How I Start a New Sketchbook Without Overthinking It

There's something really exciting about opening a new sketchbook, the fresh pages, the smell of the paper, and all the possibilities. But if you're anything like me, it can also feel a little intimidating. This sketchbook was kindly sent to me by Artix together with a set of watercolors to try out, and since I've been wanting to start a new sketchbook anyway, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity. One thing I immediately liked about the sketchbook is that pages can actually be removed individually, so if I end up creating a painting I really love, I can easily scan it, frame it, or use it for something else later on. Of course, before any of that can happen, I still have to fill the first page. Over the years, I've learned that the easiest way to get past that intimidating blank page is to make the first page as simple as possible. So instead of jumping straight into a finished painting, I started with a simple date page. Just a few vines, some tiny flowers, and the month and year. Almost like a little welcome page for the sketchbook. This particular day happened to be sunny, so I added a small sun as well. I love adding little details like that because they help me remember not just what I painted, but also how the day felt. For me, a sketchbook isn't really about creating perfect paintings, it's more like a collection of moments, ideas, and things that caught my attention along the way. After that, I spent some time swatching the colors. I always enjoy this part because there's no pressure and planning involved. It's simply a chance to see how the colors behave on the paper and get a feel for the sketchbook before moving on to bigger ideas. And speaking of bigger ideas, at the moment, strawberries are everywhere. I've been eating them almost every day lately, and they felt like the perfect subject for the first painting. Sometimes inspiration doesn't have to come from anywhere special, sometimes it's simply something you have been enjoying and noticing in your everyday life. Since this was my first real painting in the sketchbook, I also wanted to see how far I could push the paper. So I decided to build the painting slowly, layer by layer. I started with a yellow wash, sketched out the strawberries with colored pencils, and used masking fluid to preserve the seeds and leaves before adding more layers of color. As the painting developed, I kept adding more depth, more shadows, and darker strawberries in the background. I wasn't really following a plan, I was mostly experimenting and seeing where the painting would take me. After spending so much time on that first strawberry page, I felt like doing something completely different. I still had strawberries in my mind, but this time I wanted something quicker and more relaxed. So I skipped the sketching stage and painted directly with my brush. No detailed plan, just painting and adding things as I went. I think paintings like this are a good reminder that not every painting has to be carefully planned. Sometimes it's enough to start with a simple idea and see where it takes you. As I was painting all these strawberries, I started thinking about the flower fairies books by Cicely Marie Barker. I absolutely loved those illustrations when I was younger, and I still find myself coming back to them from time to time. So for the last page, I decided to take the strawberry idea a little further and add a tiny strawberry fairy. What I love about sketchbooks is how ideas tend to evolve naturally. What started as a bowl of strawberries turned into strawberry blossoms and somehow ended with a fairy hiding among them. And honestly, that's often my favorite part of the creative process. Not starting with a perfect idea, but following one small idea long enough to discover where it wants to go. I think that's why I enjoy sketchbooks so much. They remind me that creativity doesn't always begin with inspiration. Sometimes it begins with a blank page, a few color swatches, and something simple sitting on your kitchen table. You don't always need a big idea, sometimes you just need a place to start. Thank you so much for spending some time with me today. I hope this video inspires you to pick up a sketchbook of your own, even if you don't have a big idea in mind yet. Sometimes the simplest pages end up leading to the most interesting ones. Take care and I will see you in the next video.