For the past three years, I have been participating in Inktober; an art challenge during the entire month of October where you make art based from prompts, with inks. The first time I heard about Inktober, I brushed it off because I didn't believe in my skills enough or dedication, to draw everyday. So I never tried. It wasn't until just a few years ago, that I finally gave it a go and it was a such a great experience.
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I learned so much from my first Inktober that I made the decision to do Inktober every year. 2020 Inktober wasn't a good year for me though because I was going through so much pain from my mom passing away that I finished a few prompts and didn't finished - it was tough to accept but I knew deep down that I needed more time to myself.
2021, I felt stronger and after all of the hardships I had overcome, I found myself dedicating more time to my art and I knew when Inktober came around, that I would commit. I almost forgot about it of course when October came around, but I was still excited for it nonetheless.
Inktober is normally done with inks but since I have been wanting to improve my digital art skills, I told myself that I would do my prompts digitally, using the Inktober brushes I had downloaded to give my artwork a more natural feel to it.
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Drawing digitally was a challenge though because for starters, I was using brushes that I had never used before - so I had to spend time getting a feel for them and adjusting them so that they gave me the right effects. The second challenge was making sure that my art didn't look too digital which meant purposefully giving it a watercolor wash look that I would achieve on paper. There were parts where I colored over lines, just as I would have with watercolors, which overall helped me be more relaxed when drawing.
Now on day five though, I have already had to draw two prompts in one day since there are times where I don't have time to draw or I am just too tired; so I leave it for the next day where I am more focused. I've learned that by trying to be so strict with posting everyday, it can put more pressure on me and that's not motivating. If I skip a day, I do the prompt the next day instead and I feel much better than if I were to try to draw when I'm exhausted or crunched on time.
I know there will be plenty of prompts that I won't really enjoy or my art won't come out as good as I wanted it to which is completely normal. I have noticed that there are some prompts I feel more connected to than some and I just learn to appreciate what comes so that I don't stress out over perfection. This is why Inktober is fun; it forces me to relax, have fun drawing out of my comfort zone, and be more leaned back as an artist
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My reward to finishing Inktober is to get myself a tablet. I haven't decided what tablet, but I know I want either an Ipad tablet or a Wacom Cintiq 16 inch tablet - which is only for drawing. Both are a bit pricey, yet I would really like to upgrade from my current wacom tablet. It would be nice to have both honestly, but for now, one will do. Having this reward at the end of the challenge pushes me more to finish.
So, yes it's okay to bend the rules a bit, as long as you're enjoying your self as an artist - that's all that matters. Being an artist is a creative pursuit that never ends and our emotional state plays a big part in our ability to create, in general. To be stressed or aiming for perfection will only prevent you from seeing your own individual gains and also make it harder to live in the moment with yourself.
I used to be scared of art challenges until I learned that it was only by accepting challenges, that I would grow even more. Give it a try. As a self-taught artist, challenges have given a new meaning to my life that I will always appreciate.
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Until next time! xoxo - Sarah
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