I don't walk around with my sketchbook or keep it in the car and I don't sketch on my iPad. I rarely take it on vacation... unless we're camping. Something about being surrounded by nature makes me bust out my pencils. I am not an illustrator who has a sketchbook with me at all times, nor do I draw in it daily. (Gasp! I know the horror).
Creative guilt (similar to mom guilt) over not being "that kind of illustrator" is self-imposed and it’s debilitating.
Faced with the pressure of a daily sketchbook practice, made sketching feel like a chore. If this resonates with you, I have a few tips on how to tune up your sketchbook practice.
First things first, YOU dear friend, are in charge. You set the creative parameters that work best for you. As an artist, drawing is fundamental, it is part of who you are. In fact, drawing is probably one of your earliest memories. Drawing as a child was an escape, it was fun and exploratory. That simple approach is what you still need.
So, how do you drop the creative guilt and revamp your sketchy feelings?
1. Pick out a sketchbook you love. Big or small, hardbound or spiral, Moleskine or Strathmore... choose what you can't wait to draw in. What kind of book makes you excited to put pencil to paper? Buy that book and personalize it! Add stickers, doodle on it, bend the cover, rest your coffee mug on it, break that baby in and allow it to live in your world.
2. Embrace your inner child. Draw for fun! Treat your sketchbook like the creative playground it is. Add inspirational sayings, create a character, draw something that scares you. And do it again and again. A sketchbook is not a perfect, curated, thing. It is a happy, exploratory, idea-generating thing. It is yours and yours alone. Show it off or hoard it, whatever your inner child wants you to do.
3. Don’t focus on tight sketches. Make random marks, paint swatches of color, collect scraps of fabric - add items to your sketchbook. Don’t be shy about filling up pages. Experiment with making marks in a loose, abstract way. Give yourself the freedom to "just create" and see where it takes you. Creating out of your norm can lead to unexpected and amazing new things.
4. Stressless sketchbooking. In my opinion, any time spent sketching is time well spent. Your drawing skills will improve while you work through new ideas. Plus, it's a fantastic way to detox from all the digital things around you. Let go of any self-imposed pressure you might feel about sketching. That leads to stress, fear, and anxiety, which can stimulate a fight or flight response. Who needs a sketchbook sitting on shelf gathering dust? Cracking open a sketchbook should not feel like opening an algebra book (no offense math peeps). If sketching daily isn't working, don't do it. Try sketching three times a week or on the weekend. Make a weekly hour-long date - just you, a pencil and your sketchbook. Decide what works best and run with it. Remove the pressure of "needing" to sketch daily and find the joy in sketching again.
5. Archive your collection. When you find a sketchbook rhythm, you will begin to fill up books and they become a new source of inspiration. Browsing past books, will spark ideas, highlight artistic growth and sometimes, help you through a creative rut. They become a source of encouragement and motivation.
6. Don't play the comparison game. I know many talented illustrators, so I understand the toxic pull of the comparison game. It's a game that nobody wins. Comparison is helpful only if it becomes a source of inspiration. Let me explain... I have a mentor who has the most beautiful sketchbooks. Pages upon pages, brimming with fantastic characters and creatures. He is the sketchbook master. Why is he a master? Because he loves to play in pencil and it shows. That's the key. Sketchbooks are playtime. He isn't nervous about a blank page or making a mistake, he finds joy in sketching. He is completely at home with a pencil and sketchbook.
If I were to compare our sketchbooks, there would be major differences besides the amount of creative content. His art is expressive, sometimes silly, filled with a variety of things. Mine is more whimsical, lots of kids and furry things. I admire his line work, facial expressions and ingenuity behind his mechanical creations. His work inspires me to be more expressive in my art but doesn't motivate me to fill a sketchbook with robots. I couldn't tell you if he draws every single day of the year. Yes, he spends more time in his sketchbook than I do, but does that comparison matter? If I enjoy the process of sketching and am learning in the process, isn’t that the best takeaway?
Once I shifted my mindset and permitted myself to sketch on my terms, it became a more positive, creative experience. It really is about the process, because sketchbooks are for the artist - not the client, friend, or loved one. When you enjoy sketching, you will find joy in the process and in doing so, you will learn, develop, and cultivate new ideas. And, you can’t put a time stamp on that.
“The lovely feeling of my pencil touching paper, a crayon making a star shape in my sketchbook, or my brush dipping into bright and colorful paints - these things affect me as joyfully today as they did all those years ago.”
