When I first started my blog, it was a way to get back to drawing from life. A challenge to draw something every day for a year. My online sketchbook was another way I thought of it. It was September 2011. At that time I just posted whatever I had done, there was no quality control, it was all about putting in the reps. As time went on I continued, adding photos and anything else that inspired and helped with my creativity.
Things changed when a few years in, I had a review of my illustration portfolio. The reviewer was quite disparaging about how I used my blog, calling it an ‘image dump’ and encouraged me to use it more as a way to show my expertise by writing articles which would support my illustration business. I took this advice on board and started but as each article required more time, I posted less frequently. Slowly the posts became fewer and fewer. And the last few years here have been tumbleweed to be quite honest.
But the blog played such an important part in my ‘creative recovery’ that I just can’t let it go. So this year, I’ve decided to use it as my online scrapbook and will put things here that I want to remember or that inspire me. It will go back to being primarily for me (although I hope you will enjoy it too!) becoming my own source of inspiration not a way to get customers or showcase my work. After all, I have a website for the ‘professional’ side of things.
January was about unravelling my year and reflecting on 2024, using the prompts from the generous Susannah Conway I wanted to take the process slowly this year and went to a myriad of coffee shops to work through the exercises. I practised getting back to basics, making some small, short sketches before opening my phone too. So this first blog post of 2025 is just coffee shops reviews and quick sketches.
My creative bank account needs replenishing and
this is where it starts!
The Yurt Cafe, St.Katherine’s Precinct, 2 Butchers Row, E14 8DS
Bija Coffee, 2a St.James’s Market, SW1Y 4AH
The Standard, 10 Argyle Street, WC1H 8EG
Ozone Coffee, Emma Street, E2 9AP
Barbican Kitchen, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, City of London, EC2Y 8DS
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