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SHThe dreaded first page of a pristine (and sometimes expensive!) new sketchbook.
I’m forever teaching myself new ways to get over my fear of failure, to get over perfectionism… basically- to get over myself!
Do you ever observe how young children create? They grab a paper, slap it on the nearest surface, and get to work. They don’t obsess, self-doubt, or overthink.
This act of “ruining” the first page of a sketchbook is a tip I learned from a friend years ago. It takes the power away from the material. It says: “whatever I make can’t ever be worse than this, so now I’m free to begin.”
Here are three other ways I shift from Overthinking Mode to Doing Mode:
1.) I use the cheapest materials I can find, usually my kids’ crayons and the nearest scraps of printer paper.
2.) I set a timer and commit to doodling, even if it’s literally for five minutes.
3.) i sketch quickly, and hold my pencil loosely. Messy, loose sketches tap into a different part of me. Extra points for putting on music that totally inspires you.
Would you try this? Do you have any other tips for becoming less precious with your process? Let me know in the comments!
@shelly_laslo
