What I’m learning, with my own sketchbook journey, is that it’s a way for me to shrug off the mantle I often put on of control, striving, and perfection.
When I sketch instead of write what I see, it’s not — impressive — I usually struggle far more, at first, because I’m not as skilled or practiced at drawing as I am at writing. Because of that, though, I’m far better at trying new things, playing, and learning from missteps.
In the end, my sketchbook asks me to go deeper with less at stake than I feel with my writing. And it’s a new way of seeing that can only make me a better writer, I’d think.
Beautifully said, Kristine. A sketchbook is a wonderful space to play and, as writers, we don’t often make enough space for that. Maybe because writing can be so arduous? All creativity feeds all creativity, in my opinion.
Loved getting to read through this. Keeping a sketchbook has become a true miracle for my mind and the way I see the world. It’s become a daily habit and I can’t imagine what I did without it.
Thank you so much for this article and making it free Nishant! It was meditative in its cadence, thought provoking (I love how you ask the reader a question after every section!), and satisfying in its economic use of words! To your last question, have you started something you don't know where will lead you? Yes. Ten days ago, I started sketching a portrait a day of people who work tirelessly to make the world a better place (but whose faces and stories aren't here on Substack). I started with my existing network of East African permaculture activists and have found as I weave my way through this world, that I am compiling a visual directory of a connected (and sometimes not connected) network of people who are impacting thousands of other people.
So glad to hear from you Emily, and wow that is a wonderful project. In Ep 58 of the SneakyArt Podcast, I spoke with artist George McCalman about his portraiture project, also begun without an end goal in mind, and the unique paths it led down. I think you would really enjoy that conversation (find it anywhere you listen to podcasts). To celebrate so called 'ordinary' people doing extraordinary things is doubly wondrous - not only are you doing something great for someone that deserves it, you are also inviting your mind to find beauty in uncommon spaces. It will help you so much!
Yes! Beauty in uncommon places! My main reflection so far is that by slowing down and listening to their story and also drawing their portrait, I have had to pay so much more attention to the individual. And I have this very deep sense when I do these cameos of their individuality - these are people who have never lived before and who will never live again. There is immense beauty in celebrating one individual at a time. There's also a different relationship that is developed between us. Being drawn and drawing someone - portraiture specifically - has a certain level of intimacy.
I took a sketchbook out in public for the first time last week 😱 And it's a brand new habit to even have a sketchbook (thanks to substack and ppl like you) so I was a lil nervous. I drove to a city I'd never been, on my 31st birthday, and sat against a tree and listened to some storytelling at an indigenous arts festival. I drew the buildings and tree next to the performer. It was so sweet and such a lovely way to spend time being more engaged with my surroundings (:
I don't have the time and energy available right now that I would like to have. If I had it, I would repy extensively to each and all of your posts. They are inspiring and a pleasure to read, and they always trigger new insights in me.
I just want you to know that your work is deeply appreciated here.
Seeing a post from sneaky art on Instagram and a conversation about fountain pens there begun my initial exploration into the world of sketching. Keeping a sketchbook (or really just one book where I write and sketch in) as someone who keeps saying she can’t draw has opened me up to so much new possibility. Trying something for the sake of trying it, and starting sketches with no clear end goal has been freeing and was the jumpstart I needed out of a long creative writing rut. It’s such a welcome change from a numbers based day job and the writing process after hours. The bonus is that trying and enjoying this new thing of sketching has given me the motivation I needed to also start learning other things! I can’t be more enthusiastic about keeping a sketchbook, and I love the way you talked about it, Nishant . If any of you haven’t yet tried, let today be the day you let yourself try something new with your focus on the newness not on the potential of ‘failure’, whatever that arbitrary thing is.
Well said, Jo! We should all be more excited by the possibility of new learning, and the excitement of a new journey, over the potential pitfalls and obstacles. So happy to hear about your sketchbook journey!
Love the idea of keeping a sketchbook but unfortunately never learned to draw! I started trying to do “verbal” sketches a few years back - not so much describing in detail but trying to capture the “feel” of a moment or place, like doing a very rough drawing. I like the idea of not getting overly intellectual in the process just going with whatever words or phrases come up
Not having learned to draw can be your superpower, Alfie! It means you don't know the rules, which is so useful sometimes. Dive in with enthusiasm and keep a secret sketchbook that no one sees! Your secret communication in a new language! 🙌
Thank you so much for these thoughtful words. I want to trust the process but I always struggle with that voice that is judging what I do and does not believe in me. Instead I am struggling to put the lines down and let them be. I am hoping that it all sinks in and I too will trust the process and use less lines.
Glad to hear from you, Teri. I recommend putting yourself through simple 5-min sketch sessions. The more you get used to 'finishing' the easier it will be to begin the next time.
