243. You Must Defeat the Blank Page
nothingness and everything are just two sides of a mobius strip.
Dear reader,
What do you see when you see the blank page? When you gaze into the void, does the void gaze also into you? Is the blank page a kind of nothing? Or is it a kind of everything? There is no single answer. It is a matter of perspective.
In my upcoming workshop, I teach how to defeat the blank page and begin your sketchbook journey.
The SneakyArt Post is a publication of secretly drawn art of the world. Every week, I share the latest pages from my sketchbook and the best ideas from my journey as an artist and writer.
As of this month, my writing goes out to 15000+ readers. If you know someone who can benefit from having SneakyArt in their inbox, share this post with them?
Nothingness is Everything
When I buy a new sketchbook, I like to flip through its pages, back to front. First quickly, then again more slowly. I get a great joy from doing this.
The pages are empty. But that is only one way of seeing. It is not how I see. My mind imagines the book as if it is filled already, as if the pages already know what they will hold, and what they will forever afterward show. Over time, the book will reveal itself to me.
It is a matter of perspective: the empty page as infinity, and a line of ink as sharp, clear, finite reality, defining itself. Line after line, cutting down the possibilities of what could be. The lines coming together to form shapes, the shapes coming together to convey meanings, share stories, tell truths.
“Every block of stone has a statue inside it, and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.” - Michelangelo.
Hidden inside every page is your drawing, waiting to take form. You must not cower before the blank page. It needs you to be bold.
It took me a long time to defeat the demons of anxiety and self-doubt that kept me from drawing. Some ideas helped, and some lessons, but most important were the actionable steps that connected my art to my curiosity and made every page a joy. These are the subjects of this workshop.
🗓️ Sunday 18 August
⏰ 10 am - 12 pm PT
Use code [SNEAKYREADER] for your reader-discount.
Feed your Curiosities
How you see is a matter of practice and habit-building, but in my experience it also requires unlearning. There are ideas embedded in our minds that we must uncoil from their foundations, and fling as far as possible lest they wriggle their way back in:
🗣️ “You’re not good enough!”
🗣️ “It will never look as good as that!”
🗣️ “There isn’t enough time!”
🗣️ “No one will like it!”
These are useless ideas whose only purpose is to stop you from doing things. But they are very potent and incredibly difficult to overcome.
In this workshop, we will overcome these bad ideas with good ideas and nourishing practices. Your art should feed your curiosity, so we will learn to unlock our curiosities. Your art should satisfy your taste, so we will learn to taste.
Mind the Gap
This workshop is for artists, hobbyists, and anyone struggling to begin a sketchbook habit. From the session, you will learn how to:
🚦 Trust your vision
✒️ Minimize the gap between wanting to draw and actually getting started.
👍🏼 Build confidence in your lines
Every reader of the SneakyArt Post is my enabler of good habits. In return for your time and attention, I offer you a special price on this workshop. Use code [SNEAKYREADER] at checkout!
Loved this post and your style! 😍 I’ll be at Sunday’s workshop 💪 I’ve been meaning to develop my sketchbook habit by myself with no luck
This inspires me to make more art. I'm about to whip out my sketchbook and enjoy :)