DRAW YOUR DAY
Just a quick post today to let you know about a new little project I’ve taken on board.
I came across the concept of ‘Draw Your Day’ from Instagram. I follow a lot of artists, especially those that dabble and excel in the spectrums of art that interest me. They inspire me! I like urban art and any art that is ink and/or watercolour based – my favourite mediums to work with – but I do use other mediums as well at times.
SAMANTHA DION-BAKER
One particular artist that I follow is called Samantha Dion-Baker. I bought one of her books called “Draw Your World”. I will soon also buy her book “Draw Your Day”.
Draw Your Day is basically a daily illustrated journalling practice. You draw, you paint, you can write little stories, notes or descriptions on the page. You could glue in a theatre ticket or newspaper clipping – whatever way you’d like to capture your day. Some days might have three or four separate drawings of different aspects or activities of the day or the day might consist of one drawing about the major event of your day or the one things that best captures your day.
Some artists have beautiful handwriting too. Just a heads up – I don’t! Ugh – wishing I had beautiful calligraphy skills right now!
WHY I NEED TO DO ART MORE REGULARLY
Since I finished my The 100 Day Project it’s been hard to get any momentum with my art. Life has had its challenges and taken most of my energy in recent times. The time I get to myself is full of catching up on domestic tasks, medical appointments, catching up with friends sometimes, writing blog posts, and trying to get a bit of rest. I haven’t felt rested enough to do art. I do my best art when I have time, when it’s not rushed, and when I feel rested (mentally & emotionally more-so).
The lack of ‘doing art’ has affected my confidence and I feel rusty and not happy with anything I do. I know that when I was doing art regularly during The 100 Day Project, my confidence grew and I felt much better about the art that I was producing.
MY DRAW YOUR DAY PROJECT WITH IT’S OWN SET OF RULES
So, I decided to put a sketchbook that I have to use. It’s a cheap Mont Marte A5 Landscape 150gsm. It’s ok for watercolour but not the best. My painted pages so far are quite buckled and the paper is a little too textured (cold pressed) for what I like to do. If I keep at this though, I’ll buy a better quality sketchbook next time. I think I’d like hot pressed (smooth) 300 gsm watercolour paper in the next one and I’m still deciding on what shape and size I’d like to use, but I’m leaning towards square shaped.
It was all rather spontaneous. I just started one day! It took me by surprise I must say because I had a bit of a freak out about the sudden pressure to draw every.single.day! The pressure was too much all at once – especially on those full days where I have very little free time. So, in the interests of being kind to myself during challenging times, I have adapted the project to take the pressure off and set some rules (see below). I think though that after I start drawing more regularly, it will become easier. I will become looser and more confident, and drawing each day will not be a pressure at all. Meanwhile, these rules will help take the pressure off until then.
My Rules
- I am only required to do a minimum of ONE DRAWING PER WEEK. Every drawing in addition to that is a bonus.
- These drawings are NOT about perfection. They are easy breezy quick ink and wash drawings. They will not be perfect.
- This project is about getting into a regular art practice, loosening me up, and improving my confidence. Let go of perfectionism Min!
I started on 22 January and there haven’t been too many days since that date that I haven’t drawn in the sketchbook.
As mentioned above, the reason I’ve decided to do this is to get me back into regularly drawing – so I don’t feel so rusty anymore, so I regain some confidence, and so I can shake off the perfectionism that stops me even starting a lot of the time. Already I’ve noticed that perfectionism and fear of judgement have made an appearance! The subject matters can be mundane at times but I do kinda find that quirky and interesting. My biggest problem is that because I post these on my Instagram (and Facebook) it triggers a fear of judgement – that I will be judged on my artistic talent by them. They’re not my best work. They’re breezy & easy quick sketches. This is why I chose the word ENOUGH for my WOTY and this is why I need to do this! I need to let go of perfectionism and I need to let go of caring what anyone thinks. It’s so debilitating. Enough! I will continue to post these on my social media.
Whether I continue with this practice for the long term, I don’t yet know, but for now I think it’s good for me.
If you follow me on social media you would’ve seen the drawings I’ve done so far. You can see them on my Instagram or search this hashtag to see #wotmdrawyourdayartjournal
If you’d like to see all artists who participate in the Draw Your Day concept (some of them are SO good!) then have a look at the #drawyourday hashtag.
TRAVEL JOURNAL
In case you’ve been living under a rock (haha – two posts on it so far and I haven’t even got there yet) I’m going on holidays to New Zealand in May. There is a part of me that would deeply love to have a dedicated Travel Journal where I do drawings of my days of our trips – little snippets of favourite things from the days. I will see how I go, but that is something I have in my mind to do.
KEEP WATCH FOR THE NEXT ART CHAT – SHOW ‘N’ TELL
I will share my Draw Your Day’s so far here on the blog in my next ART CHAT ‘Show ‘n’ Tell’ post which might possibly be next week!
Ciao for now,
Linking up with Denyse Whelan’s ‘Wednesday’s Words and Pics‘
24 Comments
I love the idea of Draw your Day, Min and your feature image made me smile. I would love to have your talent and one of my goals is to take some classes although I won’t be the star pupil that is for sure. You should be selling your work, it’s beautiful xx
Hi Sue, thank you! I really do hope you go ahead and take some classes. You might actually surprise yourself. I did! Thank you for always being so supportive and encouraging. I really do appreciate it so much! xo
I really love this idea – it’s a different way of recording your day and I’m enjoying seeing it on your socials.
Thank you Jo! I’m so glad you enjoy seeing my drawings on my socials. At one point I considered only sharing them in my stories but that was my fears talking to me again so I tried to ignore!
