Last year, I participated in the month-long InkTober challenge for 2016. It was the first time I did something like that. It required me to draw something every day and I put my twist on it by using the daily prompts to inspire mindful writing to pair with the drawing I posted. Drawing something, every day, was challenging but it was also fun. However, it was a challenging month – for a few different reasons.
The first was that, in my opinion, my artistic skills were not very strong so it was an opportunity to improve. Mustering the energy to complete the challenge each day was often difficult because of my health. Some days it was exhausting to divert energy from coping with my pain to concentrating long enough to draw – and write – something then post it online, but I got it done. It was also difficult to figure out what to draw each day, even though the challenge provides a single word prompt for each day. The words from the prompt list (e.g. fast, noisy, collect, hungry) were sometimes difficult to depict in a line drawing, but I managed to figure something out each day.
I ended InkTober 2016 feeling that I accomplished so much, that this year I’ll be using the challenge in the same way. Today is the first day of InkTober 2017 and the prompt is ‘swift’. Here goes…
The first thing that came to mind when I read the word ‘swift’ was a horse: a wild horse. I envisioned a wild horse running across unending green prairies. There was just one problem. I had no idea how to draw a horse in motion the way I could see it in my imagination. So I went searching online for a photo that might help me figure it out. Thankfully, I found something better. On Pinterest, the treasure chest of everything DIY, I found a quick visual step-by-step tutorial for a galloping horse. About 30 minutes after drawing a few basic shapes and lines, I had drawn the horse I wanted.
Looking back at what I was capable of drawing last year and this drawing for my first entry of InkTober 2017, I feel that my skills have grown. I’m looking forward to seeing where I’ll be in 30 days…
My Small Surrenders 
Good work on your first try at drawing a horse in motion. 😊 Whenever Inktober comes around I rarely get a few drawings done to participate. Stippling takes up a lot of my energy that I often don’t feel up to doing anything else. But I’ve been thinking of just trying to do some loose quick ballpoint sketches to participate and to help me get into the habit of sketching. Sketching is a weakness of mine that I would like to strengthen.
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Thank you! 😀
It took a heck of a long time but I’m really pleased with it.
I participate in InkTober for the sketching practice but I also use the daily prompts as a jump-off point for a mindful writing exercise. Last year was fun but I did put a lot of pressure on myself to do both parts well. I’m going to try to loosen that up a bit this year depending on whether the daily prompt inspires images or writing more.
I’ve seen your wip videos so I know how much time and energy you invest in each piece.
I think you should try doing a quick sketch each day. It could give you ideas for future stippling projects… 🙂
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