I’m a word person. I also love to sketch though I haven’t sketched in years. I encourage my writing students to go out and sketch with words. But there’s no time I tell myself, to add visual sketching to my daily activities and surely it requires more time than verbal sketching. But wait …my inner artist whispers …what if you did both? Surely one would enhance the other? Oh, how I wish I had journaled in words and drawings across all my years except sporadically here and there. But maybe it’s not too late..maybe I can start again today. What do you think Nishant? Your post might have talked me into it. Do you think I can manage it?
Jan, you can absolutely do both and I am proof of that. I have loved words my whole life and becoming an artist has only made my words better. Recognizing the space for not-words makes us even more conscious of the beauty of words.
To help this journey, I would highly recommend finding a local urban sketchers chapter and joining their meetups!
Your observation that you are saying more with less struck me, as did seeing your drawing from 2018. I’m so encouraged that you have created 142 paid posts and are continuing to evolve on this journey.
For some reason, I've always loved the process, whether it's learning a new instrument, a new sport or raising kids. Of course, there is usually a long-term goal in mind--playing a favorite song, hitting a PR or sending a confident, truth seeking young adult into the world. I know when I have been "in the flow," as time just slips away enjoying what I am doing. Some might call it being present in the moment. Unfortunately, it usually ends the moment I realize it. Fortunately, the more I trust the process, the easier it gets to be caught up in the flow.
The flow is that special mental state, Alan. Such a delicate balance, to be in it but not to be overly conscious of it. The writer George RR Martin described it as “trying to catch butterflies but not kill them”. And you are so right that it applies to all facets of life. It is good to have that attitude of the learner in all the things we do, right?
I am also reminded of the concept of finite v infinite games - those that we play to reach an end, and those we play because it is fun to keep playing!
What I’m learning, with my own sketchbook journey, is that it’s a way for me to shrug off the mantle I often put on of control, striving, and perfection.
When I sketch instead of write what I see, it’s not — impressive — I usually struggle far more, at first, because I’m not as skilled or practiced at drawing as I am at writing. Because of that, though, I’m far better at trying new things, playing, and learning from missteps.
In the end, my sketchbook asks me to go deeper with less at stake than I feel with my writing. And it’s a new way of seeing that can only make me a better writer, I’d think.
Beautifully said, Kristine. A sketchbook is a wonderful space to play and, as writers, we don’t often make enough space for that. Maybe because writing can be so arduous? All creativity feeds all creativity, in my opinion.
Loved getting to read through this. Keeping a sketchbook has become a true miracle for my mind and the way I see the world. It’s become a daily habit and I can’t imagine what I did without it.
Thank you Matt! Your work is beautiful. 🙌
Thank you so much for those kind words and for taking the time to check Gentle Drawings out! I'm honored.
Thank you so much for this article and making it free Nishant! It was meditative in its cadence, thought provoking (I love how you ask the reader a question after every section!), and satisfying in its economic use of words! To your last question, have you started something you don't know where will lead you? Yes. Ten days ago, I started sketching a portrait a day of people who work tirelessly to make the world a better place (but whose faces and stories aren't here on Substack). I started with my existing network of East African permaculture activists and have found as I weave my way through this world, that I am compiling a visual directory of a connected (and sometimes not connected) network of people who are impacting thousands of other people.
So glad to hear from you Emily, and wow that is a wonderful project. In Ep 58 of the SneakyArt Podcast, I spoke with artist George McCalman about his portraiture project, also begun without an end goal in mind, and the unique paths it led down. I think you would really enjoy that conversation (find it anywhere you listen to podcasts). To celebrate so called 'ordinary' people doing extraordinary things is doubly wondrous - not only are you doing something great for someone that deserves it, you are also inviting your mind to find beauty in uncommon spaces. It will help you so much!
And thank you for the podcast episode reference! I will check it out!
I hope you enjoy it!
Yes! Beauty in uncommon places! My main reflection so far is that by slowing down and listening to their story and also drawing their portrait, I have had to pay so much more attention to the individual. And I have this very deep sense when I do these cameos of their individuality - these are people who have never lived before and who will never live again. There is immense beauty in celebrating one individual at a time. There's also a different relationship that is developed between us. Being drawn and drawing someone - portraiture specifically - has a certain level of intimacy.
So true! All of this comes out of giving them - and ourselves - the gift of time and attention. ❤️
It’s a pleasure to have my attention taken by something of substance, my friend. Thank you for slowing life down, if only for a few minutes.
You're most welcome, Jason. Glad to have you here!
