No. 29: A New Year of Work and a First Year on Substack

The benefits of procrastination, some unfinished sketchbook pages, and words of gratitude for this platform.

Hello friends and readers! I hope you are well and the year is off to a good start for you and your loved ones. I am struggling to get into a post-holidays flow, but first on my list was to write this email, both to check in with you all and to help snap me back into the swing of things.

I have always taken pride in my work rituals, as my well-honed discipline has enabled me to be self-employed for over twenty years now. But in the past few months, world events, followed by the holidays and travel, have distracted me so much that for the very first time, I am way, way behind schedule. My manuscript deadline is close enough now that I have no choice but to put my head down and work. I must tune out whatever is happening outside my bubble, and the bubble needs to have a thick enough wall that the outside noise can’t break through.

The benefit of procrastination is that once you are backed into a corner, you find a way to get done what must get done. I can’t tell you how many times I have urged my teenaged kids not to procrastinate. The phrase “short-term gain equals long-term pain” is something I’ve repeated to them weekly. And now here I am feeling the consequences of kicking the ball to next week and the week after. I am about one-third through, so it isn’t that bad, but it feels like a whole lot of work after weeks of distractions. How about you? Do you procrastinate? Do you do your best work—or not—when under pressure?

If you are new here, or in case you missed my announcement, the work I’m talking about is writing the first draft of my next book, Draw Your Adventures. The good news is that when I was away between Christmas and New Year’s, having a fun family adventure in the Canadian Rockies, I was able to create seven sketchbook pages for the book. I had a list of things I wanted to touch on that relate to prompts in my book outline, but it was a fine line to coast for me, as I’ve always created my best work when I’ve had no agenda or goal in mind. I love to draw what catches my attention for no other reason than that it would be fun to draw while also bringing me back to a moment in time.

Below is a page I haven’t painted yet that already feels like it works because I was able to check a box on my list without compromising my creative process. The goal was to capture the big and the small—a grand, open scene as well as a small detail. The page will look very different when I am finished with it, but another sign of successful work is when I am happy with the composition and the overall page at this early stage.

Here’s another peek at a page I created while I was away, checking another box on the list. In the section about road trips, I was lacking examples in my existing sketchbook pages, so I used a few snapshots, taken with my phone, of the road ahead as we drove out of the mountains toward Calgary, Alberta. Getting the perspective right on the road, looking into the distance, is a little tricky since the lines are not straight and leading to one point.

As I continue to draw and write for the book, I will keep writing posts like this, sharing bits and pieces of my process.

A Year On Substack!

So much has happened since I started sharing on this platform. At first I thought Substack would be simply another place to post my monthly newsletters, and by doing so, save a little money, since I was paying for each email I sent with my previous provider. I was hesitant to dive deeper than that into the platform because the space seemed filled with so many amazing writers and didn’t seem like the right fit for someone like me, who primarily shares drawings. But then I saw other creatives, illustrators, photographers, comic book artists, and even fine artists beginning to share and write about their work on Substack very successfully, so I decided to give it a try.

It has been a great surprise how free, motivated, and supported I feel here. I have been able to embrace my writing a bit more by exploring new ways to share my visual stories. The Notes feature enables me to check in with my community with just a few thoughts or one piece of art. And I have been able to ease away from the pressures of posting all the time on social media. Plus I have hit some great milestones with numbers of subscriptions. More people are seeing my work, which is a huge benefit!

To sweeten the pot even more, last month I was invited to teach a workshop at the Substack headquarters in San Francisco; my page was featured in a few places like this post; and I was given a Featured Publication seal to show off. You can see the seal on my about page and my welcome page.

Substack staff drawings created at the workshop I hosted. Two different prompts were provided, so that everyone could enjoy their time without feeling intimidated.

To celebrate the one-year milestone, I am offering 20% off yearly subscriptions through the end of the month. To learn all about the differences between paid and free subscriptions, check out my about page. Founding subscribers always receive a small original painting and a selection of my stickers in the mail as a thank-you. (Be sure to check your spam for emails from me regarding this. I send a personal email after I see founding-level people join.)

No matter what level you subscribe to my page here, be sure to check my page on the website every once in a while. Many people don’t realize they can read all of my posts by visiting the site—or just click here and scroll through. Also, don’t miss the Special Edition posts that have quick links on the right side, below recommendations.

And absolutely check out the recommendations as well. There are so many amazing writers and artists on my list!

As always, thank you so much for being here. I appreciate every one of you!

When I was in San Francisco to teach at Substack, I was also able to meet with my editors from Ten Speed Press/Watson Guptill: Kaitlin Ketchum (left), who acquired Draw Your Day and Draw Your World, and Zoey Brandt (center), who is working on my new book.

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Classes and Meet-ups

My first 2024 class with Derwent will be on February 16th at 2pm EST. For those of you that enjoy these free classes, be sure to save the date on your calendar! Many of my previous classes with Derwent can be found on the classes page on my website. Scroll down to find links to the replays!

The first Draw Your World Meet-up for paid subscribers will be next Friday, January 12th from 4-5:30pm EST. I also will be hosting a new challenge towards the end of this month that will run for seven days. The last challenge was so much fun, so I am excited for another! For all info and the link to register, be sure to check the subscriber chat.

I also have a new Skillshare class that is just about ready to share. More on this very soon, hopefully by my next post!

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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!

A new affiliate of mine is Soumkine in Paris. Their stationery, journals, and sketchbooks are so beautiful. Click here to shop.

All Canvas lights and accessories are 10% off with my discount code: SDB10.