After approximately two years of sketchbook doodles, it's time for a change.
The whole idea of doing a weekly post featuring new doodles was initially a way to push myself to draw more often. I made sure that there was no quality or quantity requirement, as the intention was to increase the amount of time I put pen to paper. To this end, it has been a successful exercise, as I've made more marks on paper in that time than I ever have before.
I also learned a lot of things along the way, which have uncovered surprising benefits in other areas of work and life. I've discovered preferences for different methods, some of my own limitations and strengths, as well as so many little techniques and skills that I've never been able to explore in the past.
my drafting table and printouts to keep track of colour combinations
a bunch of paints from a recent painting session
To say that the last couple of years has been a worthwhile experiment could be something of an understatement. In a lot of ways I've managed to achieve what I set out to do, but I've also been given the fortune of discovering a lot that of new additions to my own creative practice. It's true that development never really ends, but I feel like I've established a good foundation that suits me and has given me the experience to move forward in meaningful ways.
Hence, I figured it might be time to change up these posts and broaden their scope a little. For a while I've been feeling the grind a little when it comes to doodling and posting and doodling and posting again. I still enjoy every creative opportunity available to me, but my focus has shifted recently to bigger and better things, which I'd like to give their own voice in the discussion.
Ultimately these posts are about living as a creative person and everything that goes into that. It's not just about marks on the page, but it's about inspiration, motivation, dreams, trauma, suffering, success, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Something I've learned through this process is that creativity doesn't stop on the page, as it enters every aspect of work and lifestyle possible. I'd even say that if I'm not letting creativity into every aspect of my day, I'm doing something wrong.
Thus, I've changed the theme of the weekly blog posts to take in a view of the creative 'studio', instead of limiting it to the sketchbook. Lately I've been spending more time painting than drawing and my studio is full of canvases, both empty and in various stages of completion. I'm spending more and more hours working on projects that I think are far more interesting than some doodles in a book.
it’s good to spread out for initial colour blocking
a bunch of canvases waiting for their final touches
I'm also changing the graphics a little, from flatbed scans to straight up photographs and/or screenshots. This is purely a workflow change, as it will cut down the amount of time it takes to put together one of these posts. I've taken a few pictures of my workspace to use in this post, so you can already see the kind of photos I'm talking about.
At the end of the day though, these posts are still about creativity and developing as an artist. I always find the process interesting, so a lot of the content won't be changing all that much. However, focusing on the studio as a whole will allow me some room to move and show things that haven't really fit in the past. I'll still include doodles when the time is right, but I'll bring in paintings and general studio behaviour at the same time.
Here's to another couple of years and to more lessons learned. Plus, a big thanks to everyone who supports me by interacting with my posts on social media. It really makes a difference when someone likes a post or leaves a comment. I've written about how lonely it can be sometimes, and it will no doubt come up again, so if you've ever interacted with these posts: thank you.
Until next week though…
a big blank canvas waiting for colour
currently have blank canvases stacked in a bunch of corners around the house
space is a premium when big canvases need to be stored somewhere
the small ones get to stay in boxes