I took a sketchbook out in public for the first time last week 😱 And it's a brand new habit to even have a sketchbook (thanks to substack and ppl like you) so I was a lil nervous. I drove to a city I'd never been, on my 31st birthday, and sat against a tree and listened to some storytelling at an indigenous arts festival. I drew the buildings and tree next to the performer. It was so sweet and such a lovely way to spend time being more engaged with my surroundings (:
I know how much bravery it takes to do that for the first time. Congrats! I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed being present in the moment that way.
i started writing a novel in my 20s and just finished it in april. i’m 45.
https://open.substack.com/pub/francesyllana/p/preface?r=1b03t&utm_medium=ios
Wow, congratulations! That is so heartening and inspiring. 🙌
Dear Nishant,
I don't have the time and energy available right now that I would like to have. If I had it, I would repy extensively to each and all of your posts. They are inspiring and a pleasure to read, and they always trigger new insights in me.
I just want you to know that your work is deeply appreciated here.
I am glad to hear from you, Malik. I hope the good things are keeping you busy, and you are doing well. ❤️ Best wishes for summer!
Seeing a post from sneaky art on Instagram and a conversation about fountain pens there begun my initial exploration into the world of sketching. Keeping a sketchbook (or really just one book where I write and sketch in) as someone who keeps saying she can’t draw has opened me up to so much new possibility. Trying something for the sake of trying it, and starting sketches with no clear end goal has been freeing and was the jumpstart I needed out of a long creative writing rut. It’s such a welcome change from a numbers based day job and the writing process after hours. The bonus is that trying and enjoying this new thing of sketching has given me the motivation I needed to also start learning other things! I can’t be more enthusiastic about keeping a sketchbook, and I love the way you talked about it, Nishant . If any of you haven’t yet tried, let today be the day you let yourself try something new with your focus on the newness not on the potential of ‘failure’, whatever that arbitrary thing is.
Well said, Jo! We should all be more excited by the possibility of new learning, and the excitement of a new journey, over the potential pitfalls and obstacles. So happy to hear about your sketchbook journey!
I'm so happy i found someone else doing this. I've got a lot of these stories, here's notebook number one: https://substack.com/home/post/p-145132869?r=1asdvc&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Cafe stories! Nice work. 🙌
Love the idea of keeping a sketchbook but unfortunately never learned to draw! I started trying to do “verbal” sketches a few years back - not so much describing in detail but trying to capture the “feel” of a moment or place, like doing a very rough drawing. I like the idea of not getting overly intellectual in the process just going with whatever words or phrases come up
Not having learned to draw can be your superpower, Alfie! It means you don't know the rules, which is so useful sometimes. Dive in with enthusiasm and keep a secret sketchbook that no one sees! Your secret communication in a new language! 🙌
Great way to think about it thanks!
Thank you so much for these thoughtful words. I want to trust the process but I always struggle with that voice that is judging what I do and does not believe in me. Instead I am struggling to put the lines down and let them be. I am hoping that it all sinks in and I too will trust the process and use less lines.
Glad to hear from you, Teri. I recommend putting yourself through simple 5-min sketch sessions. The more you get used to 'finishing' the easier it will be to begin the next time.
I’m a word person. I also love to sketch though I haven’t sketched in years. I encourage my writing students to go out and sketch with words. But there’s no time I tell myself, to add visual sketching to my daily activities and surely it requires more time than verbal sketching. But wait …my inner artist whispers …what if you did both? Surely one would enhance the other? Oh, how I wish I had journaled in words and drawings across all my years except sporadically here and there. But maybe it’s not too late..maybe I can start again today. What do you think Nishant? Your post might have talked me into it. Do you think I can manage it?
Jan, you can absolutely do both and I am proof of that. I have loved words my whole life and becoming an artist has only made my words better. Recognizing the space for not-words makes us even more conscious of the beauty of words.
To help this journey, I would highly recommend finding a local urban sketchers chapter and joining their meetups!
Thanks for your encouragement Nishant. Good idea. I have a friend who sketches might start with him!
Your observation that you are saying more with less struck me, as did seeing your drawing from 2018. I’m so encouraged that you have created 142 paid posts and are continuing to evolve on this journey.
Thank you Amy! Thinking about SneakyArt insiders as an eager audience has motivated me so much.
Great post today, Nishant.
For some reason, I've always loved the process, whether it's learning a new instrument, a new sport or raising kids. Of course, there is usually a long-term goal in mind--playing a favorite song, hitting a PR or sending a confident, truth seeking young adult into the world. I know when I have been "in the flow," as time just slips away enjoying what I am doing. Some might call it being present in the moment. Unfortunately, it usually ends the moment I realize it. Fortunately, the more I trust the process, the easier it gets to be caught up in the flow.
The flow is that special mental state, Alan. Such a delicate balance, to be in it but not to be overly conscious of it. The writer George RR Martin described it as “trying to catch butterflies but not kill them”. And you are so right that it applies to all facets of life. It is good to have that attitude of the learner in all the things we do, right?
I am also reminded of the concept of finite v infinite games - those that we play to reach an end, and those we play because it is fun to keep playing!