Day 8 - Bjärred - Not Alone

November 11, 2021

With a forecasted high of 12 degrees Celsius, I drove out with Bjärred with my painting gear. I set up next to the pier on the beach and began to paint. I started with the words on the canvas - “Struggling? You are not alone”

As this 100 days project was now launched, I thought perhaps others would be inspired or affected by my journey. I wondered if I should dedicate it to others - for example, those who are struggling. As I painted, I came to the conclusion that this journey is mine, and I’m doing it for me. So this message was for me as well. It was a gorgeous day in Bjärred, and many people were out for a walk. People stopped to talk, and some took pictures. A German tourist took this picture and sent it to me. I feel it captured the fall magic of the day:

When people seemed interested, I told them about how I’m exploring the concept of outside with this project, and I told a few about how I’m using a difficult time in my life as inspiration to try to make something beautiful. The temperature was dropping quickly, and I noticed the paint harder to spread on the canvas. It thus became thicker, leading to a more dramatic sky and ocean. As I took my phone out of my pocket, I took an accidental selfie. When I saw this picture later, I was struck by something - I looked happy.

The sky turned colors as the sun dipped into the ocean at 4:08 pm. I continued painting for an hour until my fingers were cold and it was too dark to see properly.

Here is a one-minute video of the day: