Why Everyone Needs a Traveling Sketchbook

I have this habit of trudging through life with my head down. Sometimes years and days feel like the same unit of time. As a result, it can be difficult for me to remember things. This goes for fun events in my life also. I've had many fun times and enjoyable moments but it's almost as if all my worst days are weighted more heavily than my good ones. I've been doing my best to take stock of the better moments but I have to admit it can be hard.

One side effect of being an artist is noticing details. When I remember a hike I remember the dirt, crags in the mountains, the smell of wild flowers. Whenever I am having a good time I try to sear it into my brain. I remember every little detail because I worry a heavier, darker thought might cloud the memory or take precedence over what happiness I'm feeling. I feel like this article is getting a little too real so let me explain how I use art to commemorate good times!

I love making art while traveling or having an adventure. For me, art requires a lot of attention to detail. This gives me a great excuse to pay attention to the place I'm in and enjoy my surroundings. I take a small portable watercolor book or a sketchbook, pick an easy thing to focus on and bust out a quick painting. For these paintings it's not about making a masterpiece or being extremely accurate. The goal is to make a painted representation of what I'm seeing and feeling. Think of it like an art diary.

Now I know what you're thinking. Why not just use a camera? My answer might surprise you because I almost always take pictures also. The pictures objectively show what the camera sees and help me out if I can't finish the painting on time. The painting offers a window into myself at the time. What was my subject? How does the painting reflect how I felt about the subject? My paintings help me remember exactly what things were like when I made them.

Doing art while on vacation sounds overwhelming but it's simple. I choose a subject that is easy and quick to paint. This could be a leaf, decoration, chair, etc. For people who feel scared or apprehensive about painting subjects from life there are many alternatives: you can paint wallpaper patterns you encounter, you can make pages of color swatches highlighting colors throughout your trip, you can paint small trinkets you find; there's an infinite number of choices! Don't be frustrated because you feel like you can't paint or you have to paint realistically. The goal of this practice is to express joy in the moment on the page.

There are also many benefits to making art 0n vacation. Doing art slowly releases dopamine. This combined with the excitement of a vacation really allows you to let loose. Art might make you feel more immersed on your vacation too. Normally, you might not appreciate the lemon tree you're sitting under, but when you're painting a leaf from said tree you might appreciate all of its capillaries and delicate hairs. In this sense art is fantastic at helping you be stay the moment.

One of my favorite things is to choose a quiet place with a great view to paint. Sometimes I paint the whole view, other times I focus on a tiny detail. I love watching the scenery slowly change as I do this. The world can feel static and boring but whenever I paint small signs of change come greet me. Leaves on trees might never ever catch the sunlight the same way again as the tree grows. A gurgling stream might never take the same path around a rock. As an artist you are here to witness and document these events at one point in time.

How do I do this? I have a portable kit I've accumulated over the years from gifts. It contains essentials like: a few brushes capable of large and small detail, a small tin with cartridges I fill with gouache, a pencil, an eraser, a pen, and a pencil case to hold everything in. Usually I bring along a small water bottle I've been using for years to clean the brushes in. You can even get rid of this by just using water-filled paintbrushes. I have a page here where I list everything I take in my traveling sketchbook!