How a Daily Sketchbook Practice Transformed My Art and Mindset

Hi friends,

Welcome back to the blog! In this post, I’m sharing some of the lessons I’ve learned this year after deciding to make creative play and painting a daily habit.

Over the past two to three years, I’ve experimented with different routines, and how I spend my days has changed a lot. At the beginning of 2025, I was focused on commissions and client work. With a full-time job on top of that, each piece took months to complete — and as I write this in October, I’m still finishing the last two!

As I spent more time creating for others, I began to feel creatively stifled. I missed working on my own designs and personal artwork. I didn’t have much time to create larger pieces — they usually take at least two weeks from start to finish — and between the business, rest, time with loved ones, and my job, my creative energy was running low.

So, I made a small but meaningful change. I started scheduling an hour each morning before work to simply play — whether in my sketchbook or exploring my new hobby, oil painting. It’s become one of the most grounding parts of my day, and along the way, I’ve learned some valuable lessons.

Even if you only have fifteen minutes, I can’t recommend a daily creative practice enough. No pressure — just play.

Here are a few of the lessons I’ve learned along the way:

Ideas Become Real Once They're Drawn

Before starting a daily sketchbook practice, I had so many visions and ideas I wanted to bring to life. I saved inspiration on Pinterest, bookmarked floral and botanical books, and collected colour palettes — and I thought that once I had the idea, the painting itself would come easily.

But once I started sketching, I realised I didn’t yet know how to convey depth, perspective, or the feeling I imagined in my head. It was much harder than I expected. Still, with each page, I learned a little more — how to arrange compositions that felt balanced, how to create depth with new techniques, and how to build sketches that finally began to resemble what I was envisioning.

It’s one thing to have an idea, but unless it’s on paper, it remains just that — an idea. One of the biggest challenges as an artist is learning to bridge that gap between imagination and execution, and the only way to get closer is through repetition and practice.

There are Always Pleasant Surprises

The quick, spontaneous nature of sketching makes me more willing to experiment and play. When working on final pieces, I tend to be more careful — most initial sketches take 2–4 hours, so there’s a pressure not to “ruin” the effort.

Sketches, on the other hand, usually take an hour or less, which gives me the freedom to try new placements, colour combinations, and techniques. Along the way, I often discover unexpected delights: a palette I hadn’t considered, a composition that feels just right, or a technique that sparks new ideas.

These pleasant surprises feed my creativity and motivate me to keep showing up, even through resistance. They’re reminders that play and experimentation often lead to the most rewarding discoveries.

It's a Great Excuse to Use Your Art Supplies

If I’m being honest, I don’t use my art supplies nearly enough! I wish running an art business meant painting all day, every day — but the reality is far from that. Most of my time is spent on admin, learning new skills, product development, and everything else that happens behind the scenes. Realistically, I’d say I spend only about 25% of my time creating.

That’s why prioritising creative play every day has become so important. It gives me the chance to open a new palette, experiment with different paints, or try supplies I’ve been curious about. Sometimes it’s using a palette of colours I haven’t touched in months; other times it’s testing a new paper or medium. These small moments of play are a wonderful excuse to give your art supplies a little love — and they often spark ideas and colour combinations I wouldn’t have found otherwise.

Plus, there’s something deeply satisfying about simply using the tools you’ve collected, appreciating the textures, colours, and possibilities they offer.

Inspiration Often Follows Action

I used to wait for a spark of inspiration before creating, but I found that approach to be surprisingly unreliable. Many artists I admire follow a different philosophy: they don’t wait for inspiration — they create in its absence, and in doing so, inspiration often follows.

For me, some of my best work has come simply from showing up and starting. With a daily sketchbook practice, I create even when ideas feel scarce or inspiration is low. Almost every time I begin, something emerges — a new detail I want to add, a composition I want to explore, colours I’m curious to try. That initial push creates momentum, and once that momentum starts, you naturally want to keep going.

So, if you’re feeling uninspired or unmotivated, just start. Show up, put pen to paper, brush to paint — and watch as creativity begins to flow.

It Helps You Face the Blank Page

Fear of the blank page is more common than you might think. What should I draw? What should I paint? These questions can feel paralysing — but the more you show up, the quieter that inner voice becomes. Slowly, you just start putting pen to paper or brush to canvas. Each time you do, the blank page feels a little less intimidating.

There will always be some resistance when facing a blank page, but reminding yourself that it’s “just a sketchbook” can lower that barrier. Over time, what once felt daunting becomes exciting — the possibilities are endless, and the blank page transforms into a space for exploration, experimentation, and discovery.

You Start to Uncover Your Style

I’ve been keeping up this daily sketchbook practice for the past four months, and it’s been revealing in ways I didn’t expect. Over the past three years, my style shifted often — each piece looked a little different, influenced by other artists and aesthetics I admired.

Finding my own style was something I deeply wanted to get closer to — and, funnily enough, after four months of daily sketches, flipping through my work revealed a common thread running through all my paintings.

This practice has helped me articulate what I truly love in art. I’m drawn to a maximalist palette that mixes vibrant and muted colours, full compositions filled with flowers and elements, and scenes like a patch of blooms or a potted arrangement rather than isolated details. I enjoy filling negative space to add depth, and using both large and small flowers to create movement and rhythm.

I know that as I continue, I’ll get even closer to expressing what I truly want to see in the world — the vision that lies in my heart.

The Only Way to Get Better is to Practice

The only way to improve at anything is by showing up, taking action, and practicing consistently. You can read, research, and study endlessly, but nothing teaches and improves you like hands-on experience.

For me, that practice wasn’t just in my sketchbook — it extended to oil painting as well. So far, I’ve completed about four paintings. I’ve made countless mistakes along the way, but with every piece, I’ve learned something new. Without even realising it, each painting turned out better than the last.

I discovered how the thickness of oil paint affects the outcome, which brushes work best, and when to pause before adding the next layer. Each painting became easier, more intuitive, and more rewarding.

Much like my sketchbook practice, painting taught me about perspective, colour mixing, composition, and what makes a piece feel strong and balanced.

None of this growth would have happened without practice. So, the message is simple: show up, make mistakes, learn, and watch yourself improve. Each page builds skill and confidence — even the ones you don’t love.

No Pressure, Just Play

At the end of the day, art doesn’t need to be perfect to be meaningful. You don’t need to produce a masterpiece for it to matter. A daily creative practice is a safe space to simply sit down and play. Along the way, you’ll find yourself trying new things, learning new skills, improving, and often pleasantly surprised by what you can create.

Let your daily practice guide you, help you grow, and, most importantly, bring a little more creativity and joy into your life.

I hope this blog inspires you to start or return to a consistent art practice. Even if it’s just 15 minutes a day, the amount you’ll learn and grow will surprise you.

Happy creating!