A Sketchbook Practice
not sketchbook "perfect"
Issue 9/ Welcome to Creative Possibilities, a midweek issue of my Good and Beautiful Things newsletter. This newsletter offers a glimpse of what’s on my art desk as well as stories from my creative life that I hope will encourage or inspire your own.
“A sketchbook practice can be about recording life as it is, not about making life (or your sketchbook) into a masterpiece.”
Since joining Substack I’ve come across so many wonderful artists1 that are new to me. Looking at their work inspires my own creativity and pushes my own work further along.
But a subtle sneaky message has gotten into my head, the message that every page of my sketchbook has to be a finished masterpiece.
I’ve been thankful this week to be reminded that sketchbooks can be:
-a place to process life and release our emotions
-a place to create a record of daily life
-a place to play with different art styles
This reminder feels like an invitation while the other message (of making little masterpieces) feels like monolithic pressure.
///
Processing Life and Emotions
A sketchbook is a safe place to name the emotions that have been bottling up inside. Even though I love words, sometimes I find it’s easier to record emotions with pictures.
This week I found Gayle Kabaker’s art. Her paintings are vibrant and, frankly, stunning.
But my first introduction was through her series for the Washington Post on keeping a sketchbook during a crisis, originally published during Covid. Getting a peek into how she used her sketchbook during that time opened something up for me as I looked at the simple black and white drawings that illustrated her emotions.
Here’s a sketch I did a few years back about all of the emotions that can show up in just one day!
This week I’ve been thinking a lot about my journey to live as an embodied human rather than hover in my head. After listening to this On Being podcast and loosening up with a free zoom class by
and , I quickly got my feelings out on paper.
///
Noticing and Recording Life
A sketchbook is an opportunity to notice what’s right in front of you, a place to record the big and small of daily life:
Like the last sunflowers of the season blooming in our backyard.
Or my new (soft) pajama pants and the pepper plant I bought for my husband.
A friend shared some imagery with me last week and I found the picture encouraging to think about, so I put it in my sketchbook. She described herself standing under the weight of a boulder. When she stepped away from the boulder, she realized the boulder was stable without her. I’ve been leaning into this image as I practice how to entrust my adult kids and the challenges they face, to God.
///
Playing with Style
A sketchbook practice is a playground to try out your ideas and experiment with your artistic style.
This weekend I participated in a painting workshop with Gayle Kabaker and Jennifer Orkin Lewis. I added a miniature version of Gayle’s painting to my sketchbook. I wanted to remember the colors inspired by their trip to Morocco, her use of black, and how she showed action in the figure. (I missed out on Jennifer’s teaching, looking forward to the replay!)
///
A Final Tip: Two Sketchbooks, Two Purposes
In a class this weekend, Carla Sonheim mentioned the idea of keeping one sketchbook that is used for playing and exploration and another sketchbook that houses more polished work. This sounds like a solution worth trying.
More Inspiration to Play
Consider a 100 day project like
: a consistent practice means less pressure on each individual drawing or painting.Host an Ugly Drawing Party: I love this idea and actually plan do this.
Take a class with Lewis Rossignol: His classes are very playful and instructive at the same time.
Art by Lewis Rossignol
If you’d like to support the writing and art that I create for this newsletter, you can now contribute to my art supply fund through “Buy me a Coffee”!
Blessings from the Guest Nest,
-Aimee
Other great artists I’ve discovered through Substack that I haven’t mentioned in this issue:
I'm not sure which of these *isn't* a masterpiece, but I still love this counsel and encouragement you share.
Okay this post made me want to doodle.