This Sketchbook Holds More Than Drawings

Out of all the sketchbooks I’ve filled over the years, one stands out more than the rest.

This particular one, I started back in 2018 which I dedicated to drawing only my cat, Kitty, from life.

Not for sentimental reasons, just for practice. I wanted to start drawing animals but the only one I had quick and easy access to was my cat. I could draw her whenever I had any free time. And it helped that she was always around and slept a lot.

I only filled up about half of it as of now.

Unfortunately, I had to put Kitty down last June. It’s been about a year now. She was 19 at the time.

And now that sketchbook means more to me than I ever imagined that it would.

One of my earlier sketches from 2018 using very loose lines and fine liner pens (above).

One year later, I switched to brush pens. I never thought these simple sketches would mean so much to me.

Looking at these now, I realize how much of her is still in these simple lines.

What We Don’t Realize While We’re Drawing

When we make art, we don't know what meaning it will have in the future. Or how much meaning it will hold for us. We just make art because we're inspired in the moment. Or we're trying to improve our quality or practice some aspect of a particular subject.

That's what I was doing at the time in my Kitty sketchbook.

But as the future marches on and life changes, so does the meaning of what we make.

The meaning deepens.

Your sketches now hold more than just pencil lines. They've become memories. You get a glimpse into the past of the artist and person you once were. The thoughts and feelings you had at that time.

I know when I look through my Kitty sketchbook, I feel a mix of different emotions that are unlike looking at anything else I've drawn or created. It's a powerful sketchbook in that way.

It functions as a time capsule. Over time, the pages of practice begin to carry more meaning.

What starts as practice becomes preservation.

That's the beauty of art.

We think we’re just drawing. But we’re actually documenting a life we don’t know we’ll miss yet.

Art captures more than just skill. It captures presence.

It has the power to preserve thoughts, ideas, and emotions. You might not realize it now but the sketch or painting you're making today could someday become priceless to you.

Events that happen to you bear no meaning in themselves. You give them meaning only through your interpretation of those events.

—Thibaut Meurisse, "Master Your Emotions"

And it’s not the quality that gives it value. It's because the piece has transformed, in a sense. Or really it's because you've transformed and now see it through a different lens. It holds a deeper meaning to you.

Life is the same way. We don't always realize the significance of an event or a moment until it's in the past.

The Weight of a Simple Sketch

Draw and paint things that matter to you. Don't chase the trends or what's popular on social media.

Stay true to yourself and create out of interest and pure curiosity. Not expectation.

Your art may not seem to carry any meaning to you now, but as you grow as an artist, you'll look back at your work and feel differently.

You'll feel grateful that you decided to create something and capture it in an authentic way. You never know what piece will matter most to you later.

Think about your own art practice. Is there something or someone that you’d regret not sketching while you still could?

When I look back at that Kitty sketchbook, I wish I would have drawn her more and actually filled up the entire sketchbook. Her entire last year of life, I didn't even sketch her once.

And that sting of regret is painful but I use it as a lesson to create more now with the time I have.

But in the end, I'm glad I drew her at all and dedicated that sketchbook to her.

As you become more mature, you’ll look on even your hardest moments with awe and joy. You’ll love those moments for what they continue to teach you, and for the meaning they’ve given your life.

—Dr. Benjamin Hardy, "Be Your Future Self Now"

So just draw and create now. The meaning will come later.

Every sketchbook is a time capsule. You just don’t know what it’s holding yet.

Thanks for reading.

— Brandon Schaefer

PS - Sketch something ordinary today. You might be surprised how much it means to you later.