In an interview someone asked.

What does losing feel like to you …Kobe Bryant ?

“It’s exciting.

It’s exciting because

that you have different ways you can get better

you can figure out and take advantage of certain weaknesses that were exposed that

you need to shore up right?

So it was exciting

Meaning

It sucks to lose right

But at the same time, there are answers there.”

This Commonplace notes are free for everyone. Paid subscribers get a new 5-Day project every month. The first one introduces The Ten Minute Visual Journal Method, and it’s FREE

Subscribe to get the Ten Minute Visual Journal Method in your inbox for FREE!

The Commonplace is a public notebook — quotes, observations, and half-formed thoughts from my reading life. No practical advice. Free for everyone. The index lives here.

”…fundamentally the commonplace method is a system for collecting quotations and other bits of information for personal use” -

A Commonplace practice produces a personal collection, in the past this has been books, scrapbooks and albums.

The specific unit of information or scraps might be thought of as an intermediate packets a term coined by Tiago Forte that refers to building blocks of information for future work such as essays, books, presentations etc. (for our purposes we’ll just call them notes)

The common place has been used to collect quotes, newspaper clippings and is the predecessor of more visual forms of scrapbooking. I’m particularly drawn to one Anna Jameson’s method of commonplacing where she wraps quotes with her own thoughts. Here is an example courtesy of Jillian M. Hess in ‘How Romantics And Victorians Organized Information.

I READ in the life of Garrick that, “about 1741, a taste for Shakespeare had lately been revived by the encouragement of some distinguished persons of tastes of both sexes; but especially by the ladies who formed themselves into a society, called the ‘Shakespeare Club.” There exist a Shakespeare Society at this present time, but I do not know that any ladies are members of it, or allowed to be so.

— Jameson, A Commonplace book of Thoughts

One of the core features of a commonplace practice is the index, which gives the creator or collector of the notes the ability to access their notes when they need them.

It’s also a difficult thing to keep updated. In this digital version, I’m going to attempt to keep an alphabetical index of links.

This Commonplace notes are free for everyone. Paid subscribers get a new 5-Day project every month. The first one introduces The Ten Minute Visual Journal Method, and it’s FREE

“Thus, contents of commonplace books became increasingly specific and personal rather than generally applicable” -

This (Easter) Sunday afternoon, on the 4th April 2026 my office studio is transformed into a study.

And sandwiching a nap, I wrestle from my arm chair, to my daybed to my desk with Jillian M. Hess’s book. “HOW ROMANTICS AND VICTORIANS ORGANISED INFORMATION, Commonplace Books, Scrapbooks, and Albums.

As I read the history of the practice, it occurs to me that our human need or desire to organise information could only ever lead to the invention of something like the Large Language Models, that serve as a kind of collective commonplace book. And making general knowledge universally available to anyone with a browser window and the ability to type or speak a prompt.

This access and excess of general knowledge, makes specific and personal knowledge all the more valuable.

In the Commonplace section of this substack, I am collecting or ‘commonplacing’ this specific and personal knowledge.

This is the ‘dead stock’ that while valuable has yet to be transformed into a ‘saleable commodity’. Here’s the trade, I offer this commonplace to you freely, and your attention compels me to make the entries at least comprehensible.

This post will serve as the index for this section.

I’m aware that most indexes fail, still I will give it my best go by tagging posts and indexing the tags. (Thanks to For the suggestion)

Index of Tags

Note Taking

I’ve been enjoying looking at everyone’s visual journal in the chat/gallery.

Keep sharing your work and inspiring one another! You can find the chat gallery here.

Chat & Gallery

This gallery is for sharing your work from the FREE Ten Minute Visual Journal Method , where I share, the method that always helps me get centered and have something interesting to draw.

As I look at everyone’s work I wanted to share some of the things you’re saying as well as share a couple of additional pointers.

