I once read about a person who drew a line through the first page of every new sketchbook. Why? Remove the intimidation of the first blank page staring back at you. It somehow makes it easier to move on and begin filling the remaining pages. Removed are the worries of making that first page perfect – thinking of something worthy with which to fill it. If the first page contains a scribble, there’s room for nothing but improvement on the remaining pages.
I’ve adopted this practice in my own sketchbooks, and it’s been helpful to me. The first page of my sketchbooks look something like this:
I always draw a line through the first page of my sketchbooks.
With a line drawn through the first page, my sketchbooks feel less precious. As a result, I use them more. I’m less concerned with perfection and more concerned with just getting ideas down onto paper.
This, the first article of A Simple Frame, is the scribble that fills the first blank page. It’s intentionally short and simple. It’s not perfect, but it’s done. It can only get better from here.