Why you should start Daily Sketching

For me sketching doesn't necessarily come naturally. It's a skill I have developed and something that needs constant practice to stay on top of. So earlier this year when I found myself spending less and less time sketching, I was eager to do something about it.  

My not-so-revolutionary solution was to draw something every day and see if it sticks! Next thing you know I'm writing a blog post about how I think you should be doing it too. 

Simply picking up a pen and getting something on the page, literally anything on the page, has provided me with some real benefits. Benefits I'm keen to share. 

What does it mean to sketch?

Sketching is a visual communication skill that goes beyond language and can effectively communicate complex ideas, easily and quickly.

In the world of design, the basic function of a sketch is to communicate, connect and record an idea, detail or story. Typical very early in the design process and acts as a key stepping stone to the development of future designs.  

Personally, my design process involves a lot of small sketches. Allowing me to visualise ideas quickly. This skill is now critical to my design process, however, this wasn't always the case. I struggled with sketching early in my design career. It felt like I couldn't draw or didn't have the talent that others had. It wasn't until I developed my design process that sketching became a part of my style and I began to develop it as a skill. Daily sketching has become a practice. The practice of key design and communication skills. Improving my ability to communicate can only be a good thing, right?  

What to sketch? 

But what am I meant to sketch? What if I have no ideas today? 

Initially, I struggled with this. I asked the same questions and even procrastinated starting at all. I struggled because I was under the impression that I needed an idea every day. I was waiting for something to hit me or inspire me. It wasn’t until I let go of that notion, picked up the pen and just began to draw. 

Some days I have an idea. Some days I have nothing. That is until I start to draw. Draw anything. A line, a box, a wiggly line. Begin with anything and the ideas develop from there. It seems very simple, but breaking out of that thought process can be extremely difficult. It’s much easier to tell yourself that you don't have any ideas or you are “in a creative block”, stopping you from putting pen to paper. 

Removing that mental barrier every day is not an easy thing to do but being conscious that it is there is a great place to start. Being aware that there are ideas in there, there is something to draw. You just have to get started. 

Sharing it

When I decided to start daily sketching I also decided I would share them all. Yes them all.   

Even though I feel a lot more comfortable with sketching and the role it plays in my design process I still feel like a ‘bad’ drawer at times. So the idea of sharing my daily sketches was a somewhat scary one. I think a lot of creative people have a complicated relationship with the idea of perfection. A topic that may even require it’s own blog post. The practice of daily sketching has helped me to respect imperfection and purposely conflict with the idea this sketch needs to be “perfect”. For me sharing every daily sketch isn’t a search for recognition or a need for people to see it. Rather it’s a challenge for me to overcome and accept the fact that this will be published, whether I think it’s “perfect” or not. 

Sharing something you create is never necessary however, it can often provide a deadline or sense of completion. It’s easy for me to hide my process and only highlight the pretty stuff. Sharing daily sketches is helping me challenge that thought process.

Almost there

Overall the practice of daily sketching has helped me become more comfortable with imperfection. It allows me to get that idea I had at 3 am out of my mind and onto the page. It is breaking the notion of a “creative block” daily while improving my ability to generate and communicate ideas. Sharing the sketches regardless of my thoughts towards them has also changed my relationship to the sketches and the practice of sketching.

If you’re a designer or anyone interested in something like this I highly recommend giving it a go. Try it for a week and let me know how you get on. Even if it’s just for yourself.

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