When I’m tired, under-inspired, or my mojo feels a little so-so, I don’t reach for brilliance. I try not to expect too much of myself. I reach for my sketchbook, a place to meander, freewheel, and gently find my way back to creativity.

No pressure. No performance. Just low-stakes creating. I don’t perfect. I don’t polish. I don’t pretend. I open my sketchbook. Not like it’s an art gallery, but a playground. Its pages aren’t for applause or approval. They’re a route back to delight. A sketchbook isn’t the stage. It’s the backstage.

My sketchbook rituals

Here’s what helps when I need to get out of my own way and resist perfectionism:

1. Start easy

Look for the simplest way in. Often I’ll dig out something I’ve already made and use it like a guide rope into something new. When the goal is simply to begin, familiarity becomes fuel.Reassuring. Cosy. Comforting.

2. Limit supplies

Less choice. Less decisions. More play.

In this video I just use a little Indian ink from Jackson’s art and one Derwent Inktense pencil in my Fabriano Sketchbook. The large brush I am using is a pointed mop brush

Ps. These are affiliate links to products I use myself and genuinely enjoy in my own sketchbook practice. Thank you for supporting me if you choose to use them.

3. Narrow the palette

Constraints aren’t a cage. They free you from the overwhelm of too many options.

4. Set a short timeframe

Give yourself a short timeframe. Long enough to soften resistance. Short enough to slip past perfectionism.

5. Add surprise

Something playful. Unexpected. A strange mix of materials. A new way to hold the brush. A weird tool. Surprise isn’t just fun it leads to discovery.

Inspiration arrives in the action

Inspiration doesn’t arrive on command. It often creeps in through low expectations and inky hands. A sketchbook isn’t about getting it right. It’s about finding your way back to flow. Back to energy. Back to the part of you that creates simply because it feels good to create. I like the idea of joy wearing joggers. Joy returns in those relaxed moments when we’re not forcing or performing, or chasing some false idea of what "good" looks like.

Because good looks like doing something. Anything at all.

A sketchbook isn’t a stage. It’s a private playground.

So next time you feel tired or uninspired, don’t reach for brilliance.

Reach for the simplest starting point. Reach for a bit of mess. Reach for the smallest easiest thing may bring you joy.

P.S. Want more supportive creative guidance? Explore my self-paced classes here, full of joyful, no-pressure lessons to nurture your art practice.

Tired and uninspired? Borrow my sketchbook ritual