A few thoughts on keeping a sketchbook

The most important change I made to my creative practice over the last few years was to collage regularly in a sketchbook. Now, I know there is a lot of content online showing 'perfect' looking sketchbooks and quite frankly, while I love to look, I know it’s not how a sketchbook should be. For me a sketchbook needs to be a place where ideas are explored, sometimes quickly and impulsively, sometimes slowly over time, or even subconsciously through repetition. This became really clear to me once I stared to regularly fill sketchbooks with collages.

Elephants in my sketchbook, 2025.

The importance of creating regularly

Firstly if you want to develop your skills or ideas its really important to create regularly, however that may look. When I had little kids, they took up all of my time and I couldn’t focus on anything else. Finding time to regularly create anything was almost impossible. Although it didn’t feel like it at the time, the little kid phase changed fast, and all of a sudden I realised I could find time here and there to create. It was then when I miraculously discovered collage, and I began sticking pieces of coloured paper together on a page. It was quick and immediate and I never had the problem of the blank page because it only required that I stick any piece of paper down then I suddenly had something to respond to. I realised this worked very well with my current situation, even when I has 5 or 10 minutes to spare I could just get cutting and sticking right away. This helped me sustain the practice. It was enjoyable and it worked, but most of all I had no expectations of how the art would turn out.

No expectations

Expectation blocks creativity. I feel this all the time. It’s an interesting place to be showing up online, posting on social media and constantly putting yourself out there hoping it will land you the next job, connect with people, get you likes etc. These are instant expectations that can block creativity. Not only do we have these 'outer' expectations but our own 'inner' expectations as well telling us it’s not how I thought it would be, it doesn’t look right etc. The only place where I feel like I have no expectations is in my collage sketchbooks. I don’t actually care how they look, if a page looks bad, its a good thing because then I can ask ‘why?’

Abstract shapes in my sketchbook, 2024.

Do not fear mistakes - there are none.” Miles Davis

There are no mistakes

A mistake is only a mistake because of your expectations. So if you have no expectations then there are no mistakes. ’Making mistakes’ could potentially be the secret to developing your art. It’s very easy to find a way to make pleasing results and then keep repeating it, however then I find myself getting stuck and a bit bored. What collaging in my sketchbook has given me is a way to continually try things and experiment, very quickly and intuitively.

Following my intuition

I’m definitely more intuitive than rational, in most aspects of my life. I make most of my decisions based on mood or a feeling, that I really can’t explain. I’m sure lots of other creative people get this too. So when I grab bits of paper, cut them up and stick them in my sketchbook, I can’t really tell you what makes me pick this colour, or that shape, and why there and not here. It just feels right, and thats enough. Creating abstract art also helps, because its not supposed to look like anything in particular. The amazing thing I noticed was that small elements from my abstract collages started to pop up in my other work without me even realising.

Experimenting with texture and a monochrome palette in my sketchbook, 2024.

The book doesn’t matter, but it also kinda does

I would initially say the sketchbook you choose doesn’t matter, any sketchbook is the right one, but actually I think I would be lying to myself. Sometimes the book makes all the difference; the paperweight and texture (or lack there of), the colour of the paper, the size, the cover, how it smells. All these factors make for the perfect or, not quite right, sketchbook, and I’m more likely to pick up the one that is perfect because it makes the whole experience better.

The sketchbook is also a very practical way of collecting your experiments in a way that can be easily viewed, often chronologically, to see your development over time. It fits nicely on a shelf or in a drawer and, when dated, can be a lovely chronicle of your work and even your life.

What about you? Do you keep a sketchbook, and if so, what role does it play in your creative practice?