Keep a Private Sketchbook

If you’re making art, it’s easy to get caught up in the need to share it all with everyone. But don’t forget about yourself!

A really cool thing about art is that, because you have to practice so much, there’s a lot of drawings that you make that never need to see the light of day. Whether that’s a warm up sketch or otherwise, you will have a lot of drawings that only exist for yourself.

But still, there’s that thought, that pressure, to share your art with others. Which is good! It’s great to be proud of your work, even the abandoned pieces. However, one of the most freeing thoughts can be to draw art for no one but yourself. Easy enough, right?

And yet, it’s easy to forget that. When you start drawing for the day, you might feel some pressure from your own thoughts: will people like what I’m drawing? Is this art good enough to post? It can be super distracting to the actual process of making art.

I think that every artist should have a private sketchbook. Or a private folder for drawings, just for yourself. If you’ve seen my other videos, you’ll know that I think that you shouldn’t keep any expensive art supplies around, and that especially applies here. Have a super cheap sketchbook or use simple printer paper, and keep a stack of drawings that you don’t show anyone. Start your day by drawing in that.

By telling yourself “these drawings are just for me”, you will feel more free to draw anything you want, whether that’s abstract sketches or cute little critters. If you later think that you have made a drawing that you want to share with others, that’s cool! There are no real rules here. Just start with the idea that the drawings are just for you. Maybe even years later, you’ll feel confident in your skills enough to show some of your early artwork, and if you decide to show one of these private sketchbooks, you can! But for now, it’s just for you.

Your sketchbooks and your art are yours to do with as you please. But dedicating one just to yourself, for now, can help you try out those more “extra” drawings without the pressure of needing to impress others. No matter what you want to draw. Now go draw something fun for yourself.