Within the last 5 years I have held back from committing to a daily sketchbook habit, or really any form of creating art in my free time, due to my perfectionist tendencies. The free flow of ideas and means to explore different techniques was stifled by fears of failure and procrastination. Even new art supplies which were purchased with the best of intentions remained untouched inside the original packaging, and sketchbooks remained blank because I just couldn't be bothered to pick up a pencil. The mere possibility of unsuccessful attempts seemed to be a waste of time and effort, and brought my creative momentum to a standstill after I graduated from college.

It seems rather silly that in the time between graduating from college and entering the workforce, my perfectionism redoubled and I essentially "forgot" how to be creative. But it was second nature to me once and I have hope that I can reclaim the ability by starting small. This year, I have improved my outlook and motivation after reorganizing a dedicated art studio space in my home. After looking to other artists on YouTube for inspiration, I've also modified my habits to incorporate a more dynamic / forgiving method of approaching my sketchbooks. As my husband has told me many times now, "Just try. You can only fail if you give up." So, here's to the first of (hopefully) many mixed media sketchbook series.