Ritual and Response: Sketchbook Workshop
Welcome to this free sketchbook session with Helen Wells. In it we will explore an approach to working in a sketchbook which includes both ritual and response. A creative practice that supports:
Ongoing use of our abandoned art experiments to inspire something new and interesting. Allowing our sketchbook to build one small action at time with no grand plan. (Ritual)
Permission to respond intuitively to materials, fragments, and our own visual instinct. (Response)
In this session we will use our sketchbook as a practice of returning, experimenting, and unearthing your own visual vernacular.
Watch the video below:
In this process we are getting rid of that blank page and getting rid of the idea that we have to have an idea before we sit down to create.
What this session is about
This class introduces a sketchbook technique, but it’s not about doing it the right way. It’s a spacious approach to creativity that invites you to return, explore, and notice what unfolds.
You’ll use collage, layering, and response as a repeatable rhythm, a low-pressure way to stay connected to your art, without waiting for a big idea or a perfect plan.
It’s part ritual, part refuge, and fully yours to make your own.
You don’t need to finish anything. Just begin.
This is a place to notice, respond, and reconnect.
Over time, the pages will start to feel like yours.
What we’ll be doing…
Starting with Fragments
Begin with scraps, offcuts, unfinished pieces. No planning required.
These fragments are creative compost. They hold more potential than you think.
Responding with Materials
Layer over your pages with whatever’s on hand pencil, pastel, ink, collage.
Let rhythm and repetition lead you. This is where your visual language starts to surface.
Returning Over Time
Come back later. Add. Layer. Shift. Let the pages evolve without pressure.
This process grows with you. Quietly. Steadily. Often unexpectedly.
Some thoughts on materials…
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.