What you’re saying in the gallery

“It’s crazy how in the midst of the chaos, I just find myself wanting to escape to my sketchbook and disappear.” -

“I’m so excited to start this process! Drawing everyday has been a struggle and this gives me motivation.” -

My children both wanted to join me for this. (Which was just as interrupted as it sounds 😅) but my 5 yr old put “working with mom” as her grateful moment. Very sweet. -

And so much more,

Prep page

used one page for the work and another page for prep, which is a way I like to work too. I’ve made a sample page to show you what that might look like. In my sample (pictured) I use the left page as a prep page. I write a list of ideas, then using a red pencil I pick the best one, this lets you do a bit of planning and choose the best moments to feature in your journal. The left page can also be used to capture some additional notes after creating the visual journal page, this could be an idea you want to follow up on, or something you noticed.

Page Design

experimented with different page layouts, and is trying new things daily. I do recommend exploring different layouts, consider how you want to use the page of your particular sketchbook. In my sample (pictured) I didn’t even use the whole page, instead I designed a squarish box in the middle to give my panels a nice square proportion.

There is no right way to do it, and everyone’s doing great!

What’s important is you’re doing it!

I also want to acknowledge that it’s not always easy to share your work, sometimes the subject matter might be to personal, other times we might have feelings of inadequacy.

Sometimes, instead of sharing the entire ‘comic’ maybe just share a panel they you feel comfortable sharing.

And don’t stress about trying to impress anyone, we’re all just doing 2 minute drawings, its a great leveller:)

No one’s judging you, we’re all here to build the practice.

And if you follow along with the project, you’ll realise how powerful this simple project can be in transforming your life. Not because of the project, but because you are showing up for yourself in this present moment.

We’re all at different parts of our journey, but we’re also journeying together!

Keep Going

Find the complete FREE Ten Minute Visual Journal Method here 👀

PS: if you signed up for Gameplan, consider this the pre-training as we look forward to April 27th!

And this is Day 5, If you’re new to all this start at Day 1

Over the past 4 days I’ve showed you Ten Minute Visual Journal Method, and really broken down the component pieces. I’ve helped you think through different ways of interpreting the questions all to help you load up your ten minute practice with maximum potency.

And to that end we need to look at the last question

“What is one thing you are grateful for?”

The question specifically searches for one thing.

If you take this question last, you’ll already be in the headspace to pick a narrow range of items, just pick the first one you think of. And before you draw in make it as meaningful as possible in your mind.

It could be an object, a person, a moment you got to experience, a blessing or a piece of luck, it could have just happened or it might have happened ages ago. Pick the thing and in you mind turn up the volume, the saturation, being in smell, touch whatever you can to make it as vivid as you can in your mind.

Then load that image in your mind with as much meaning as you can muster.

Then unleash that image onto the page.

Day by day fill this panel with intense gratitude, this will compound so quickly, maybe one day you can flip through your book and it fill serve as a flip book of all the things you are grateful for.

They say that you cannot be grateful and fearful at the same time.

Which means gratitude either brings about courage or at the very least functions similarly to courage. Which is just the thing you need to make art.

Time to Draw!

By doing this habit daily, you are developing the habit of being interested, interesting, you’ll have reframed work as victory, and you will see visions of the future and finally you will put yourself in a state to act without fear.

Show your work in the Project Gallery

I hope you enjoyed this 5-Day Project to practice The Ten Minute Visual Journal Method. Paid subsribers will get a new project like this every month, and a community of artist to share it with via the Open Studio Chat. The subscription is $10 a month, but if you take an annual subscription for $50 you save 58% each year,

PS: The Check-ins

Each day we’ll explore one of the questions in a little more depth as we try to layer more and more potency into your ten minutes of practice. I’ll also send it to you once a day over the next 4 days.

Day 1: The Visual Journal Method (this)

Day 2: Time as a Filter — learn to filter and pick your moments of interest.

Day 3: Present Focus — all work is aspirational

Day 4: Vision — vision drives reality

Day 5: Gratitude — your most creative state

Ten Minute Artist gives you a Gameplan to build a lifelong creative habit and attract your true fans - I’m also involved in these two other substacks:

• with is a monthly skill building workshop with a huge library

• with

And this is Day 4, If you’re new to all this start at Day 1

If you’ve been following along, you’re now more interested, more interesting and more energised about your work, and today we’re going to think about how to answer the next question.

“What’s coming up?”

