So I decided to participate in the Inktober challenge this year for the first time which began on the 1st October and finished a few days ago on the 31st. For those of you that don't know, it works as follows:
1) Make a drawing in ink (you can do a pencil under-drawing if you want).
2) Post it*
3) Hashtag it with #inktober and #inktober2018
4) Repeat
31 drawings in 31 days! Each day has a word prompt (you can see all 31 prompts below) Thousands of people join in every year and my Instagram feed has been flooded with amazing and creative drawings that have been a joy to scroll through. You can find out more information here: https://inktober.com/.
I bought myself a dedicated A5 Inktober sketchbook containing grey card pages and got cracking. So how did it go? Well I managed to complete almost all the prompts but I dropped the ball on a couple of days when things got too busy. A few days in I set myself the extra challenge of theming each prompt around a movie which to be honest, I struggled with on a few of the words but if I couldn't think of a movie (that I liked!) then I'd just draw something or someone else I found inspiring. I think the process is supposed to be fun, fluid, and flexible and so I partook with that very spirit. Mind you there were days when I didn't feel inspired and I did anything to avoid getting that sketchbook out....but I really tried!
Not one to do thing by halves, I also participated in 'Sober October' which no doubt helped my will to show up to the table every day and sketch. I hate drawing with a hangover! This too, was successful for the most part, aside from one night where my band played a home show and I jumped off the wagon for a bit. Since then, we've played a couple more shows and I've managed to happily stay alcohol-free.
All in all, I learnt a lot about myself (and non-alcoholic beer!) last month. Total sobriety is an eye-opener and I feel freer and more creative than I have ever felt. My curiosity for life has been rekindled and it is for this reason that I want to continue exploring an existence without dependency on any drug, social or otherwise. I've found that I wake up naturally at around 5:30 most mornings now and it is at this time of the day I am most productive. Who'd have thought? My sleep has improved exponentially and because of this my moods have levelled out. I'm still learning how to connect properly with people when I'm out using only my natural wit and charm (oh you lucky devils). Honestly? I don't find it easy. However, something must be working as I entered a new relationship recently with the most wonderful person and we realised yesterday that we have been together longer with me a teetotaller than as a drinker. That's a first....and he's still here.
Downsides? I'm craving sugar...sooooo much sugar.
I wonder what this means for the art? I'm excited to see what direction it will take with this new-found clarity.
PS. Please be gentle if you see me propping the bar up somewhere a few months down the line....I cannot predict what the future holds. I'm prepared for the ribbing though should that occur!
Here are all my Inktober sketches:
Some are more obvious than others, but if you follow my Facebook or Instagram page, you can see the thought process behind each one.
Until next time!
J X
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