55: I Thought I Had One Book in Me—Now There’s A Fourth!
Introducing "Draw Your Adventures"
I am so excited to finally share the cover and pre-order link for my new book! Draw Your Adventures hits the shelves on July 15th, 2025.
In 2018, when my first book, Draw Your Day, was released, I was pretty sure that was it. I mean, how lucky was I to have a book deal—and somehow manage to write an entire book? It felt so unreal that I was simply grateful it had come to life. I was thrilled to have a new friend—my agent, Laura Lee Mattingly—and the privilege of working with an editor who had full confidence in me. I knew my artwork and process were worthy of being in a book, but I was intimidated by the writing part. I could barely write my high school and college papers without tons of angst. But somehow, with some valuable assistance, I managed to tell my story. Whatever happened from there was just icing on a cake I never thought would be served to me in the first place.
But then it sold. People read it. And (most) people liked it and still do! When I checked in with sales last week, I saw that nearly 100 copies of Draw Your Day sold in one week, six and a half years after its publication. The experience taught me that if you have something to say, you’ll find the words and the readers will come. I had a story to tell and a creative practice to share that resonates with many people. My sketch journals have been life-changing for me, and it turns out they’ve had a similar effect on others.
About a year and a half later, I got my second book deal. I learned that I can actually write and that I had so much more to teach, so Draw Your World came more naturally. It had many more words and broke down my practice in greater detail. But the core message remained the same: I am here to help you see—to notice the world around you so that you can draw it in your own unique and beautiful way. My books aren’t about step-by-step lessons, and I know that doesn’t appeal to everyone, but I stand firm in the belief that my way is just one way to capture the world on paper. I’m not a master of any particular technique—I spend my creative hours winging it. I use a pencil and an eraser, and I take time to design my pages with lettering and overlapping images. This is my way. But the most important takeaway is the storytelling, and that’s what I want people to feel inspired by.
Then something amazing happened—Draw Your World resonated too. It sold almost as many copies last week as Draw Your Day, and two years later (with a kids’ book in between), to my real astonishment—since second books don’t usually sell as well as first ones—I got a third book deal (fourth if I include Draw Your Day For Kids!).
Draw Your Adventures has been about three years in the making. When I was writing the travel chapter in Draw Your World, I knew I had so much more to share—not just about travel but about adventure in all its forms, from grand journeys to small everyday experiences. Now, with my main messages established in the first two books, I could focus on something different: ideas. This new book is filled with ideas—lists of prompts, tips on seeing everything through the lens of adventure, and ways to turn even the smallest moments into something worth capturing.
“You don’t have to fly to exotic places to see new and inspiring things. You can find excitement and inspiration in the world around you wherever you are, and my hope is that you will be here for all of it, because there really is so much to draw and paint along your way.”
I can’t wait for this book to reach your hands on July 15. It’s a labor of love, a project that has challenged and excited me in new ways, and I hope it sparks something special in you too. Whether you’re traveling across the world or just stepping outside your front door, there is always something to discover—something worth drawing, remembering, and celebrating. I can’t wait to see where your adventures take you.
Ask your local book store to pre-order the book for you! I always encourage shopping local, and our neighborhood bookstores need us.
In the months leading up to publication date, I will be working on some special collaborations and projects to make the book launch even more exciting!
I love challenging myself to draw things I’ve never attempted before. The blur of long exposure in photography has always fascinated me, so when our friend walked through my snapshot this past weekend, leaving a streak of motion, I knew I had to try to capture that movement on paper.
I’m thinking of removing the numbering system from my emails. My friend
and I have debated this for a while—does numbering my emails actually serve my readers? When I started on Substack, I was inspired by a few accounts that use a numbering system for their newsletters, which appealed to my organized mind. I liked keeping everything neatly filed on my desktop, each folder matching a specific number. But in the end, I realized the numbers might be more for me than for you. What do you think? Do you prefer when writers organize their emails by issue number?
Crossing Delancey
The Criterion Collection’s re-release of Joan Micklin Silver’s 1988 film, Crossing Delancey, is now available. I loved working on this project with Criterion’s creative director, Erik Skillman. The DVD booklet features artwork by me and an essay by New Yorker writer and author, Rachel Syme.
Workshops and Events:
• The next Draw Your World meetup will be on March 11th with
We will be drawing and painting some of our favorite images from our trip to Mexico. The link to register along with more information will be shared in the chat!• Draw & Paint Brooklyn with Samantha Dion Baker and Ohn Mar Win
I am so excited to share that my friend and super talented artist Ohn Mar Win is coming back to Brooklyn to join me in teaching two full-day workshops this coming May. Ohn Mar came to the US in 2022 and we hosted similar events, and they were a huge success.
You can choose either Thursday, May 8, or Friday, May 9, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
(Friday is currently sold out, but if that’s the only day you can do, please message us and we can add your name to the wait list.).
Creatively Wild Art Studios, 98 Water Street, Brooklyn
Click here to learn more!
• Draw Your Adventures: A two-day workshop in Apex, NC. May 30th-31, 2025 Click here to learn more!
• Five-day workshop at Sicily at Anna Tasca Lanza. This is my fourth year teaching alongside Fabrizia Lanza at Case Vecchie. It is a magical week. October 6-11, 2025. Update: Sold Out, but please add your name to the waitlist by messaging the school if you’re interested! Click here to learn more!
Ambassador and Affiliate Codes
If you’d like to try out Blackwing pencils or just order some new items, please shop using this unique link: blackwing602.com/sdionbaker. When you purchase using my link, there’s no additional cost to you, and I earn a small commission. I appreciate your support!
Most of my Skillshare classes feature my favorite Caran d’Ache art supplies. My relationship with the US distributor, Creative Art Materials, started back when I wrote Draw Your Day in 2018, and they saw how heavily I featured their art tools—many that I have been using since I was in grade school. Click here to find some my favorites on the Orange Art website.
The Draw Your World Palette, a collaboration between me (I curated the colors), Art ToolKit and Greenleaf & Blueberry.
All Canvas lights and accessories are 10% off with my discount code: SDB10.
I like the number system. It helps to keep track of what I have read and the information included in each article. Also, it helps to locate information that you may refer us to. I like things to be organized, so it’s a perfect fit for me. But, as it should be, the decision should be up to you and what you like. I am definitely looking forward to your new book in July. Looking forward to pre-ordering it very soon.
I too like your numbering system. It allows me to find the one's I've missed more easily. I hope you continue this practice.
Thanks for asking our opinion.
Plus, I can't wait to read your newest book. I've got the rest of them.
Always looking forward to your next post.