Why You Need a “Mess-Making” Sketchbook in Your Life
I’m a doodler. The kind of person who loves to cover pieces of paper with random marks, scribbles, and the occasional word or phrase. For a long time, as a digital artist, I assumed sketchbooks were meant for clean sketches and structured, polished drawings. But over time, I’ve realized they can be so much more. Sketchbooks are for doodling, visual ideas, mark-making, notes, and anything else your creativity dreams up. No perfection necessary!
For years, the idea of creating structured, “proper” drawings in a sketchbook intimidated me. It felt like every page had to be perfect, and that pressure sucked the joy out of it. Toward the end of 2024, I decided to shake off those expectations. I wanted to reconnect with creativity in its rawest form—something fresh, unstructured, and fun. Enter my “mess-making” sketchbook.
It’s nothing fancy. Just a small, plain notebook with lined paper. I chose lined paper deliberately, thinking the lines would distract me from striving for structure or perfection. And they do! That notebook has become my little creative playground, where the rules don’t matter and the focus is on expression, not outcomes.
Creativity Without Rules
I’m so glad I took this step! Embracing messy doodles, random scribbles, and visual ideas has allowed my creativity to flow more freely. I’ve realized that too much structure or pressure to “get it right” can stifle the creative process. Some of my best ideas have come from flipping through those chaotic sketchbook pages.
There’s something freeing about letting go of perfectionism and embracing imperfection. It’s a reminder that creativity isn’t about producing polished, gallery-worthy work all the time. Sometimes, it’s about exploring, experimenting, and making a bit of a mess.
Why You Should Try It
Whether you’re an artist or not, I encourage you to try keeping a “mess-making” sketchbook. Don’t worry if you think you can’t draw—it doesn’t matter! This isn’t about skill; it’s about expressing yourself visually in whatever way feels natural to you.
Doodle. Write. Scribble. Make marks that have no rhyme or reason. Embrace the imperfections, because they’re where the magic happens.
In a world where digital tools and artificial intelligence dominate, nurturing your natural creativity is more important than ever. A mess-making sketchbook is a simple, powerful way to reconnect with that creativity. It’s a space to let your mind wander, experiment, and discover ideas you never knew you had.
So grab a notebook—lined, unlined, blank, or even an old journal—and give yourself the freedom to create without rules. Who knows what brilliance might come from a little creative chaos?
More From Art and Design By Teresa Cowley
2 Comments
Helen Cowley · January 9, 2025 at 10:46 pm
That was an interesting article. I love to do doodle art intertwined with zentangle mixed together. I am trying to learn to do shading with each doodle.
teresa · January 14, 2025 at 5:35 pm
Awesome! I’m glad you enjoyed it! Doodling is so much fun!