90: Sketchbooks as a Diary.
Ritualizing the practice.
š This is the first of 3 perspectives on what a sketchbook is, the next two are
š Sketchbook as a collection
š Sketchbook as a workout.
Then on Monday, Iāll share everything I know about keeping a sketchbook, including various tips and exercises Iāve learned from classes on the topic over the past 3 years.
Iām trying to get into sketchbook again, and on Monday Iāll share my plan for doing so with paid subscribers. But you donāt have to wait till Monday to subscribe.
Visual Diaries
I was looking through my sketchbooks from 2021.
Inspired by Mike Lowrey ās how to keep a daily sketchbook I ritualized the practice.
I bought a stack of Moleskine cahiers (square) on the left side I wrote some notes and the date, and on the right side, I did the work.
I managed to get through 10 books before I started experimenting with different formats. I miss the regularity. I miss having an empty stack of sketchbooks as well as a full stack.
Flipping through the sketchbook felt like reading a diary, I remember the circumstance each drawing was made in. And it filled me with all the emotions that were in me when I made the drawings. The sketchbook is my own personal catalog to draw from. And I can draw both from whatās on the page, and I can use the pages as keys to unlock memories and emotions.
Alas while I still make a sketch of some sort almost every day, It has lost that ritual quality that I would like to get back.
Exercise:
Hereās a super simple exercise if you wanted to create a visual diary by Austin Kleon
āļø Speaking of ritual, You do know that these notes are available as daily or weekly editions right? Look for a Manage Subscriptions button if you want to adjust your settings. Iāll be making some tweaks to mention any highlights in the weekly email, so you wonāt feel like youāre missing anything.
I loved this post, Adam! Thank you for the inspiration! š