Let's Talk Sketchbooks
Calling to order the first meeting of the GUT's Blank Sketchbook Club. Start your pencils.
Hey GUT friends! A big welcome to newcomers - be sure to head over to our introductions post and share a little about yourself.
First things first: I misattributed a quote last week. Fixing it led me to discover an even more inspiring one. Please mentally add the following Viola Davis to last week’s piece On Perfectionism.
Speaking of last week, I wanted to share a couple quick notes/themes from the comments, because there were themes: 1. many of us are grappling with perfectionism, 2. Comparing oneself to others doesn’t seem to help much, and 3. GUT peeps have some smart tips to push through it, including
Mix up the medium - ie, if you paint, try collage.
Draw imaginary creatures, especially alongside kids.
Share drawings only with a select group of people we trust
Turn the Instagram setting to “following” to limit opportunities for comparison
Go through hard times > gain perspective > learn to “let stuff go”
Immerse yourself in Anne Lamott, Lynda Barry and Julia Cameron (though beware: you might end up trying to do The Artists’ Way perfectly.)
Another thing that came up a lot was sketchbooks.
It appears many of us 🙋♀️ have piles of unused, intimidating blank sketchbooks lying around. Here are these things that are supposed to be free of judgment and expectation, but it sure seems like we don’t use them that way. I wonder, how do we use (or not use) sketchbooks and why? Now that we can snap photos and make notes in our phones, how has the purpose and practice in working in a sketchbook changed? How can we figure out a sketchbook habit that works for us? And how can we stick with it?
So that’s what we’re doing in today’s GUT. I’m revealing my own messy sketchbook situation, sharing some inspiring artist’s sketchbooks, and giving us a GUT sketchbook assignment. And! I’m going to give away of some of my own blank-ish sketchbooks to any GUT members who might need one.
THE SKETCHBOOK
Let’s set the mood with a little David Hockney. Seriously. Watch this.
Alright, now that we know what’s possible. Let’s get real about where we’re at. I’ll start.
My name is Wendy and I have a Sketchbook situation.
I, like so many of you, have a lot of unfinished sketchbooks.