At the most basic level this question will prompt you to take a look at your calendar and draw an upcoming event. This could be a meeting you’re looking forward to, a place you’re looking forward to going to, something that’s coming in the mail.

These are all great things to draw for this question, bringing a piece of the future into the present. When you draw it, you’re declaring on paper that it’s already done. You can start enjoying it in some measure now.

This ability to enjoy the future in the present is a wonderful vitamin to your daily life.

You could also take a different approch.

You can use this sections to explore what you might want to happen. The image you create based on your calendar, and the image you create from your imagination or both possible futures.

Both have not happened yet, both could happen.

What’s coming up can be a question about what you are expecting and it could just as likely be a question about the kind of future you want to create for yourself.

You could draw date night in that panel before asking someone for a date.

Or draw an adventure you’ve been meaning to have before actually making any concrete plans.

Both work, embrace the future with flexibility. It makes me think of the Odyssey Plan is a Stanford Life Design Lab tool for creating three distinct, alternative five-year future paths.

Use this space to poke holes into different possible futures, a mini daily Odyssey Plan.

Time to Draw!

Yes by now you’re figuring out that this practice uses the past present and future to triangulate your present moment. It is an exercise in deep presence. You just spend ten minutes but you can dig into the past, explore different futures and even experience the fruits of your labour in advance.

You can pack a lot into ten minutes, and with practice you’ll be able to load even more!

Share your work in the Project Gallery

And I’ll see you in Day 5, for the final piece and a plan for beyond these 5 days.

PS: The Check-ins

Each day we’ll explore one of the questions in a little more depth as we try to layer more and more potency into your ten minutes of practice. I’ll also send it to you once a day over the next 4 days.

Day 1: The Visual Journal Method (this)

Day 2: Time as a Filter — learn to filter and pick your moments of interest.

Day 3: Present Focus — all work is aspirational

Day 4: Vision — vision drives reality

Day 5: Gratitude — your most creative state

Ten Minute Artist gives you a Gameplan to build a lifelong creative habit and attract your true fans - I’m also involved in these two other substacks:

• with is a monthly skill building workshop with a huge library

• with

And this is Day 3, If you’re new to all this start at Day 1

If you’re still reading, I trust you’re following along with great enthusiasm, art you already finding yourself more interested in your days? Are you more interesting?

Yes! Yes you are!

Today we’re going to discuss the next question in the method,

“What are you working on?”

All work is aspirational.

Work is your sacrifice today for a brighter future. For that reason what you’re working on day to day is vastly interesting. Go into the minutia, did into the small details. What did the client say? What did you celebrate? Where did you fall short?

Draw that.

If you keep this habit for a long time you’ll get to look back at all the tiny building blocks that got you through the years. You’ll see the ways you chose to employ yourself. But this question doesn’t just apply to your occupation and your career.

Maybe you’re working on a relationship.

Maybe you’re working on building a skill.

Maybe you’re working on a side project. Or learning a new language or an escape plan.

Document that!

What you’re working on says a lot about where you’re going, bringing this to your awareness helps you chart the course.

How one drawing can multiply your energy

Okay here’s the power up.

When most people think about work they make a huge mistake. They only focus on the drudgery of the task rather than the outcome. Do people go to the gym for the pain or for the result?

Most people who struggle with the gym struggle because they focus on the work, the sweat, the grot. Instead of focusing on the fact that it’s going to make them feel great, look good, and have more energy.

We make this mistake about all kinds of work.

Urgh, I got to email editors.

Urgh, I got to finish these illustrations.

Urgh, I got to learn how to update my website.

So eventhough they are doing something that’s moving them towards their goal, they feel bad about it.

But not you, you know the secret.

Remember what I said at the beginning, All work is Aspirational. So why focus on the struggle, rather than the prize?

Here’s how one 2 minute drawing changes the way you think and feel about work. Instead of drawing the struggle, draw the prize!

In 2020, before I my wife was pregnant and I was just still figuring out how to become a picture-book illustrator, I drew a picture of myself in a bookshop with my wife and kid, all smiling, and a shelf full of my books. I experienced the feeling for years before it has happened in reality.

You’re going to work anyway. But you don’t have to fill yourself with a feeling of dread, instead you can fill yourself, with all the good feelings of the prize that you are working towards.

