Hosted by Olivia Lin of Atiliay |
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Welcome to the Sketchbook Un-Slump! I'm very excited you're here and hope that the upcoming weeks will help inspire you to create! Week 1 begins Sunday, October 12th but before we officially start, I wanted to go over a few things and give you some time to get ready. This will be the longest email I'll send but I wanted to include these details to make this experience easier, get us set up, and ultimately help us have more fun! Below you'll find: what to expect, a note about the prompts, 3 things to prepare, the schedule, and 3 warm-up exercises to try. |
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WHAT TO EXPECT - Each week's prompt email will be sent out Sunday mornings.
- Each week's very short check-in email will be sent out Thursday evenings.
- You'll receive 2 emails per week.
- There is NO pressure to post on social media but if you share on Instagram, please tag me @atiliay so I can see it! I always try my best to re-post.
- If you ever want to share your work with me but not publicly, feel free to send me an email with photos and/or a description--I really enjoy seeing what you create!
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A NOTE ABOUT THE PROMPTS My intention with these prompts and the ideas/inspiration shared is to help spark ideas, give you something to try, and help you brainstorm. You do not have to follow them exactly or at all--they are suggestions and there's no right or wrong answer! You can interpret things however you'd like. Go in the direction you feel pulled towards. Be open to what you feel inspired by. Let go of perfection, of putting pressure on yourself, of that harsh inner critic! Be present, have fun, and enjoy your process! |
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3 THINGS TO PREPARE - GET YOUR SUPPLIES READY
You don't need anything fancy, feel free to use what you already have (we can come up with new ways to use them!) If you'd like to / need to get some supplies, here are my recommendations. Product recommendations are always items I use, love, and recommend! When you buy through the link, I may earn a commission.
- Sketchbook/Paper: Sketchbooks, loose papers, scratch paper, etc. all work! You can even upcycle grocery bags and make a mini sketchbook with that! Just make sure the paper will support the medium(s) you want to use (dry, wet, both). I like mixed media paper since it usually covers a wide range of mediums, both dry and wet.
- Tools: Use whatever you'd like! This can include paints and brushes, colored pencils, crayons, markers, pencils and pens, palette knives, watercolors, gouache, scrapbook paper, pages from old books, and whatever else you find interesting! The prompts allow for a lot of experimentation so don't feel like you have to limit yourself to just one medium.
- My Favorites: You can find all of my favorite supplies on my Amazon page (tape for clean edges, palette knives, paints, etc.)
- Please note that I have tried the JMI Washi Tape I recommend on both sketchbooks listed above and the tape is compatible and peels off cleanly. Keep in mind to do it slowly and that sometimes tape can be incompatible with certain types of paper--test it out first.
- CREATE A DEDICATED WORKSPACE
It's so much easier to get started when you don't need to clear off a table or find space to work on!
- It doesn't have to be big or fancy: the kitchen table, a corner of a desk, etc. Just make sure it's clean and uncluttered.
- If you're able to, leave your sketchbook out so you can jump right in. If you can't, keep everything you'll be using/need in a box/basket so it's easy to grab and begin. (I recommend doing this either way, esp. if you get messy like me :))
- CARVE OUT TIME
This might be the hardest to do but it's the most important! Commit to making time for your creative practice.- Consider what days/time frames work for you. It can be flexible but if you're able to block time out for it, that can really help!
- It doesn't have to be a lot of time, 15 min is a great place to start.
- Test out different times until you find what flows best with your life.
- Get honest and do something you'll be able to stick to! It's OK to start off small / whenever you can, you can always increase the time/# of sessions as you go!
- Set alarms and reminders--this helps me a lot!
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SCHEDULE Prompt 1 | Oct 12th Prompt 2 | Oct 19th Prompt 3 | Oct 26th Prompt 4 | Nov 2nd Wrap Up Email | Nov 9th I'd love for you to work through these prompts live with me, but if you ever need to take a break or you're starting at a different time, you can definitely go through the prompts at your own pace on your own time. All prompts will be saved to this PROMPT LIBRARY PAGE so you can access what's available / revisit / find emails in one place. |
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3 WARM-UP EXERCISES TO TRY Here are 3 different ways to get warmed up with! Our goal with these warm-ups is to simply take action! Getting started can sometimes be the hardest part--especially with a blank page staring back at you. I hope this helps you get over that hump and ease into things! MAKE A SINGLE MARK This is how we've warmed up in past un-slumps- this exercise is an annual tradition! :) - Open your sketchbook to a blank page.
- Pick a random tool/medium. Choose a color that's jumping out at you.
- MAKE A MARK! That's it!
Tip: Don't overthink, just do it! Close your eyes if that helps. It's OK if it's not in the “right” spot or doesn't look exactly how you want it to. Let all of that go. |
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SUPPLY INVENTORY Take some time to look through your supplies and see what you have to work with. Test them out to make sure they work, throw away anything that doesn't, donate or give away items you won't use. Get a feel for the items you'll be using what colors and textures they make. Here are a few ideas to try in your sketchbook: - Create a reference page
- I like doing this on the last page of a sketchbook. Draw boxes and fill them in with your tool. Notate the medium and color to stay organized. Here is an example.
- Split your page into 6 sections and fill each one in with a tool / tools of your choice. I did this last year and used as many colors of each medium as I could! Image below.
- Go monochromatic
- Take all your black, green, blue, etc. supplies and fill an entire page using all of them! Image below.
- Create a picture using your various tools
- It can be a landscape, a still life, a portrait, etc.
- Mix the different mediums throughout the entire image
- Or split the image into 4 sections, each one focusing on one medium (top left quadrant using markers, top right using watercolor, bottom left using colored pencils, bottom right using crayons, or whatever you would like to use!) Below is a self portrait I created using this concept.
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SEE WHAT YOU HEAR - Have your paper / sketchbook ready and opened to a blank page. Place your supplies near you so you can easily grab what you want.
- Listen to a piece of music.
- Draw / paint / sketch / collage what you hear. It can be shapes, patterns, colors, an image that comes to mind, abstract or realistic, what does this music make you see?
Try: Doing this on your first listen or having the music in the background or listen to your favorite part(s) a few more times. Feel free to focus on only the music only or take inspiration from the lyrics as well. |
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I hope this email helps you get prepared and get excited for the upcoming weeks! I can't wait to share our first prompt and see where that takes us. Talk to you soon, |
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PS: Do you know someone who might want to do this challenge with us? Forward this email to them, the sign up link is below! |
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You've received this email because you signed up for the 2025 Sketchbook Un-Slump |
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If you're using Gmail and this email ended up under the “Promotions” tab/folder, drag it to your “Primary” inbox then click “Yes" when asked “Do this for future messages?" If this email was sent to your spam folder, please mark this email address, hello@atiliay.com, as “not spam” and add to your contacts. |
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The beautiful PNW
Renton, WA 98058, United States |
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