As a visual thinker, I’ve seen it time and time again: a new artist buys a beautiful, blank sketchbook, only to have it sit on a shelf, untouched. Or worse, a few drawings are made, and then the pages remain empty forever.

I used to be one of those artists. I’d buy sketchbooks of all kinds, with big plans to fill them with amazing art. But they’d always stay blank. I finally realized my mistake, and I think it’s a mistake many of us make: We confuse a sketchbook with a portfolio.

We want every drawing to be a masterpiece. We want our pages to be perfect, because we’re afraid of “messing up.” But this desire for perfection is what keeps us from creating in the first place.

I came across a reel from WoodleDoodleDesigns that completely changed my mindset: The Ugly Sketchbook.

This isn’t just any sketchbook; it’s the one you intentionally treat roughly. It’s for experiments, for ugly marks, for random scribbles, and for anything you want to draw with complete freedom. The goal isn’t to create a perfect piece of art; the goal is to get your ideas out of your head and onto the page.

This idea was exactly the boost I needed. I started carrying an “ugly” sketchbook everywhere. I filled it with everything: warmups, rough sketches, random ideas, and references. When a big idea hit me, I’d rough it out in this sketchbook first. If it was good, I’d refine it later in my portfolio.

This practice not only got me drawing more often but also led to some unexpected breakthroughs. Starting with random marks and experiments often sparks great ideas. As Jono Hey wisely put it, “Great ideas come when you are working on it and not before you start working.”

Some glimpses from my own The Ugly Sketchbook

So, I have a question for you: Are you treating your sketchbook like a perfect portfolio or a playground for your ideas? I highly recommend you get yourself an Ugly Sketchbook and start filling its pages with glorious, messy creation.