Learn to connect your actions to the feeling of that positive outcome, it will energise you.

So whenever you answer the question “what are you working on?”

Start by drawing that outcome, that victory, that prize.

Call it what you want, Imaging, Visualisation, Affirmation, Prayer, Magic or simply a Reframe.

One 3 minute drawing can transform how you feel about your whole day, every day!

Time to Draw!

How are we doing so far, right now this practice is already making you more interested, more interesting and feeling better about your work. I can’t wait to see this new version of you expressed over 4 panels.

Project Gallery: Show your work!

And I’ll see you in Day 4

PS: The Check-ins

Each day we’ll explore one of the questions in a little more depth as we try to layer more and more potency into your ten minutes of practice. I’ll also send it to you once a day over the next 4 days.

Day 1: The Visual Journal Method (this)

Day 2: Time as a Filter — learn to filter and pick your moments of interest.

Day 3: Present Focus — all work is aspirational

Day 4: Vision — vision drives reality

Day 5: Gratitude — your most creative state

Ten Minute Artist gives you a Gameplan to build a lifelong creative habit and attract your true fans - I’m also involved in these two other substacks:

• with is a monthly skill building workshop with a huge library

• with

If you haven’t, start at Day 1

If you’re still reading I’m assuming you did the exercise maybe for the first time.

What I love about this practice is that it’s infinitely repeatable. You can answer the same questions every day, but you will always find different answers. Or different ways to draw the same answers.

I encourage you to try repeating the practice for 5 days and see how it evolves.

I hope the first day showed you how potent a single ten minute session can be to bring up images that are completely personal in origin, over the next few days I want to show you some ways to get even more out of every panel.

“What did you do yesterday?”

Is the easiest question to start with, because the potential answers are limited.

They are limited to what you actually did, what you remember doing, and what interests you the most at this moment. A day creates some distance from the activity itself, so while it’s close enough to remember, we view yesterday with a bit more objectivity.

Time becomes a filter, and only the most important and interesting things come up for consideration.

Another thing that happens when you start answering this question every day is that you start to pay more attention to your actions in daily life. Partially to find something worth drawing, but another surprising thing it does, is it makes you want to try to do more interesting things.

Asking and answering this questions, creating a sequence of images day after day makes you more interested in your days and more interesting.

Probing questions

If for whatever reason you feel stumped with the ‘yesterday’ question.

You could consider, adding some probing questions.

What did I do at a specific time?

What was the first thing I did yesterday?

What was the last thing I did yesterday?

What was the most creative thing I did yesterday?

What was the most physical thing I did yesterday?

What was the funniest thing I did yesterday?

Feel free to play with the question, but keep to the core purpose of filtering your day for one precious nugget to draw.

Drawing Style

You are spending less than 3 minutes on each drawing, so we’re not exactly making art here, as much as we are capturing images. Still one of the benefits of the repetition is to try different ways and almost effortlessly something like a style will emerge.

But one thing you can do that can have a big effect from day to day is try different materials, or use the materials differently.

Approach each day playfully, this is your time to play.

Time to Draw!

Okay I’ve given you some things to think about as you continue to try out this practice, go ahead and create another spread using the Ten Minute Visual Journal Method.

Project Gallery: Show your work!

And I’ll see you in Day 3!

PS: The Check-ins

Each day we’ll explore one of the questions in a little more depth as we try to layer more and more potency into your ten minutes of practice. I’ll also send it to you once a day over the next 4 days.

Day 1: The Visual Journal Method (this)

Day 2: Time as a Filter — learn to filter and pick your moments of interest.

Day 3: Present Focus — all work is aspirational

Day 4: Vision — vision drives reality

Day 5: Gratitude — your most creative state

Ten Minute Artist gives you a Gameplan to build a lifelong creative habit and attract your true fans - I’m also involved in these two other substacks:

• with is a monthly skill building workshop with a huge library

• with

I call it the Ten Minute Visual Journal Method.