Hi Min – I’ve really enjoyed seeing your little Draw Your Day posts pop up in my FB feed over the last week or so. You definitely have talent, and the daily practice of putting pen/paint etc to paper can only enhance and grow your skills.
Hi Leanne, thanks so much! I can already feel the (almost) daily practice loosening me up, and that will grow my confidence and my drawings/paintings will get much better as a result. It’s kind of like when you don’t exercise or move your body for too long, it gets a bit stiff and sore and less fluid. But once you start moving it regularly again, it loosens up, is less stiff and sore, and far more fluid! It’s 6:30am – hope that makes sense! Lol xo
What a great idea!! I’ve somehow missedthis. Off to check them out! It will make the most beautiful travel diary if you draw your day round NZ!!
Hi Lydia – it’s easy to have missed. It’s just been on my socials. This is the first time I’ve mentioned it here on the blog. I’m very keen on the travel journal idea. It’s something I might do at the end of the day back in the hotel room (or wherever we’re staying). I’d choose my subject/s from the photo’s I’d taken through the day. I think it would be very difficult to draw/paint on site as our days will be so full but there might be occasions now and then where we have more time and a slower pace and in those situations then I definitely would!
What a fabulous way to get back into your art Min, I must go and look at Insta as I’ve neglected it lately and obviously missed a bit!
Thanks Debbie! You haven’t missed much. It’ll all be wrapped up in a blog post to come anyway. I’m looking forward to future drawings once I’ve loosened up a bit more. That’s when I start loving what I do more.
I’ve still never picked up the art practice quite the way I want to in recent years but I have made some progress. I have paint I finally like!! I like the idea of draw your day, it can be interpreted so many ways.
Progress is good! I’m glad you have paint you enjoy using. I think just have a go and try and get some regularity to it to help loosen you up because that’s when the good stuff starts to happen!
You do have a very good artist’s eye Min. I applaud your work and play with the daily/weekly stuff. After much searching and experimentation for me, using a range of media from water colour to markers and everything in between I love a smooth paper, in a book that can take me adding photos and more. These are all Moleskins I cannot work or play with anything else now & even though they are expensive they do nor frustrate me. It was so good seeing your blog post shared via the Wednesday’s Words and Pics link up. Thank you for being part of the community here and I hope to see you next week too. Denyse.
Hi Denyse, thank you! Yes I’ve learnt quality makes the difference. I know of Moleskins but I’m not yet sure of which brand I’ll go with for my future sketching journals. I decided to use this cheap once first in case it was something I didn’t stick at. The more I do it, the more it’s looking like something I will stick at. Prior to using a sketchbook, the cost of watercolour paper was a deterrent to me. That is why I started tearing up the pages into six and doing my little mini-drawings/paintings. The sketchbook idea takes away that issue for now. xo
I love the concept of draw your day. It’s a fabulous idea. I would love it more if I could draw. But you are so clever and I think your drawings are amazing. It will be great to look back on them later in the year.
Thanks Jennifer! You probably CAN draw you know. You might just need a little guidance to get you going but you might be surprised what creativity lies within you. I’m feeling hopeful that my sketches will improve now I’m back into a more regular practice.
I really like the idea of using art to capture your day and the travel journal will be a great way to record your holiday. I enjoyed the 100 Day Project; you produced some lovely drawings and although you now feel a little rusty, with regular practice, I’m sure your confidence will grow.
Thanks so much Elizabeth. I was pleased with myself after the 100 Day Project but it was very consuming. I put pressure on myself to produce quality work every day and everything else in my life ground to a halt. This time, the sketches won’t be as good because I’m trying to avoid that kind of pressure. Every now and then though, I would like to produce a quality piece – maybe after my confidence grows a bit! xo
it’s great to be creative. we all need to do it. so good for our souls.
That’s very true Sherry!
I can easily become paralyzed at trying something artistic when it has been a while since I’ve done so. I shared in another comment that my WOTY is consistent. I am trying hard to be consistent in my play time and the activities I enjoy most. Scrapbooking for one. I have been working on my scrapbooking several times a week lately and I find my efforts are fresher and more creative. I completely understand the fear of failure that comes from wanting to do art perfectly.
A few years ago, another blogger I follow purchased and shared a book called 365 Days of Creativity. I thought it sounded fun and purchased a copy. But the pressure of trying to do a little sketch…even just a little sketch!!…is difficult to take on days when life has just sucked. I have tried to just pick up the book when I feel like, when life allows, but the title is there glaring at me and reminding that I’ve been a failure at using this book daily.
All this to say I really like the idea of a little bit of creativity once a week. And look forward to following your progress. Now, do I purchase this book you are using or do I scratch out 365 on the cover of mine and pretend it is a book meant to be picked up once a week?
The same happened to me Leslie. I did my 100 Day project and then hardly did any art when that ended. I was very consumed with Mum’s health and wellbeing and looking after her. I wanted to get back into my art but hated everything I tried to do. So now I’m doing this Draw Your Day thing to try and get me back to where I was by making art a more regular practice but without the hard and fast rule that I MUST draw every day. I find that by relaxing the rules for myself it’s given me space and permission to move at a pace more in keeping with all that I currently have on my plate. I also find that the more I draw, the less overwhelming and paralysed I am in doing so which is a good thing!
What a great idea! I love that you are being kind to yourself and adapting the rules of the challenge to suit you because after all, if you don’t enjoy it what’s the point? As for judgement, none here, just praise! You are so talented Min!
Thanks so much Sammie. I needed to relax the rules in order to be kind to myself. Lots going on in my life right now and much of it quite stressful. I enjoy the sketching and painting a lot and it’s much better without the pressure to produce daily … but I can it I can and want to! xo