The First Few Pages

The first "week" of sketches for 2025

It’s been a fun “first” week since Christmas & New Years’ break and I’m feeling a bit nostalgic as I dive back into the pages of my sketchbook. Star Trek, Nat Geo, Discovery… these are the things I remember from my own childhood, and I’m delighted my kiddos are enjoying them, too.

Beyond that… It’s sobering to realize just how little I sketched last year. I am not much for making New Years’ resolutions (the statistics for keeping them are horrendous), but the amount of time I spend doodling in my journals is definitely one thing I want to improve over 2025.

I’ve also talked at length before about the benefits of keeping a sketchbook — better memory retention, increased sense of calm/peace, improved observational skills, etc. — and I missed that last year. Sketching, for me, is integral to not just how I understand and process my days, or how I grow as an artist, but also to my sense of peace, wellbeing, and my quiet time with God. Who wouldn’t want more of that?

One of my other goals this year is to really play and explore visual ideas, even if they aren’t my norm. In an Instagram-centric artistic culture, I’ve often been guilty of trying to tightly curate my sketches rather than just letting them be. (If you’re an artist, do you fight this, too? Sound off in the comments!)

This year, I’d like it all to just be.

Quirky, elegant, weird, natural, inspired.

In the meantime,