And I use it to:

• Conquer the blank page

• Make art even on my worst days

• Stack my most valuable memories

• Center myself in the current moment

• Build a body of work without trying to

• Develop a personal visual style naturally

• To always have something unique to draw

• Turn any notebook into a creative practice

• Reconnect with the source of my creativity

• To gather an endless supply of original ideas

It does a lot of things at once, and It only takes ten minutes to do.

I always recommend this method when people ask me how to get started with a creative practice. One reader said it feels like having a treat every morning. That it gives them a sense of identity as a creative person, and that it brings creative joy into their daily life, let me show you how it’s done.

If I’ve shared this with you before, consider this version the ultimate guide of the practice.

Behold,

The Ten Minute Visual Journal Method

4 simple questions to center you in the present moment and capture it in words and pictures.

You can do this anywhere.

Sometimes I do it on a napkin, other times I take a page or even a whole spread out of an artist diary or sketchbook, the point is just that you do it.

I’m going to show you one way, but of course feel free to customise it to your particular notebook, journal or sketchbook.

The Basic Setup

Set a timer for 10 minutes then do the following steps

Step 1

Start by drawing a frame around the entire area you want to use. Then splitting that area into four. You should end up with what looks like a comic panel.

Step 2

Write one of these questions in each of the boxes, leave space to draw or add additional text.

What did you do yesterday?

What are you working on?

What’s coming up?

What is one thing you are grateful for?

Step 3

Answer the questions with words and images.

You could use a combination of images or words to answer each question. You can use it to experiment with different materials. You could experiment with lettering. You could draw yourself as a bird, anything goes.

The result will be something like a daily comic strip or a daily feed that you create for your self.

Step 4

Write or stamp the date.

Step 5 (bonus step)

Write a short title or caption for the comic.

Advanced Setup

You can position the questions in any of the boxes and answer them in any order, a different sequence might spark different ideas.

Once you find a sequence that works for you, I suggest keeping in because the sequence you use to answer the questions will become a kind of meditation.

Once you get familiar with the questions you don’t actually need to write it down, you can just write and draw your answers.

Material List

Use whatever material you like.

I’ve used a $0.50 Muji notebook and a pencil, diner napkins and fancy sketchbooks. Use what ever you have and no need to break the bank. If you’re reading this, I’m willing to bet that somewhere in your home there is a brand new unused sketchbook, or perhaps you’ve used the first 2 pages. ( I know because I always have a book like that)

Use that book.

For the examples these are the tools I have used.

1. Uniball eye fine

2. A Date Stamper

3. A Rhodia Sketchbook

4. Pentel Brush Pen

5. Koi Colouring Brush Pen

Make it a habit

Show your work

Now that I’ve shown you the method, I’d like to help you turn it into a habit, I’ve created 4 check ins for you to visit everyday, ONCE you’ve made a spread and shared it in the project gallery, pick the next check in and go deeper into the practice.

It might seem intimidating to share your work, but don’t think of the chat as ‘the public’, rather think of it as an ‘Open Studio’. You’re sharing with other creatives who are all here to support one another.

Project Gallery: Show your work!

PS: The Check-ins

Each day we’ll explore one of the questions in a little more depth as we try to layer more and more potency into your ten minutes of practice. I’ll also send it to you once a day over the next 4 days.

Day 1: The Visual Journal Method (this)

Day 2: Time as a Filter — learn to filter and pick your moments of interest.

Day 3: Present Focus — all work is aspirational

Day 4: Vision — vision drives reality

Day 5: Gratitude — your most creative state

Ten Minute Artist gives you a Gameplan to build a lifelong creative habit and attract your true fans - we do this through a series of 5-day projects.

Subscribe now

I’m also involved in these two other substacks:

• with is a monthly skill building workshop with a huge library

• with is and ongoing adventure party writing picturebooks together.

Author Note: This is a living document, and I will continue to add more questions and answers over time. Every single one is born out of an actual correspondence, either from a DM, and email or a 1-1 Mentoring session. I do some light editing for privacy and clarity and occasionally combine questions and answers to make this resource as useful to you as possible.

The latest question will be made available for free, and the rest is available to paid subscribers. As a paid subscribers will also be invited to submit your questions.

