The Half - all you need to know

by Amanda Billing September 29, 2026

AHOY, fellow traveller!

Welcome to The Half: a 50-day voyage of discovery.

It's a 50-day creative/art challenge run by me, Amanda Billing, and I'm based in Auckland, New Zealand.

What exactly is The Half?

The Half 2026 begins on Monday 12th October and finishes on the last day of November.

Because NZ is in the first time zone on the planet (flex lol) and a growing number of the sign-ups are in the Northern Hemisphere, Kiwis in the group will seem like we're "ahead" but we're not really.

During The Half, you carry out a creative/artistic action of some kind every day for 50 days. That action can be "iterative" (eg 'take a photo every day) or you can treat it more like research, "finding out about".

The key is to make it active, to express yourself, and to document what you do, for you.

You do not need to tell anyone you're doing The Half but setting up somewhere online to post about it can be hugely beneficial. Consider starting a new account/page/blog to house your project. It can really make a difference. It could be a private FB or IG or Substack or your website blog.

It could run in a journal or in a Notes app or the Photos album on your phone but posting somewhere about what you're doing means you think and write about your process. The value of this shouldn't be underestimated.

Where did the idea come from?

The Half has grown out of my experiences with doing long daily art challenges over the last 15 years.

I did my first 100 day project by myself, on my own time, back in 2011. In 2015 I discovered an Instagram follow-along project run by an artist called Elle Luna; it wasn't hyper-organised beyond a set date and a hashtag (back when those actually worked), we just made our stuff and shared it on The Gram each day.

I've completed a 100 day project seven times (started 11). This year a friend of mine asked me to lead her through it. I put out a call to my Instagram followers to see who else wanted to come. In the end, I led a group of 50+ people to the end of 'The 100 Day Journey: a creative camino', following the dates of Lindsay Jean Thomson's 100 Day Project.

I talk about that experience on a podcast you can find via my blog here. LJT and I have become online creator buddies and she's interviewed me a couple of times for her forthcoming book about 100 day projects. Some of the people who did that creative camino with me now have flourishing art practices.

I call the 100 day project a "creative camino" because 100 days is truly a spiritual quest. It's a feat of endurance, best done with dedication and transformation in mind. A couple of months after the 2026 camino ended, I had some conversations with people who wanted to pick up their project again - they'd taken a break. In addition, some of the artists in my life expressed that they were feeling stuck/bored/unsure of how to move their practice forward. These chats got me thinking.

What if, instead of running another "marathon" 100 day effort...we did a "half"?

I've never run a half marathon (I can't even run a kilometre at the moment) but it's the kind of challenge that everyday people commit to, all over the world, all the time. So 50 days is still a long way but I have the feeling that it's also a good length of time to set an intention and see some lovely, surprising, meaningful results. It's long enough to learn a new skill and build a practice. Just enough of a stretch to feel like creativity can, in fact, be part of your everyday life.

I believe that regular engagement with yourself through processes of art-making and creative expression is a cure for malaise, loneliness, feeling scattered. Long-form daily projects are truly therapeutic. The Half might seem a "little bit digital" with the emails, social media and Zooms, but you can make your project as analog as you want to. Many of us need something that enables us to be in the moment, for longer, every day (and off our phone) these days.

"What should I do?"

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 eleven times now and I've often come up with the idea the day before. Project design is key.

If you want help with designing your project, access the free 2026 workbook, download it here.

This workbook is an overview of my philosophy regarding long-form daily art challenges. The first half shows you different ways I have approached them over the last 15 years. The second half contains writing exercises which will help you develop your project and connect deeply to what your creative action will be and why you're wanting to do this in the first place. NB: it was designed to be talked through so is a bit "bare bones" - you will get the gist though.

