02: Notebooks to Sketchbooks

The scritch and slide of a pencil on paper is alluring. I've really tried to stop. Several times. Somehow it always comes back into my life. What started out as a habit of cataloguing as a young teen has returned in my life the past couple of years as a sketchbook space.

Photo: What's left of my collection of notebooks @smartigraphicdesign

From middle school all the way through grad school, I kept a collection of notebooks. Not exactly journals, but not exactly scrapbooks either. Something in-between where I would chronicle events, write exchanges with friends, and ruminate on my thoughts and plans for life. Who didn't do a bit of journaling then?

Then during my first year in diplomatic career, I made the conscious choice to let go of this habit. Life was happening so fast and I wanted to be present in my adventures instead of always writing in the corner. And to be honest, my life was becoming less of a creative space and I felt the need to finally "grow up" as such. (I've let go of most of the notebooks, and only have a small select collection of my older ones. Very infrequently, I regret it. But just like baby pictures, it can be limiting to see yourself as who you were instead of allowing you freedom and space for who you are becoming.) But what I didn't realize, is that pencil to paper is such a cathartic dissociative task. Sometimes a pencil is all you need to stop the whirl of the busy world.

And so, it slowly crept back in - and then exploded out of my hands once I started my graphic design degree! I was so full of ideas and hungry to make layouts and write things. I managed the chaos by only using loose-leaf paper and being diligent about letting go and recycling. As a minimalist, I feel uncomfortable keeping so much of it all!

In the last few years, I've started using a simple brown moleskin notebook as a sketching journal. I don't make it precious anymore. I write/sketch/list/diagram anything I need. Recipes, book passages, color palettes, lettering ideas, project lists, things I'm looking forward to, things that are bothering me, coursework notes, thumbnail sketches, warmup exercises, plans, and always, always layout ideas. I expect I'll find ways to let go of these notebooks as I grow into better skills. Like sloughing off an old layer to allow fresh skin to breathe.

Photos of sketchbook spreads @smartigraphicdesign

There are a lot of different ways to catalogue process. This is just mine for now as it has definitely helped me see progress in my art skills over time. Sometimes it's a confidence booster. Sometimes it's a reference support. Sometimes it's an idea generator. Because I don't treat it so rigidly, it keeps me loose and limber in my creative work. Isn't that always the magic of pencil - it's relaxed ability to hold up concepts and keep the magic wonder alive in dots, dashes, and scribbles?

Happy doodling!

smarti