me and daily projects
If you've made it through a 100 day project before, you'll know they're a slog but also incredible. I've finished ten now and each one has changed me for the better.
I facilitated a community journey through the 2026 100 Day Project and it was a treat. You can hear about it (and my Kiwi accent) on a recent episode of The Creative Kind podcast here.
The Half will follow the same process I used with the 100 day group. I want to see what happens when a group goes into unknown creative territory together over the course of 50 days instead of 100.
My view of 100 day projects is that they're essentially therapeutic. They have the capacity to restore us, to enable growth in self-awareness, and I believe they heal damage that was done to us that went on to diminish our levels of confidence, courage, and self-compassion. So there will be a "deep and meaningful" vibe to the way I facilitate. But I'm also funny, occasionally provocative, and am also totally into phoning your daily work in sometimes lol.
Give yourself some time to read and digest the following and, if you're interested in coming along with us, register here.
In this post, I:
- introduce you to how I approach the daily project concept
- let you know the date for our project Planning Zoom
- outline the various options for online community participation (all optional)
- remind you that it's free although there's an option to support The Half's development if you like.
Grab a cuppa and have a read.
What is The Half?
It's a 50-day daily creative project starting on Monday 12th October 2026 and finishing on the last day of November.
Choosing a "good" project can feel daunting but rest assured that you can change your focus after you start. And whether you have too many ideas for it right now, or none at all, it's all good. Trust that you'll come up with something. I've started long daily projects ten times now and sometimes I came up with the idea the day before. Project design is key.
"What should I do??"
You can approach your project a couple of ways:
(1) a-thing-a-day: really good for people new to creative or artistic practice. Great for learning a new skill or finding out about tools and materials. It's the classic format for photographic projects. Results in a very satisfying, cohesive body of work. Can form a strong portfolio for future making. Loves strong limitations; perfect for people who are time-poor or who want to develop discipline;
(2) finding-out-about:
Whichever type you choose, documenting your practice is part of the whole deal. Sharing it via a dedicated Instagram or FB page is totally optional but it's really impactful, trust me. You can keep it private - noone needs to know. I'll share more about this in a future email and on the Planning Zoom.
Come to the Planning Zoom
We will speak more about project structure and philosophy in the Planning Zoom. I've set a date for it: Saturday 3rd of October at 10am NZST.
If you can't attend, it will be recorded and a written summary will be sent out.
The meeting is a loosely-structured introduction to long-form daily projects. I talk you through different ways to approach your daily work and give different perspectives and directives to help you devise a project you're likely to stick to. Bring any question you have to the Zoom - the answer will likely benefit everyone; don't be afraid to speak up.
Attending the Planning Zoom requires registration. Find the link to the meeting here.
On the Community aspect:
I've decided the subtitle of The Half is a voyage of discovery. Picture choosing a direction, sailing out of sight of land, spotting obstacles so you don't get wrecked, navigating by an inner compass. Picture the wind in your sails and finding yourself in the doldrums. Picture a crew of people with you through it all.
I'm basing The Half: a voyage of discovery on the scaffold I used with The 100 Day Journey: a creative camino earlier this year. This scaffolding comprises:
- a weekly email with a PDF to read and respond to/journal about
- a Whatsapp Community, with (1) Announcements chat from me, (2) a main chat for us all, and (3) sub-groups which function like break-out rooms and stop the main chat getting clogged with sidequest stuff
- an Instagram group chat if you hang out there a lot
- evening online meet-ups via Zoom to discuss stuff
- Saturday morning silent co-working sessions
- IRL meet-ups for Auckland locals.
I know this sounds like a lot BUT you don't have to tap into all of this. Or any of it, if you don't want to. Just read the emails if you like. I really enjoy writing about the creative process so if you want to go deeper with your project, the emails will help.
Your project is where most of your time and energy will go but everyone finds the community really supportive when they need it. Feedback from finishers of this year's 100 Day Journey was very positive about the Whatsapp and Zooms. Connection to the "crew" made a huge difference and many people said it enabled them to cross their finish line.
NB: I do not believe in the community "keeping you accountable". YOU keep you accountable. And I rarely use the word in the daily project context because it has the wrong vibe. Ugh - I know vibe is such a lazy word but I mean it: accountability does not have a resonance that will support and encourage you in the long run.
I will speak more about this on the Planning Zoom (remember to register here).
Does it cost anything?
Nope, The Half 2026 is free. I'm making my facilitated Journeys free in 2026 because you all give me so much back in terms of your participation. It's a kind of real world experiment for me: I'm thinking and writing each week, hopefully creating the basis of next year's (ticketed) Half.
That said, if exchange is how you roll, there will be a Buy Me A Coffee account available for you to pop some dosh in. No pressure at all to do that though. I'll mention it on Day 1 and 50 and that'll be it.
So. Start thinking about stuff that interests you. Ponder what you miss doing. Keep an eye out for things that attract your attention.
And if you want to come with us, sign up.
xAmanda
