10 Reasons to Keep a Sketchbook!

Tools for fighting resistance

Keeping a sketchbook habit is like going to the gym for artist, it really is.

You never leave the gym saying, I wish I never came here. You only try to avoid it before. There is a fight to lace up and go for a run, or roll out the yoga mat, or get out of the house and go to the gym. You’re fighting with ‘resistance’.

Going to the gym, or the sketchbook changes you.

And resistance does not like change.

Today I’m giving you 10 reasons to keep a sketchbook. I got these reasons by looking back at my sketchbooks from this year and noting some of the benefits I got from it. I’m giving this to you as weapons against resistance.

These are my weapons, and they may work for you too.

But if you can, use this list as an inspiration and make your own list. Fashion your own weapons. They will serve you better than mine ever will.

10 Reasons to Keep a sketchbook Habit!

1. It’s a great way to capture fleeting moments, a phrase, a pose, an emotion, a story… basically inspiration, when it strikes you want to have a place to catch it. Having your sketchbook on you is like having a lighting rod for inspiration.

2. Keeping a daily sketchbook Builds a Visual dictionary. What does a kids handbag look like, or a beat up cap, or a probiotic bottle. By drawing every day objects we see them better, and we store them in memory for future use.

3. A daily sketchbook evolves into a format for your ideas. The size of the page, your favourite tools, your method of capturing ideas… it becomes a repeatable enjoyable and evolving format. Your format gives you confidence. It can be a starting point for a big project. Or a way to shut down after a long day being familiar with the format makes it easy for you to keep getting into.

4. Infographics. Diagrams, mindmaps, and sketchnotes are just some of the kinds of information that can fit in a sketchbook. These are great for quick review and a powerful way to commit information to memory both internal and external memory.

5. Visual Journaling. Journaling means writing… accessing the proverbial left brain. Drawing accesses the right brain. When you don’t have the words you can start with drawing, and if the words come, you can add that too.

6. Engaging with Audio Books, Lectures, Sermons, Podcasts etc. Getting your hands involved with listening heightens the listening experience, leading to greater understanding, It makes you more engaged and helps you remember.

7. A sketchbook is a tool for Self Reflection. What are the subjects that are capturing my attention at the moment? What’s new and odd and what’s constant in my practice, you can learn a lot about yourself by revisiting old sketchbooks.

8. It’s a Diary. Intentionally or not, a sketchbook is a record of the passage of time. I like to make it a regular habit to do journal comics. But even if all you sketched was your work projects, you’d still be capturing a record of time.

9. It’s a place to study. A place to try out the lessons of Art. From poses, to bug anatomy. This is the place to try them!

10. It’s a place to play. And this is the most important aspect of it, design you r practice in a way that allowed you to play.

Sketchbook Project

Based on my reasons, or your own reasons write prompts for yourself for each day of the week. As yourself, what do you want from your encounter with your sketchbook today.

For Example:

1. You might want to collect some ideas, and use the sketchbook as an idea rod, so go someplace that resembles a creative storm, and start capturing ideas like they are lighting

Or

2. Engage with a podcast or meeting at a whole new level, filling up the pages as you go.

You get the idea!

When you share your art in the gallery, share your prompts too!

Buy my books here. And If you want to start your sketchbook habit today, here are 21 thoughts to guide you

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Can’t wait to see what you draw! Now get out of here!