This is my first completed sketchbook/travel journal.
I started it in February 2023 while I was in Bali and finished it in November 2023 in Riga, Latvia.
Up until the beginning of 2023, I had experienced an art block that lasted for more than 5 years. A sequence of unplanned life moments led me back to traditional drawing.
Here it is - my tattered warrior. It has survived heavy rains, sweaty sunny days, dirty bags, and uncontrolled emotions.
The first half of the sketchbook was drawn in Indonesia. The early pages were raw and insecure.
But over time, I became more confident in my skills.
I tried different approaches: journaling, sketching from nature, drawing from memory and from photos, and observing the environment around me, as well as my own reflection in a mirror.
Not all sketches were great, but my confidence grew, and most importantly,
my desire to draw was returning to me.
I tried not to limit myself and do whatever I wanted in this sketchbook,
as if nobody would ever see it.
At the end of May, I returned to Latvia. During the first weeks it wasn't easy to adapt, which also affected my desire to draw.
But, over time, I dove back into drawing again. Through all the ups and downs, I found myself rediscovering the world with the help of sketching.
That's it. That's how it went with my first sketchbook. I really love how it turned out in the end, and I am really grateful to it for reigniting the joy of drawing within me.
Thank you for staying until the end! I hope you enjoyed watching it as much as I did drawing it.
