The first few pages of a new sketchbook are always the hardest. You open it, smell the crisp paper, and imagine all the masterpieces you’re about to create. Then reality sets in. The first page feels too precious, the second feels a little forced, and by the third you’re already dodging it like an awkward text.
Here’s the truth: a sketchbook isn’t meant to be perfect. It’s not a gallery. It’s not for Instagram. It’s where ideas stretch their legs, make mistakes, and get discovered. Think of it less like a final product and more like a playground for your brain.
The trick to making it a habit is to lower the stakes. Don’t pressure yourself with ten polished drawings a week. Start with a scribble before bed, a quick sketch while you’re waiting for the kettle… A doodle of a funny looking shoe you saw in a cartoon, food you’re craving, or your dream car. Half the time it won’t even look good. That’s the point! It’s practice, not performance.
It also helps to keep the thing close. If your sketchbook lives on a shelf, you’ll forget it exists. Toss it in your bag, leave it on your desk, stick it by the couch. The easier it is to reach for, the more you’ll use it.
And don’t get hung up on “ugly pages.” Every sketchbook has them, and honestly, they’re the best part. They prove you showed up. Flip back through an old one and you’ll notice something, those pages you hated at the time? They don’t look so bad anymore. Sometimes they’re even your most interesting work.
The real win isn’t creating something beautiful every day. It’s showing up often enough that the sketchbook starts to feel like an extension of you. Like your notebook for thoughts, except instead of words it’s lines, shapes, doodles, and little experiments.
If you can get past the pressure of the blank page and just let yourself play, your sketchbook becomes less of a chore and more of a habit. So, what do you say? Flip it open and conquer, one page at a time!
