Have you ever watched those sketchbook tour videos on YouTube? You know the ones. The pages are like tiny masterpieces, every corner filled with perfect lines, beautiful colors, fully rendered drawings like it came straight out of an art museum? Yeah... those.
Well, I did. I watched a lot of them. And let me tell you, they totally messed with my brain. I fell into this weird mindset that my sketchbook had to be perfect too. Like, every page had to be post-worthy, worthy of likes, worthy of applause. And that’s... just not what a sketchbook is supposed to be.
So let’s rewind a bit.
What is a sketchbook, really?
To me, a sketchbook is your little corner of the world. It’s private, just for you. A place to experiment, to learn, to explore without judgment. It can be a hot mess, or it can be beautiful. Or both at the same time. The best part? No one has to see it. It's your playground.
You can treat it like a journal, drawing something from your day instead of writing about it. Or do both! You can scribble notes, try out a new medium, or even draw with your non-dominant hand just for fun. There are no rules. It’s literally just you and the page.
But here's the thing.
In today’s world, everything has to be "perfect." Thanks to social media, we think every sketchbook needs to look like a polished artbook. Clean, pretty, curated. That mindset? It kills the whole purpose. Instead of exploring, you’re performing. Instead of experimenting, you’re editing yourself.
And yeah... I fell into that trap. Big time.
At first, my sketchbook was raw and exciting. A mess of ideas and scribbles and accidental genius. But slowly, I started overthinking everything. “Oh, this needs perfect line art.” “Oh, I need to color this beautifully.” “Wait, maybe I should ink this.” Suddenly, it wasn’t a sketchbook anymore. It was... performance art.
Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s not bad to draw beautiful things in your sketchbook. But for someone like me, who has like, five different sketchbooks for different things, it gets hard. I’ve got one for rough sketches, one for inking, one for full illustrations... you get the idea. I separate them. But even then, my brain still wants every page to be flawless. No matter the sketchbook I use.
And that’s just not the vibe I want.
The truth is, the messy pages? The weird doodles, the bad proportions, the “what even is that??” sketches, those are the real gold. That’s where the growth happens. That’s where the pressure is gone, and your creativity can just breathe. The happy accidents!
If you’re ever in a creative block? Grab a sketchbook. Don’t plan. Don’t stress. Just let the pen or pencil move. It works, I promise.
And honestly? Sketchbooks can be so fun. Test out new tools, splash some watercolor, draw with a marker you found in your junk drawer. Even silly stuff like drawing with your left hand. (Or your foot. I won’t judge.) There are so many sketchbooks out there, cheap, expensive, tiny, massive. I have too many, to be honest. But I follow one rule: don’t buy expensive ones. No more Moleskines for me. Cheaper books = less pressure = more creativity. Period.
Also... you don’t have to finish a drawing. Start a sketch, take a picture, and finish it digitally. I do that all the time. I prefer sketching traditional, especially with ballpoint pens or colored pencils, because I hate using erasers. No undo button there. Traditional forces me to just go with it.
For a long time, I didn’t even touch my sketchbooks. I was all digital. But lately, I’ve been coming back. No plans. No pressure. Just freedom. And wow, it feels good. I can see growth, not just in my lines, but in how relaxed my strokes have become.
I mostly draw animals, I love it. But humans? Ugh, not for me. I never get them right anyway. With animals, there’s more fun. I do have a bad habit of drawing way too big, though. So now I draw a small guide line before I start. Works like a charm.
And you know what I love? Flipping through old sketchbooks. Seeing where I started, and where I’m at now. It’s such a satisfying little journey.
Sometimes I share my sketches online, but that’s just to show people that not every sketchbook is clean and curated. You don’t have to do that. Keep it private. Let it be your safe space.
These days, I actually aim for imperfection in my art. Because, look, my brain is messy. So why should my art be perfect? Sketchbooks are the perfect place to embrace that. Because perfection? That killed my creativity. But letting go of it? That brought it back.
Sure, I still get tempted. Watching YouTubers with their perfect sketchbook tours... it’s hard not to compare. But nope. I’m not doing that anymore. No pressure.
Also, I try to always carry a sketchbook with me. Better to sit and draw than scroll on your phone. I swear, it drives me nuts seeing people walking their dogs or kids while glued to their screens. Look at your dog! Look at your kid! The phone can wait!
And yeah, I have “I can’t draw shit” days too. You know those? When it feels like all your skills just vanished overnight. But I don’t tear the page out. I just scribble over it and call it a day. It sucks, but it’s part of the process. I keep the bad pages. They matter too.
I try to sketch at least five minutes every day. That’s the minimum. If I get in the flow, great! But five minutes is doable even on the worst days. And like I said, I use ballpoint or colored pencils. Graphite just... doesn’t work for me anymore. I think it’s because I can erase. And then I overthink everything.
I like my sketchbooks messy. Imperfect lines, visible process. It tells a story. Sometimes I like the raw sketches even more than polished illustrations.
I was actually listening to an episode of the "Draftsmen Podcast", the one with Proko and they said something that really stuck with me. When you see a perfect sketchbook page online, you’re just seeing the end result. You don’t know what was going on in that artist’s head. What they were trying to figure out. We get caught up in the final image and forget that it’s just part of someone’s process.
That really hit me. I’ve fallen into that trap so many times. But hearing that helped me snap out of it a bit.
And like I said, I use different sketchbooks. A5 is my favorite, easy to carry, perfect size. I like A4 too sometimes. And yes, those are EU sizes, inches make no sense to me, sorry America. I like hardcovers, but spiral bounds are even better. Side spiral, not top. Don’t ask me why. I just don’t like top spirals.
The "Draftsmen Podcast" also made me think more about how I use my sketchbooks. Not just the materials, but the purpose. Like Aaron Blaise’s sketchbook from his Africa trip, drawings and notes and stories all in one. I love that. I wanna do more of that. Use them with intention. Maybe even give each sketchbook a theme or a purpose.
But in the end, your sketchbook is yours_ No one has to see it. Not unless you want to share.
I’ve noticed that if I go in with a clear head, my sketching flows. But if I start picturing the final outcome? Boom. It’s over. My brain is thinking level 100, and I’m sitting there like, “Dude… I’m level 25.”
And finally, keeping a sketchbook is just nice. You can bring it anywhere. Sure, it’s awkward when people come up to you while you're drawing outdoors, but I’ll take that over scrolling my phone any day.
Now that spring is here, I’ve been drawing outside more. I walk my dog, find a bench, and sketch something simple, a tree, a rock. Nothing fancy. That’s urban sketching, by the way. I’m diving more into that this year. So stay tuned.
Also one last tip, check out Draw Sessions on YouTube. Amazing content. Long videos, chill vibes, lots of sketching with pencils or ballpoint pens. Super inspiring. Just remember: stop picturing the final outcome. Just let the pen flow.
So yeah… grab your sketchbook.
Stop aiming for perfection.
And just scribble away.
Thanks for listening to the Howling Podcast, I'm Jezz and if you enjoyed this epsiode, share it with someone you think needs to hear it too.
Until next time: Happy Drawing!
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