Basically, 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: focusing on a theme/symbol/mode/material etc, you don't necessarily "repeat yourself" but it helps to have materials or methods in mind before you start. Operates as "artistic research", where you feel like you're investigating, experimenting, finding your way to understanding. Often acts as a springboard once the project is over. Works really well for people who want to roam around or who feel jittery about the rigour/demands of repetition. Works well for insatiable creatives/people with flexible attention.

Whichever type you choose, documenting your practice is part of the project. 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.

Before you start, or soon after, buy a journal to write to yourself. Even if your project is more visual or three-dimensional, it's good to have something on hand to write in when important ideas and understandings strike you.

Why do The Half?

We can all do daily challenges any time we like, right? You could start TODAY and do 50 Days of Something Weird by yourself if you wanted. I did that in 2011 (well, not the weird part) and it was amazing. It's why I'm sitting here, writing to you. Going under your own steam may be exactly what you need - if that's you, I see you, I was you, and I wish you the best. (Let me know how you go.)

But there's just "something" about someone else setting the timeline for a challenge like this. We don't need to summon the energy or intention or even desperation. We can become part of something bigger. The community aspects I provide during The Half can be hugely supportive, too, if that's what you need.

On the Community aspect:

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 the 100 Day Creative Camino is 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.

Rather than calling this 50-day challenge another kind of "camino", I've decided it's 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 use with The 100 Day Journey: a creative camino. This scaffolding comprises:

- a weekly email with a PDF (now blog!) 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

- Saturday morning silent co-working sessions each week, at 9am NZST

- occasional evening online meet-ups via Zoom to discuss stuff

- IRL meet-ups for Auckland locals.

Sound like a lot? I know - 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 written pieces/blogs I share each week will help. They're written just like this one: personal, substantial, direct.

On "accountability":

I'm pleased you're interested in prioritising your creativity and I'm proud of you for making the commitment. But full disclosure: in the context of long form creative projects, I do not believe in anybody else "keeping you accountable", especially not the online community.

YOU keep you accountable.

I rarely use "accountability" in the daily project context because it has the wrong vibe. 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.

Responsibility is closer.

Connection, better.

Fellowship? With yourself and your work (and the community)? Ideal.

The Half is guided by me, alongside your creative friends, but is really up to you.

You decide what you need more of in your life.

You decide what your daily action will be.

Researching, reading, thinking, writing can all be part of your project. That's how artists-with-a-capital-A roll on a weekly basis, so why not you, too?

You decide how to document your process; private or public, all up to you.

Expect to struggle sometimes, for it not to "feel fun". Look for feelings of curiosity, determination, satisfaction, triumph. Have a secret reason for doing this project, a hope, a dream. Make it matter.

It's great to be ambitious but keep the outcome open-ended. Hold your expectations for yourself and your work lightly. In anticipation of rough or busy days, have a bare minimum outlined before we set off. Allow yourself a token effort. Let yourself "phone it in". It's okay to do bad work or even have a tiny tantrum. Crying with frustration or sadness? You might just be the sea. And if for some reason you skip a day or two, or a few, just start again. There's no such thing as cheating. Rest and renewal may be exactly what you need. Thinking about the project is the project.

I write about the perils of the creative/art voyage throughout the 50 days and post my thoughts about Practice on this blog. Those words may arrive just at the right time to put your experience in perspective, no matter how much art experience you have.

And remember: ability is irrelevant; seek parts unknown.

I highly recommend you invent a title for your project, as if it's a book. Play with language. Let your imagination run and skip. Capturing your intentions in a project title is really helpful - it's like a shortcut into your daily work. Once you've settled on something that sings, write it down. Preferably on the outside of your journal.

Does The Half cost anything?

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 real world experiment for me: I'm thinking and writing each week, hopefully creating the basis of next year's (ticketed) Half, as well as...big breath...a BOOK (woops, I just shared a secret reason).

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 share the link on Day 1 and 50 and that'll be it.

So. All aboard! Let's set sail and leave those landlubbers behind!

Steady as she goes,

xAmanda