Journaling and keeping a sketchbook

The act of journaling and keeping a sketchbook is vital to the growth of an artist, but also helpful to anyone who is working to break though barriers in their job or in life. 

A journal and a sketchbook are related but different.  A journal is a record of thoughts in written form and its primary job is to organize the vast amount of thoughts, ideas, plans, objectives and requirements we have in life.

A sketchbook includes writing, drawing, clipping and pasting and all other sorts of experimentation.  A sketchbook is for random ideas and nothing in the sketchbook has to make sense or look 'pretty'.   When you enter things into a sketchbook you plant a seed.  A seed that may one day grow into a flower, a tree or a forest.  Just planting the seed of thought is a catalyst to forward movement.

One easy way to begin the sketchbook journey is to cut and paste in pictures that motivate thought.  Start with one project that intrigues you. This project could be anything from a designer couch to green car development to a landscape painting. Write down what you like about this project.  From that point, start to sketch out ways you could expand or change this project.  Next thing you know your mind is working on its own ideas and the sketches, colour references, sculpture plans, etc. start to flow.  Go until you no longer have any further thoughts on this subject to record.  You may never work with these ideas or they may surface again 5 years later.  All that matters is the seed of thought was planted.

Make sure you consistently and regularly plant new ideas.  Do not concern yourself with what their outcomes will be.  Simple acts strung together result in great things.