If you are like me, you drool at the sight of sketchbooks filled with lovely and creative paintings or illustrations, and you just aren't sure how to get there yourself. Well I can tell you one thing: dreaming about it won't get you there, but owning a sketchbook and a few basic supplies and then forcing yourself to open the book and paint might get you there, or at the very least a bit closer! That said, here are some ideas that might be helpful to anyone who desires to start a creative practice but just can't seem to get started, or find any consistency.
- Decide that you will commit to either a certain amount of time working in your sketchbook, or fill a certain number of pages per week. It could be a little as 15 minutes a day, or one page per week, for example, the key is to make it a part of your life.
- Treat your sketchbook time as though it is an appointment, and keep it!
- Don't worry about the results of what you do in your sketchbook, or if you mess up a bunch of pages you can always paint over them or cover then up with a collage of paper scraps!
- Stop making excuses to yourself about how busy you are, about how difficult it is, about why you even dream about filling up a sketchbook in the first place, and simply DO IT! All that chatter in your head is just trying to derail something really fantastic.
- Do be patient yet persistent, and think about developing a creative sketchbook practice that works for you!
6. How about pretending you are on vacation once a week and then painting using inspiration from your own travel photos of places you dream of visiting? Hmmm, that could work for me.
7. While a sketchbook practice can be very personal, maybe starting the journey with a buddy would be helpful. Get together and work in your sketchbooks, or get together to share your progress.
I hope some of this tips might be helpful to you, and would love to see photos of your sketchbook!
