I just received a digital postcard from my sketchbook from it's stop in Austin, TX! My 2013 Project Sketchbook, along with a multitude of others, has embarked on a country-wide tour in a mobile library. I was a little worried towards the end of last year that I wouldn't get it all completed before the early January deadline. I got creatively stuck because I wasn't sure how a proper sketchbook should look, especially one that I was going to send out into the world to be seen by others and finally be archived in the sketchbook library in Brooklyn, NY.
I did a little research and discovered that however your sketchbook turns out is exactly how it's supposed to be. It's a place to explore ideas and dabble in techniques - the goal is not a completed masterpiece. All year long, I experimented with collage, photography stamps, print making, paints and some watercolor pencils. Some experiments were more successful than others. Some got painted over and became something else in the end. It turns out that it was more than an art project, but a lesson in letting go, enjoying the process and being delighted (or dismayed!) at the result.
I encourage you to give it a try too. Anyone can participate, no prior art experience necessary - give your doodles a home or take that pile of magazines you've been saving and cut and glue with abandon. There are also smaller projects if you want to test it out first with a smaller commitment. There are projects such as submit a photo or craft a project on the topic of the week. To learn more or sign up, go over to The Sketchbook Project website. For inspiration you can check out the digital library (and visit my sketchbook if you have the time).
Thanks for reading!
Supplies for getting creative
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