This summer, I spent a wonderful week in Ticino with my friends. During the university semester, I rarely find the time to draw purely for myself. Holidays are my favourite opportunity to reconnect with that joy, creating artwork that is neither commissioned by a client nor tied to an academic deadline.
The Method: Taking the Pressure off the Blank Page
A blank page in a sketchbook can easily feel intimidating. It creates unnecessary pressure to avoid mistakes or to design a perfectly balanced layout right from the start.
To overcome this, I prefer drawing on loose sheets of paper or leftover scraps. I paint individual fragments of different experiences, scenic views, or small details from our days. Afterwards, I cut these illustrations out and either paste them into a notebook like stickers or keep them inside a curated memory box.
A Bonus Tip for Your Travel Photography
My top recommendation for managing holiday photos is to curate and edit them right away. With smartphones, it is easy to capture hundreds of pictures without ever looking back at them.
Taking the time to adjust the framing, straighten the horizons, and tweak the lighting turns a random camera roll into a beautiful selection. You are far more likely to revisit a carefully curated album than a clutter of hundreds of unedited shots.
I hope this post inspires you to pick up a paintbrush and preserve your own holiday moments. Happy drawing!
