things i can draw

Jul 31, 2024

[listen to voiceover recording of this post]

Earlier this month, my friend Amelia of AmeliaHaru shared some of her sketchbook pages with her newsletter readers that really inspired me. The pages were accompanied by a personal story about returning to drawing after some time away.

One sketchbook spread really caught my eye. It was labeled, "Things I Can Draw" and filled with simple, line-drawn doodles. Amelia's words resonated with me in a dear way:

"I try not to worry about the outcome and just focus on showing up and making marks. I'm super rusty and my tools feel like complete strangers. For a few weeks I feel like I'm wasting precious paper and time. Gradually, I start to build a tolerance for the Resistance (aka the “enemy within” described in The War of Art, a great book to re-read when feeling creatively blocked). Ideas start to make it past the inner critic and onto the page with more ease, and I find myself grabbing colored pencils and paint brushes without second-guessing my choices.

sketchbook spread by Amelia

Later that week in a group text chain with Amelia, Kristina of Cheery Human Studios and I both responded with our own doodled list, too! Here are our explorations:

sketchbook page by Kristina

sketchbook page by me

I'll admit this challenge was well outside my comfort zone. I've never kept a sketchbook for a reason, and I'm new to drawing with colored pencils. Doing both of these things "in front of" 2 friends whose drawing and illustration skills I deeply admire felt a little like my face was frozen in a perpetual 😬 expression.

It's experiences like this that remind me of the mighty impact of friendship and community. I felt braver with Amelia's gentle guidance, knowing that someone else was feeling nervous, too. And the whole endeavor was made more enjoyable because the 3 of us were there encouraging each other along and finding the delight in each other's work.

With each doodle I added to the page, I felt more and more comfortable, and even fun! Amelia summed it up so beautifully...

"I love what I made because I love how I felt when I made it: present, playful, and unburdened by expectations."

If you'd like to join us in giving this sketchbook prompt a go, I'd love to see what ends up on the page for you!

ᰔᩚ Kimberly Kuniko

P.S. UPCOMING EVENTS // You're Invited!

Leveling Up Your Art Vendor Game Workshop // Friday, Aug. 9 • 9-11am PT // A comprehensive workshop for creative small business owners keen to level up their art vendor game and sell their art in person co-hosted with my friend Kristina of Cheery Human Studios.
Creativity Keepers Sessions // Every second-Tuesday (next up: 8/13). If you're on the Creativity Keepers, Imaginographer+, or Wonderologist+ tiers, you have free access and will automatically get Zoom info in your inbox a day or so before each session.
Dream & Scheme Co-Working Sessions // Tuesday, Aug. 13 • 10-11:30am PT and Friday, Aug. 30 • 11-12:30pm PT // Dedicated time for creative small business owners to work on a specific area of their business, focusing on just 1-2 tasks to tackle during each session as we share space with accountability and community.