How Drawing Five Days A Week Has Changed My Art

A little over five weeks ago I decided that I was going to change the way I view and practise my art. I was tired of wanting to consider myself an ‘artist’ but only occasionally making time to draw, only to be frustrated that I never had any good ideas and that my art wasn’t really improving. 

Then I heard some really simple advice: if you want to become a certain someone in the future, start acting like that person now. I realised that if I wanted to be an illustrator then I needed to just do what an illustrator would do, which fortunately is really super simple: draw.

So now I draw every weekday (because I believe in weekends) and I’ve already felt huge improvements in the way that I think about my drawings.

Art is a Priority

Because I’ve now made art a priority that means I think about it a lot more. I know that I’m going to be drawing something very soon, so I’m paying more attention to things that could be a source of inspiration and that in turn makes me more aware of the beauty in my surroundings. I’m also more aware of things I want to steer away from or new things I want to try.

Being Vulnerable

By sharing all of my drawings on Instagram I wanted to let go of my fear of judgement by just getting everything out on the table for the world to see. I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t only posting the best of what I create, because I’m wanting to share my journey, not create a portfolio. So now I’m far less worried about whether I’ll be liked, and more focussed on whether I can give value to others with my art.

Finding Community

I’ve found a community of fellow artists, some who are also at the beginning of their art journeys and some who are much more established. It’s nice to be able to support and be supported by others and it’s a real confidence boost to know when someone else is finding joy in what I create. It reminds me that being focussed on improving techniques is only a really small part of being an illustrator, and that it’s much more important to me to create stories or spread smiles.

Being More Creative

I used to only occasionally get out my sketchbook and would feel pressured to make something good because who knows when I’d be drawing again, but now if I try something new and it doesn’t work, then no big deal because I’ll be drawing again tomorrow! Every time I draw, I try to incorporate parts of my style that I like, and then try something new as well so that my style will slowly develop.

The thing that I like about drawing every weekday is that even if everything else in my day goes terribly, at least I know I’ve made progress with my art by drawing something, whether it were good or bad or big or small. It doesn’t take much to take a small step in the right direction.

Follow me on Instagram for drawings Monday through Friday