A blank canvas is just waiting to become a painting – perhaps a lively abstract full of bright swooshes of color or a sombre portrait of an esteemed businessman. A sheet of paper can hold a charcoal scene of a mountain brook, a watercolor horse race, or a pastel still-life of flowers.

New materials provide a similar potential, waiting to be unleashed. Pencils, uniform in length and perfectly sharpened. Paint tubes still unsplattered and not yet twisted out of shape. Charcoal in precise bars, corners still sharp.

Others don’t feel the same way. They don’t see the future projects in the scraps of wood that I keep. They overlook the potential in the pieces of wire and bits of shell and stone that grab my attention. The art/craft section of a store holds no interest for them and they don’t wander about a hobby store in awed reverence, flooded with the swell of ideas and future projects.

By the same token, they probably see a notebook as just a collection of papers. A place to jot down ideas and capture information. There is no joy in picking up each different notebook, seeing how it feels in their hands, finding the one that calls to them.

To their advantage, they don’t feel the fear that a blank canvas, clean sheet of paper or new sketchbook provide. Aware of that potential, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by it – afraid that whatever marks I make will fall short. This is not a conscious fear, one that makes me shiver and hide. Unconscious, it is far more devious. A collection of new notebooks grows over time. A stack of canvasses and papers deepens. While I have a list of projects to work on, the fear holds me back, scared that what I see in my mind won’t be communicated through the work.

A common fear

I am not the only one who finds myself intimidated by a new notebook. Colin Wright has talked about it – to overcome his fear he immediately turns to the first page and scribbles all over it. From then on he can work freely, knowing that whatever he creates will be better than that original mark.

Steven Pressfield, in The War of Art, would call this fear The Resistance. That subconscious fear that would hold us back from completing our work. His advice for overcoming The Resistance is to continue to be aware of it and to Do The Work anyway. Push through, completing the work in a scheduled manner so that the schedule – working the plan – will overpower The Resistance.

This is a common fear, shared among artists. Numerous examples of the advice “make the first mark” are given. That first mark, no matter how small, releases the tension as if popping a balloon. With a mark made, we are free to continue on with our work – the terrifying empty perfection of the blank page has been marred. That first mark can be covered up and even the artist will forget where it began. Writers, staring at the blank sheet, need only start writing to cure writer’s block. The first few lines or paragraphs can later be thrown away as the day’s message begins to take shape.

A new notebook

I purchased a new notebook a few weeks ago. It was on sale at the store (I still love the back-to-school season) and I couldn’t resist picking it up, though I had no specific plans for it. But then, not knowing what to use it for, I have been afraid to mess up its blank perfection.

Now I have an inkling of an idea, but that doesn’t matter. I’m going to write on the first page. My name seems safe enough. I can’t mess that up, but it also serves to claim the notebook as mine – a place to capture my thoughts, ideas and visions. I am going to doodle, scribble, and otherwise fill the first page with something.

Ahh.. marks are made. The first page is filled. In pen.

As I started, more ideas came. Popping that balloon, releasing that pressure, provided an escape for ideas and I can continue on.

Blank pages are intimidating. But they can be over-come. Action has power and boldness strikes away fear. Make that first mark and begin your work!

When my Granddad passed away I ended up with his leather-working tools and supplies. Included was a folded leather sheet, which I thought would be perfect for a notebook cover. Alas, I’ve never quite found a pre-made notebook that fits right, and so have been carrying it around, empty, for a few years now. While folding this sketchbook I thought that it might work well, that I had found the missing piece of the puzzle.

Here’s the cover itself, and below is the cover with the sketchbook.

Alas, I still haven’t quite solved the mystery of the correct paper size…

But I still enjoy getting to use the leather cover and it provides some protection for my sketchbook, so I’m using it!

Instead of carrying a pad of paper with me I followed Mark’s advice for making a sketchbook with me, a single piece of watercolor paper cut and folded into a long, accordion notebook. Here’s my current journal, all laid out:

It’s been nice to have a good-quality, heavy watercolor paper in my sketchbook. This has allowed me to really throw down a lot of water quickly – an important ability when I have no more than 30 minutes to get everything finished.

I’ve taken these opportunities to work on both my sketching abilities and to play with the watercolors, something that I’ve always been a little timid with.

This tree caught my attention the first time I saw it, and it was an easy decision to portray it when I first started sketching. It’s a tall tree and I probably should have unfolded another “page” to capture it more accurately, but I love the colors!

This old powerhouse is now a science museum. I haven’t been inside, yet, but it’s definitely on the list of places to visit!

This church is just on the the other side of the block from one of my favorite coffee shops, so I see it all the time. The architecture jumped out at me and when deciding where to sketch it quickly came to mind as a great option. I sat across the street on a bench to capture it.

I was aiming for a nearby section of trail but the spitting rain drove me inside. I snagged the last seat in Durango Coffee and sipped my java while drawing the bar and patrons at this downtown cafe. It was a lot of fun to have the extra space afforded by the additional panels, and I expect to return and fill in the other “page” on another day.

Here’s the river trail that I was aiming for when I ended up at Durango Coffee above. This view of the path through the trees beside the river came out much more abstract that intended, but I really like the deviation from my normal, detail-oriented approach!

Only three pages left in my last mini sketchbook…

Here are some of the sights from the week:

Most of these are sketches with a micron pen, occasionally with watercolor added. A few are a Lamy fountain pen or a dip pen with the fountain pen ink.

Edit: Here’s the view on the way from Savannah to Atlanta to catch our plane.

During my sketching time I saw joggers, bicyclists and even a train pass by!

Ashley at the coffee shop:

While Ashley ran to the restroom I caught the neighbors on paper.

Another quick stop at a coffee shop before heading to the hospital (you may notice a recurring them, both in subject and locale )

Still Ashley, but we’re waiting for our Thai food to arrive. Delicious!
Sitting at another coffee shop, this is the building across the street.

On an afternoon spent with a friend, we ended up at a tire shop to repair a flat. This fella was passing his time in the waiting room…

We packed up the RV and drove to Matt and Brittney’s for a Christmas family get together. While there, I sketched a few scenes – a couple in my regular sketchbook but mostly in my new travel-sized ones!

For reference:

The nieces turn into iZombies as soon as they can use their phones/iPods.

Watching “Elf” on Christmas Eve.

Perhaps the only image of the Christmas tree before our favorite hooligans “re-arranged” all of the presents.

Proud (but tired) parents watching the opening of the presents.

Here’s a quick sketch of the view out the front window. What a lovely place!It was far too short of a visit, as always!