If you’ve ever stared at a blank page, lost your creative routine, or wondered how to make art fit into a busy life, this is for you.
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.
Uniball eye fine
A Date Stamper
A Rhodia Sketchbook
Pentel Brush Pen
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.
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.
Love this, it prompts the narrative illustration in a very natural way. I used to illustrate my days in a similar way when I was a student and wrote letters to my friends in different countries (in the 1990s, before email 😊). I would even draw something funny from my day (as a sleep deprived architecture student) on those “air mail” envelopes… When I moved to email those little illustrations slowly stopped. I realise now how free, spontaneous and unburdened with expectations they were. My illustrations are more static now, mostly of places and movements of people. I somehow lost the way to illustrate various life situations, feelings and states of mind, without overthinking. This gives me a way back into it. Thank you for a great idea on how to incorporate the narrative illustration into daily life in a very simple way!
Thank you for sharing this so generously 🙏 What a fantastic way to journal!
Love this, it prompts the narrative illustration in a very natural way. I used to illustrate my days in a similar way when I was a student and wrote letters to my friends in different countries (in the 1990s, before email 😊). I would even draw something funny from my day (as a sleep deprived architecture student) on those “air mail” envelopes… When I moved to email those little illustrations slowly stopped. I realise now how free, spontaneous and unburdened with expectations they were. My illustrations are more static now, mostly of places and movements of people. I somehow lost the way to illustrate various life situations, feelings and states of mind, without overthinking. This gives me a way back into it. Thank you for a great idea on how to incorporate the narrative illustration into daily life in a very simple way!