You know these books, right? The ones in the discount section at Barnes & Noble?
The ones with titles like DESTROY THIS JOURNAL BEFORE YOU GET DESTROYED?
I used to hate them.
I’m an artist, I’d think. I don’t need prompts. People should be asking me what to draw or write about.
But as I got older and time got away from me and the phone screens and laptop screens became even bigger and as I’ve (hopefully) become less prideful, I began buying books like this:
It’s a book of blank pages that gave me an idea to draw or write about.
They’re nice. I don’t buy them often, and I still feel a little dumb when I do, especially when I’ve got stacks of blank paper at home. In fact, this one had been sitting around for months before my wife stopped me from buying another one.
“We already have an empty one at home,” she said.
But they work because they’re small and self-contained. Constraints make creativity easier.
They’re handy, too. 8x5, easy to throw in a bag. I’ve taken this one to the beach and on plane rides. It’s good to fold down the seat tray, pull it out, and just draw.
Tonight, I asked my daughter M to do a few sketches with me. I’d been working on my computer, she’d been reading and she was kinda-sorta waiting around until I’d let her watch a show on her iPad.
This is what we came up with:
I still have my messy “abstract” style. She’s getting really good. It’s been fun watching her coordination and precision develop year to year.
I asked her to date it, so we could keep it, like a journal.
I kept going a bit, and realized my bear cub looks like the wolf and bunny from the summer.
Similarly, I started drawing horns and antlers, and then it morphed into this little monster. All I know is how to bare teeth.
My favorite was the spider web I drew in red, which ended up looking more like a rose.
Anything you’ve drawn recently?
What do you think of those empty prompt books like this one? Helpful? Y/N
Keep going-
Josh Spilker