From Drew:

I find the markets for children’s books very confusing ie: I can readily differentiate between picture books and say black and white chapter books, but then it feels like there is a whole cross over market where chapter books are presented in full colour, or graphic novels that seem to be for younger audiences, or say comic book style books.

My question is if the book doesn’t neatly fit into an existing market is it worth pursuing or should I rather just create portfolio pieces that easily “fit”? Is there a way that you categorise the picture book market that is simplified and/or with corresponding publishers so that I would know where to pitch this?

I’d also love to hear your thoughts on digital versus analog. I love using traditional media but the ease of digital for edits, touch ups etc is just totally different! I can image over a longer book project it just being WAY easier to produce things totally digitally. Do you sacrifice style (ie build your style digitally) for the long game of being able to do it more efficiently?

Hello Drew,

Your questions are about Markets and Tools.

I’ll start with the Markets question, but I want to reframe it to the point of view of the customers, both the parents and kids. I’m going to answer by telling you what I think a picture book is. My philosophy of picturebooks if you like.

A Picturebook is more like theater or a toy, then it is a book.

In order to experience a picturebook, a child needs an adult to read it to them. The book serves as giving the adult a script to perform and it gives the audience (the child) a multi sensory experience of the story.

They see characters. And objects. Brought to life by the performance.

In many cases the child might be seeing objects and environments for the first time. Other times the recognise familiar object and might reach out to grab them like a pretend play subject.

They might reach out and eat a slice of cake or strawberry from inside the book, or interact with a character like it was alive. This behaviour is age appropriate, and the device that enables the experience is the picturebook.

Because the child is getting to know the world through this experience there is a specific way things need to be communicated to them. For example if a fire truck or a museum is to be depicted, it will need to be depicted in full like an object, like a toy, completely in view and in context.

Contrast that with a graphic novel for older kids, you can hint at a museum just by showing a statue, a roof line, or a plaque with words, these options work for older readers who read books more like an emersive experience directly.

In the case of a picturebook, the story is invited into the kids environment, older readers are invited into the authors imagination.

A fairy story for kids is one where you bring the fairy story to the kid into the room they are in, that’s why I say it is like a play set or like theater. A fairy story for older readers is one where you bring the kid into the fairy story.

This thinking relates to the tools we use.

A book is a physical object, and it works best when the pages look like physical objects, a page that looks like in contains all the grain and smudges and powders and liquid and thinkness of a physical artwork looks and feels more like a toy or theater and therefore achieves it’s aim more easily.

Digital art is great, and works best when it is consumed digitally, on a website or in a game, obvious digital art on paper, seems off in my opinion, but digital art that simulates physical experiences looks great!

You mention easier to produce, ultimately, I think the pain of the art making is what is most valuable in the end. My own process involves doing as much of it physically and finishing digitally. I paint a lot digitally, but I draw and work things out in real life.

Read more

I have books and decks of cards with prompts all over my house.

They are nice to have around, I use them to spark divergent thinking. An idea leads to many different ideas but it starts with the seed.

Today’s prompt is from a book called Unsolicited Advice by . It seems like it’s meant to be cut up and stuck at a bus stop, I think I will stick it up when it’s done.

This wasn’t a drawing prompt, but I was happy to spend by creative time doing this. The following page of this book encourages us to write lines, I think they are connected. You take a line from the ‘take one’ page, and you repeat it or write reminders, to help it stick.

I wrote it, with feeling!

Affirmations like these rewires your brain. Not everything in Adam’s book is an affirmation so perhaps you can create your own, ‘take one’ page. That is my unsolicited advice!

Create a ‘take one’ page as a work of art

Think of it as a fortune cookie without the cookie. Alternatively you can turn it into a things to draw list!

Remember to set a timer for 10 minutes and when it goes off you can stop if you want.

MORE: Ten Minute Artist - Build a Daily Drawing Habit | Art Gym - Build Illustration Skill | Art Quest - Build a Creative Career | 1-1 Portfolio Strategy

It’ Saturday 8.30pm

It’s treat day, so we’re all sugared up and not quite ready for bed. Today I pulled a card from Lorna Scobie’s Art Club deck. Art Club is a deck of 52 fun and easy prompts that encourage you to be more creative, whether you’re out and about, or on your own at home or with friends.

