18. Sketching Round Up
Another week of daily sketching, creative block and a channel swim!
Hello fellow sketchers!
I'm a bit behind schedule with this week's roundup post. With the children's return to school approaching, I've been busy organizing new uniforms, shoes, stationery, and more. While I'm sad to see the summer holiday ending, I'm also looking forward to having more time for myself and getting back into a routine.
Despite the 'back to school' preparations, the week has been delightful. We enjoyed nature walks, observing late summer's bountiful hedgerows, hiked in the picturesque Quantock Hills, and spent a day at the charming beach in Combe Martin.
Creative Block
I met with my sister
at the beach yesterday, and we discussed creative block. I'm feeling a bit stuck creatively at the moment, but I've come to understand that this is normal.There are times when I'm in the flow, ideas come easily, and everything seems achievable. Then, days, weeks, or months later, things feel less exciting, more challenging, and less attainable. I've learned that during these periods, it's important to be kind to myself and not worry—creativity and enthusiasm will return. Often, these slumps can lead to new directions and experimentation!
On a positive note, despite feeling creatively blocked, I've maintained my daily(ish!) practice of sketching through the Postcards of Summer prompts that we put together over at The Sketching Sisters, as well as my daily sketch journal. This makes me appreciate these daily practices even more because they've become habitual. Even when I'm struggling creatively, I'm still creating!
Does anyone else experience this cycle? How do you cope with it?
Postcards of Summer Challenge
Today marks the final day of this challenge! It's been enjoyable creating these postcards, and I now have a substantial collection of 31 summer-themed designs. I'm considering having some printed!
Here are a few of my favourites from the month:
5 minute Sketch Journaling
This past week was hectic and somewhat chaotic as my eldest child, who is 13, prepared for a channel relay swim. He's part of a long-distance swimming club at his school, where they've been training intensively for two years to swim the English Channel as a relay team. My sketch journals from this week capture some of the preparation, preserving these memories. This is precisely why I love keeping a sketch journal!
Revolve Project - Week 3
I'm in week three of my year-long project called "Revolve," which challenges me to create a small A6 piece of art on location weekly, using minimal supplies. The project aims to establish a regular outdoor sketching practice and document a year in nature. Each piece captures a moment in time, created in the open air with whatever the landscape offers.
This week, I sketched around the farm again. Initially heading to one of our fields, I found it too windy. On my way back, I noticed our old Massey tractor in a sheltered spot and decided to sketch it instead of another landscape. Old tractors are always fun to draw!
I recorded a short video of me sketching, which I've posted below. I plan to do this weekly and include it in my newsletter.
As we wrap up this week's sketching journey, I'm looking forward to the coming days. With the children returning to school, I anticipate settling back into a routine that will hopefully foster more creative time. Thank you for joining me again this week. Until next time, happy sketching!
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