Welcome, wild hearted creative, we have been waiting here for you

Come, sit here beside me on this gorgeous mossy rock under this grand old tree, and sink your toes deep into the soft herbs we’re surrounded by.

Let’s create a sanctuary in our sketchbooks together, and talk about all the real stuff that comes along with being a creative human being.

I am so glad you found us.

Are you ready to embark on an enchanting journey into the realm of sketchbooks? Where deliberate strokes are not just pigment marks on paper, but magic wands that transport you away from the pandemonium of reality?

Picture this: you, armed with a pencil or paintbrush (or both!), gracefully dancing over a blank sketchbook page. The intentional act of creating this way is like a secret handshake with your brain, coaxing it to abandon the wild rollercoaster of the external world and join the serene clearing in the forest of the present moment. It's the ultimate wonder walk without ever leaving your chair.

Flow. That elusive state where time becomes an abstract concept, worries about the past take a time out, and anxieties about the future decide to go on vacation. Working in your sketchbook is your passport to this zen dimension, a place where the only baggage you carry is your art supplies.

But this work is not just about zoning out; it's about syncing up - the flow between the creative heart and mind and body. Creating is the ultimate brain symphony, engaging both hemispheres in a harmonious rhythm. Your sketchbook has the makings of a full-scale orchestra where logic and creativity, those seemingly incompatible pals, find common ground and make exquisite magic. And then it bleeds out of the sketchbook and into our everyday life.

Because one of the most valuable things you can do for yourself is to carve out space for the very tangible self care that creating for play and curiosity and development of ideas provides. It doesn’t matter if you are new to art making, have been making art for two or twenty-two years, there are lots of big feelings, questions, fears and doubts that keep coming up.

And I don’t think that these get talked about enough.

Having a practice that allows you to learn and to make beautiful art while being mindful of all the physical, emotional, and imaginal work that goes into it, helps to build your resilience, strength and groundedness in pursuing making larger works of art.

And sharing them with confidence.

Let’s talk about all the real things it takes to be an artist (and it is not just about putting pigment on paper).

The mindsets, self trust, compassion, and grounding.

And more.

(But let’s make some art while we do that too).

Grab a sketchbook. Grab your favourite supplies. Let’s make art. Let’s celebrate the beauty we see, the beauty we make, and the beauty held within our wild creative hearts.

The Sketchbook Sanctuary is a free publication and community, with a specially carved out private space for course members of The Wild Sketchbook Sanctuary program. In 2024 a low cost co-working tier will become available, a place to work together in our sketchbooks over zoom. Stay tuned for details.