Tonight I’m painting with my kid.

This is the card I pulled…

I found a cherry. Washed it with baking soda and cut it in half. And cut it in half.

This is my version which the kid said was very realistic, but I told her realism is not the only way to make art, I actually think the piece she did looks better.

I love the immediacy and mark making and colour choice, also, look at that shadow.

The added perk of is the humming she does while she paints creates such a pleasant atmosphere. It’s tempting to think we need the perfect time, and a secluded space to make anything, but this 10 minutes before bed has actually proved to be a nice way to come down from a suger high.

So that’s it my ten minutes of art today, YOUR TURN!

Draw half a cherry (or any fruit slices in half)

Here is a photo reference if you need one.

If you have people about ask them to come and make art with you. Remember to set a timer for 10 minutes and when it goes off you can stop if you want.

IMPORTANT NOTE!

Hi Artist Friend,

Adam here.

I write Ten Minute Artist to help you start and maintain a drawing habit. And I’m always looking for the best ways to help you do that. And I have decided that you don’t need any more drawing prompts from me. (Prompts are abundant)

But instead, everyday, I will pick a drawing prompt from the millions available out in the world, I will tell you where I got them, and how I picked them, and I will set a timer for 10 minutes and I will do them.

I will then show you how I completed the prompt in 10 minutes, and give you some suggestions on how to complete yours, and then I will make a chat where I will share what I did, and for YOU to share what you did, and I will look at what you did and leave a comment on it in the chat.

I will lead by example.

Then I will be your witness.

Let’s help each other build a daily drawing habit!

Share your drawings here.

(And Zelda)

MORE: Ten Minute Artist - Build a Daily Drawing Habit | Art Gym - Build Illustration Skill | Art Quest - Build a Creative Career | 1-1 Portfolio Strategy

I jumped into my Ten Minute Artist practice. I grabbed a prompt book from my bookshelf, the steal like an artist journal by and randomly flipped open a page, and landed on this…

I set a timer for 10 minutes and started writing. It took me 5 minutes to fit a story I had already written into this Emma Coats Pixar Fairy Tale format.

I spent another 5 minutes drawing on the next page.

Here’s what I ended up with.

I didn’t come up with the story in 5 minutes (it actually took me a whole weekend, and some help from friends). But this prompt helped me get the whole story down onto a page and that is useful if I ever need to tell people the short version.

You know what else is useful, this format.

USE THIS PROMPT!

ONCE UPON A TIME.

So the idea is to fill in 5 blanks:

There was ___________ (introduce your character(s)

Everyday ____________ (set the scene)

One day ____________ (an inciting incident changed everything)

Because of that _____________ (the opposite of what happens every day happened)

Until finally _______________ (the whole point of story is a transformation, what was transformation)

Use this framework to quickly generate many bad stories, then draw them. Imagine doing this for 7,30,100 days… imagine the stories you would have. I love prompts that make hard things like writing a whole story EASY. You’ll just need to ignore perfectionism, turn on the timer and go.

DO it!

And if you do it, share it here! And if you share it here, I promise to read it and write a comment.

IMPORTANT NOTE!

Hi Artist Friend,

Adam here.

My goal for Ten Minute Artist is to help you start and maintain a drawing habit. And I’m always looking for the best ways to help you do that. And I have decided that you don’t need any more drawing prompts from me.(Prompts are abundant)

But instead, everyday, I will pick a drawing prompt from the millions available out in the world, I will tell you where I got them, and how I picked them, and I will set a timer for 10 minutes and I will do them.

I will then show you how I completed the prompt in 10 minutes, and give you some suggestions on how to complete yours, and then I will make a chat where I will share what I did, and for YOU to share what you did, and I will look at what you did and leave a comment on it in the chat.

I will lead by example.

Then I will be your witness.

I know some of you are big shot superstars, even you can take 10 minutes and do one of these prompts with the rest of us and charge it in the chat, you could also leave a comment for the others.

Let’s help each other build a daily drawing habit!

MORE: Ten Minute Artist - Build a Daily Drawing Habit | Art Gym - Build Illustration Skill | Art Quest - Build a Creative Career | 1-1 Portfolio Strategy

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