How I Accidentally Became Someone Who Draws Every Day (500 Days and Counting)
Tips for Starting a Sketch Habit
I used to collect sketchbooks like they were sacred artifacts – Moleskines for "serious work," Japanese paper for "when I’m good enough," and that $49 watercolor one that still smells like untapped potential. Then I stopped trying to "draw more" and became someone who draws daily.
The shift came from James Clear’s book Atomic Habits – specifically, focusing on identity over outcomes.
Here’s how it works:
1. “I’m Someone Who Sketches” (Even When It’s Bad)
I replaced “I want to draw more often” with language that identifies myself as an artist or a sketcher.
“I’m the type of person who sketches with morning coffee”
“I’m the type of person who carries a pen in their ponytail”
How can you make the mindset switch? Just change your language. Don’t say “I used to sketch.” Instead say, “I’m the type of person that carries a sketchbook everywhere I go.”
2. Messy Environment > Perfect Setup
My sketchbook isn’t precious anymore. It lives:
Next to the teapot
In my daily tote (yes, I’ve replaced a proper purse with a beach tote)
In the car
Your move: Put a sketchbook where you already linger (laundry room, Netflix couch, kitchen counter).
3. The 2-Minute Rule for Rebels: Some days I draw a single wobbly teacup. Some days I hyperfocus for 45 minutes. Both count. James Clear says putting on running shoes is a workout win – my version is “Put pen to paper and make a mark.”
You try it: Set an alarm, timer or reminder. Just make a mark on a page. Some little doodle. Try this habit tracker to help you keep tabs on progress!
4. Celebrate the Ugly: I banned pencils. Mistakes stay visible. When I hate a sketch, I write “That’s what I saw today” at the bottom. Or exclaim it out loud to my sketch friends.
My new monthly ritual: sitting down with my husband to flip though sketches. I point out details that felt impossible to capture, but somehow worked out. Living proof that consistency beats talent.
Your turn?
365 days from now you’ll have 365 sketches – or a blank notebook. The difference isn’t talent. It’s systems. That’s what James Clear says. And he’s the expert.
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Let’s Start Now! Weekly Prompt*
Sketch your morning routine. One item at a time…until you fill the page. Or until you have seven tiny stick figures flossing their teeth and doing pilates. I’ll go first. This isn’t one sketch. It’s seven days of adding items one at a time from my morning routine.
On day seven I forgot that I was going to draw Al Roker. I record the Today Show just to see his cute face. I guess I can repeat this exercise another time and capture floss, the alarm setting on my phone, Al Roker, feeding the dog, starting a load of laundry and saying goodbye to the kids. Morning routines are so many things!
* A note on prompts. There are no rules . If you want to follow along with the prompts, let’s do it. Tag me on Instagram as you go or send me a note. The prompts are for inspiration. There’s no assignment and no rules. We’re just friends that are committed to sketching together. Right?
Love you!
🤯 i draw daily > i want to draw more