The world at your pencil tip.

From health benefits to a creative outlet, picking up a pencil and paper can be worth the (relatively small) investment.

For some, a blank piece of paper is a nearly limitless opportunity to create and express an inner idea.

For others, the empty pad evokes a feeling of anxiety. For them, creating requires an investment of time and planning. There might be panic, list making, measuring of dimensions, or hours of decision making before even considering picking up the pencil.

To even consider sketching, some of us would likely have to silence our own inner voice, the one telling us that we lack the ability to draw anything worthwhile. But many believe you don’t have to be a naturally gifted artist to enjoy the benefits of sitting down with paper and some pencils.

Though there are many artistic mediums you could choose to create with, drawing might be the most accessible. It’s not likely that you can keep heaps of clay around the house for those moments when you feel like trying to sculpt. A simple pad of paper and a pencil or two can fit in a side table drawer and be accessed whenever inspiration strikes, which makes it more appealing and an easier art form to try.

Great art, or great expression of any kind, takes time. We could all benefit from slowing down – to focus on one single task that is enjoyable and all consuming. Time is our greatest asset and setting aside time for a creative project takes determination and focus on your task at hand. Distractions are all around us, and the more we give in to them, the less focus endurance we have.

Devoting time to one task, especially one that requires the creative synapsis and logical thinking pathways to fire, is a great way to engage your brain and retrain your focus.[1]

Sketching can also improve communication skills. Understanding visual communication allows you to consider expression through lines, figures, shapes, symbols, or colors.[2]

Your decision to interpret what you see and feel onto the paper allows both you and your audience the ability to consider emotions and feelings expressed without focusing on words. This allows for a better connection to internal emotions and enhanced expression with any audience you may have.

Focused drawing time can help improve your mood. By allowing your brain to focus on the task at hand, the constant strain of concentration can lead to stress and a host of other negative emotions. When your mind is focused on expression, it’s often able to relax, which can cause an endorphin release with the imaginative process, improving your overall mood.

By creating something with just your own imagination and hands, even if it’s not perfect (because nothing ever is), you can feel an immense sense of satisfaction and confidence in the fact that you made something out of nothing.[3] Watching a project come to life before your eyes as you go gives you physical proof of your effort and time. That satisfaction is something we all need and can be found in your pieces.

Looking to take a crack at this new hobby, or pick up the sketch pad again after a long break to see these benefits in action?

There are plenty of classes out there, whether self-guided or led by an instructor at every level of skill for you to hone your skills. You can begin to exercise your creative muscles as you get used to seeing the world through the eyes of an artist.

Online, you’ll find some courses will charge a fee to participate, like https://www.udemy.com/course/complete-drawing-course/ and https://www.linkedin.com/learning/topics/drawing. You can also find some free resources on YouTube that can get you started or help in great detail.

If you want to just see what you’ve got on your own, check out some guided tutorial books that take you step by step through a drawing. If you’re looking for something a little more freeform, there are books filled with ideas and prompts for sketches that can help you start the creative process.

Tips from a Trusted Source:

Annex Wealth Management’s Content Manager, Allie Anklam, serves as our own in-house designer and is an avid illustrator. Her work has been featured throughout the exclusive. She shares some tips to consider:

You can draw anything if you start seeing the world around you in basic shapes. For example, a table is really a bunch of rectangles. If you break down a complex object into simple shapes, it becomes significantly easier to assemble on paper. Eventually you will be able to draw from memory – by seeing an object in your mind, studying it, and breaking it down into simple shapes on a piece of paper.

Don’t give up on the page. If you make a mistake, don’t throw it out and start over, rather roll with it and figure out how you can use them. This teaches you to have confidence in your final product and to be creative with how you arrive there.

Practice! Even if you have paper in front of you with the purpose of just filling it up with anything that comes to mind, the more you do it, the naturally better you get.

And remember, you are mostly likely your harshest critic, so take your time, and extend yourself some grace. Every artist and professional must practice, make mistakes, learn, and grow as they go, and you can too!

[1] https://www.invaluable.com/blog/sketch-drawing/

[2] https://www.invaluable.com/blog/sketch-drawing/

[3] https://drawingsof.com/benefits-of-drawing/