Recently I finished the books Flow and Finding Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. They cover what really brings happiness in life, and Mihaly strongly recommends pursuing Active Leisure time over Passive Leisure.

Quite often on weekends, we go into Binge Watch mode: queuing up a new series on Netflix, getting deep into a video game, or simple doom scrolling on Instagram.

While there is nothing wrong with treating yourself to well-earned leisure time, care should be taken not to overdo it. Most of these activities will relax you, but they often don’t actively uplevel your brain in terms of new knowledge or skill gain. This is exactly where the concept of Active Leisure shines—it asks you to engage, not just consume.

In our recent SketchNoters meet-up, Anita brought up an interesting concept: if you can go on a Binge Watching spree, why not try a Binge Sketching Mode?

The idea is simple: Pick up your pen and start drawing. Don’t worry about results or outcomes—the subject doesn’t matter. You can start with some basic warm-ups, and then simply let your hand move. The goal is to sustain that activity long enough to lose yourself in it. It’s not about perfection; it’s about the act of creating and getting lost in the zone.

On personal reflection, this seems like a truly powerful concept to adapt. It directly ties into Finding Your Flow—a state of energized focus that brings genuine long-term satisfaction and ultimately, greater happiness.

So, the next time you feel the pull of the couch, try picking up a pen instead. Let’s make Binge Sketching our new favorite weekend ritual!