Inktoberfest - The Aftermath

Inktober 2017 has completed, and I'm happy to say that I've made it through unscathed.  Where in the beginning, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to keep up, by the end of it, it had become part of my daily routine.  I found that it really tapped into just how creative you can be, outside of drawing of course.  I mean, a lot of these words provided were so vague, but that also worked to your advantage.  Being creative means having no boundaries, and most certainly for some words, I really had to find a creative way to convey those words ("Poison" is definitely one that stands out for me).

Though I mostly just sketched my way through each day, I don't regret putting a small bit effort, compared to how I've seen others have.  I came to realize that it isn't how fancy your drawing is... just draw and follow the rules.  If it was based on how fancy my drawings ended up, you can certainly see when my good days were.

My friend and I who were keeping each other accountable each day were discussing our plans moving forward.  I may not have the same dedication for drawing each day after Inktober, but it certainly has made me realize that I would like to improve on my skills.  It has reminded me how much fun it is to draw, even if mostly on your own terms.  And there is certainly something to be said about drawing on physical media, compared with digital media... the fear of drawing something permanent without the luxury of the "Undo" option.  I love it :D

Interested in checking out my contributions for this year?  Search for pippopottymouse in IG.

Inktoberfest

My usual online social platform of choice has been Twitter over these years.  Primarily because it's allowed me to share my quick thoughts or interesting links, and kill 2 birds with one stone by allowing those same posts to be shared to Facebook at the same time.

Now, only a handful of people are aware that I also have an Instagram account.  I'm not particularly active there, I think mostly because I've seen how "bastardized" (in my eyes) it's become... mainly with the overuse of hashtags (I mean... is it really that important just how many categories through hashtagging your photo needs to be in?).  If ever I've ventured in, it's because I'm curious as to the number of visual artists there are uploading their works (mostly drawings), and trying to find some inspiration through their styles.  You'll find that a majority of people I've followed there are visual artists.  As for myself, you'd figure I'd do the same, but I haven't.  Sure, I've uploaded a few photos, but none are drawings.  I guess because I don't really draw or sketch as much as I used to.

Now, a close friend of mine reminded me about Inktober.  I'd first been made aware of this period last year while doing the odd browsing thru IG.  The fact that you don't really need to worry about what to draw... just draw something based on the word of the day provided, certainly appears to make things pretty easy.  In all honesty, I was looking for an excuse to be a bit more active in IG, and perhaps Inktober may provide that first step.  Plus, it does afford for me to practice up on my sketching skills, and be a little more creative.  I also bought this little travel sketchbook awhile back, so I plan to use this for my drawings.

The prompt list for this year is out, so as of this writing, I've officially got 2 weeks to come up with a plan on how creatively I want to tackle each word.  It's a bit daunting to even think about doing a word a day for the whole month of October, but it's also exciting.  I haven't quite decided whether or not to reveal my IG account to friends/family... perhaps closer to the end of the month.  We'll see.

Wish me luck.