On my sketchbooks

and how I keep and feed them

Here's the big picture of my sketchbook keeping and feeding habits: I write and draw in a small book most mornings - no matter how I feel physically or mentally. I'm not a “morning person” so I try to write or draw anything that's gentle, comforting, thoughtful or whimsical so as to start the day on a pleasant note. I don't have to do a “good” drawing or write a profound thought. Whatever I do just needs to be honest and yet an effort at turning my thoughts, directing my attention, towards a kind, lighthearted way of framing things as I begin the day.

My sketchbooks are small, 3 x 5 inches, with paper that can withstand ink, light watercolor washes and color pencils. It doesn't take long to fill up a page using the time before, during and after breakfast.

For example: I've finished my “E” sketchbook and am starting the “F” book. I go through sketchbooks at a fast rate. In today's newsletter I'm sharing the sketchbook pages that I've done very recently but due to having covid didn't feel up to sharing online until now. (As you know in this newsletter I'm trying to serialize my sketchbooks each week.) Since I'm feeling much better today (and my wife, thankfully, is too!) besides sharing my pages I'm also talking a smidge about how I approach the blank page.

Anyhoo, here's the title page of the new sketchbook “F” and the drawing I did on it's title page inspired by sleepy mornings…

… and here my newest book is with its sibling sketchbooks “D" and “E". (D and E are completely filled and I've been sharing them in this newsletter, if you're curious please snoop my archive.)

When I wake up right away I go to our breakfast nook, open my sketchbook and begin to draw and write whatever is on my mind, whatever I'm feeling or thinking about in a still sleepy just-woke-up way. Then I get some coffee and continue making marks in my book, pause to eat breakfast then after eating I'll get more coffee and if necessary do more mark making to finish the page or get to a stopping spot. My goal each morning is to use my sketchbook as a way of checking in and having a gentle therapeutic conversation with myself. (I got this conversation-with-myself idea from a book I illustrated Dr. Bob's Emotional Repair Program First Aid Kit)

For example the morning recently, when covid symptoms were setting in with a vengeance, I didn't even feel like drawing (that tells you how bad I felt) so I just looked through one of my past sketchbooks until I found a comforting page that reminded me of self-care techniques that have helped me in the past and I thought about the techniques over coffee and breakfast.

Another morning I was feeling very bad so I used a drawing of a pig ice skating (inspired by the saying “independent as a hog on ice”) to remind myself that it's okay to ask for help if I need it, to accept help and to not be a silly hog on ice…

Another morning my throat felt particularly sore so to comfort myself I drew a giraffe and was grateful that my throat wasn't as long as a giraffe's. I also imagined that the giraffe was as grumpy as I felt about how long it takes hot tea, with throat soothing honey, to steep and be cool enough to drink.

Still another morning I drew a pig ice skating again for the same reasons as I drew the other hog mentioned above.

Two very dear friends delivered, in no-contact style, a vase of flowers for me and my wife! So I painted the flowers in my sketchbook as a way to think about their kindness and to focus on the colors and shapes of the flowers and the physical pleasures there instead of constantly complaining, even to myself, about the f#%#*** covid sh**. I can acknowledge that I don't like how I feel but refrain from complaining and dwelling too much on how bad I feel because doing that doesn't help me feel better. So instead of dwelling on it after checking in with myself - “yep, I feel badly” - I then do what I can do about it, take the asprin, drink the tea etc. After doing whatever can be done I switch my focus to something more pleasant. That helps soothe my spirits and helps the time of waiting to feel better to pass. (I learned this trick from this book.) And yes, sometimes this is harder to do… like with this f#%#*** covid sh** … good thing for friends and flowers huh?

On yet another morning I felt much better but at the same time physically I still felt very “weird". So I drew some odd beings (who look like I felt that morning) following a coffee pot. I had fun drawing and it made me laugh.

This newsletter below, from

Jillian Hess

, is also about keeping a diary. BTW for me the words diary, journal, notebook and sketchbook are relatively interchangeable - each of those words, in my mind, refer to a system of having an ongoing conversation with yourself. Anyhoo this newsletter is wonderful 👇

Gandhi's Sacred Diaries

Since my mind is on covid, and recovery from it, in my next newsletter, coming out Friday, I'll tell about how I started making kids books. Hint: I started in early 2020 when covid began. And yes, there will be a downloadable book!

Please stay healthy and be gentle with yourself!