In order to show consistency and make an attempt to do the niching down thing, I am planning to draw (personal work) in groups (or series) of seven pieces. I have sketches for the first one (women with cats), notes for the second (food related) and a clear idea of what the one after will be (rooms - it’s been ages, but I seriously LOOOOOOVE drawing rooms and watched a talk with Katie Scarlett the other day and she has totally succeeded in carving a room illustration niche).
This also helps with having something to draw (or colour) at any point, because there’s a folder of sketches on my iPad now that I can pick up at any point and start colouring. And if I’m in a sketching mood, there are notes for the next sketches to do. And if I’m in a brainstorming mood, there’s an ideal to make notes about.
Doesn’t help with this daily drawing thing, though… hmmm…. maybe I need a folder full of mini sketches for them too… oooh, I could do a weekly mini-series! I’ve done enough of these that don’t actually relate to what I’m writing about that I can double down on that and just write whatever (because, really, that’s what I like doing - boring though it may be*).
It’s also a lesson/challenge in sticking to things. Because I have a habit of getting distracted. I’ll plan a series and draw two pieces in it and then get really excited about something else and never finish the series. Which is all well and good if you are just drawing for fun. But not so much when it’s a job/career/vocation!
Do you draw in series? Would you buy a series of prints, perhaps? Do you also tend to go off on tangents? Niching down? Good or bad?
* Just noticed that my subscriber numbers have gone down again; I am literally shedding subscribers by writing every day (though have gained some followers so I guess that’s OK). Actually, it doesn’t matter. I am doing this for a whole bunch of reasons and evolving whatever it is I am doing here as I go. Maybe I’ll pick up readers along the way, maybe I’ll lose a bunch. I’ll still be gaining in terms of my own personal growth.
Tasha,
I think it's wonderful you have committed to daily drawing and need to have a plan that works for you. Posting as often as you want to should be your focus, not the number of subscribers. Substack is a breath of fresh air and the land of no algorithms. The readers who care about you will be here to connect.
Distraction is an issue for creatives as our minds want to dash this way and then that. Usually, it does not assist our forward momentum making art or whatever form of creativity we love to do. I look forward to seeing the different series you'll be making. Happy creating!