Circling around my sketchbook

Workshop, courses?

If there is something new to learn in the creative process, I am in.

And so I did an online workshop on developing sketchbooks. And this workshop definitely changed my mind on this subject.

 

Six inch square

First surprise was the size of the recommended sketchbook. 15 cm or 6 inch square!

For some reason I have a weakness for squares, so the square sized paper had my heart already. No questions for me at this point.

But working on a small size of paper surprised me with wonder. The given explanation for this was simple. Working on ideas on a large size of paper is a time consuming action. For as the opposite is true. The smaller pieces saves you time and withhold you from repeating yourself too long, if this isn't necessary. Simple isn't it?

Another eye-opener.

During the course we created a theme based sketch-book. One of the challenges of the Sketchbook workshop was to keep make the circle the red thread through your pages.

Every instruction we received was based on creating circles. Drawing, painting, sketching, pealing, searching, writing. The main theme was: circles.

Personal library

Creating one book circling around one theme, creates documents, you can rely on for future use. If there are more ideas than pages of your sketchbook, create another one.

With time, you build up a nice personal library full of original ideas.

Letting go!

The last thing I like to share with you is this. One of the goals was, to let things go. For me that mended, don't think on your design work, just doing. Let the ideas flow out of your brush, pen, fingers and so on. Just let go!

This was such a freeing quality to my sketchbook work, I can be totally addicted to this way of working through the creative process. And next to that, the original ideas as outcome as natural follow up.

Being original

If you really let you self go, you come up with other things as you usually do. And that makes quite a difference, don't you think?

Let me ask you something

Of course practicing is the key to success. Now I have a document on circles, I am planning to start sketchbooks on other themes as well.

• If you could choose a theme for a sketchbook, what would you choose?
  A shape or a motif, a color or a technic, a season or a trend?
• What is fascinating you?

Our industry is all about creativity. So maybe you wouldn't create a sketchbook yourself, but would like to flip through the pages of a theme-based book of ideas.

• What would be your choice?

If you like to share your thoughts on this with me, please feel free to write down some of your ideas, in the comments below.

I begin with an idea and than it becomes something else.

Pablo Picasso quote

Sharing ideas, creates new ideas and keeps flowing the process.