📝 A Small Assignment
A daily practice of sketching London
Begin where you are, with who you are. In order to go where you want to go creatively, you have to start somewhere. — Julia Cameron
About half a year ago, I made a birthday wish: to find what I called a new small obsession, a project I could call my own. I was going through a bit of a creative rut, together with some health issues, and I was craving that particular kind of creative energy that brings you to life and helps you focus.
Looking back, I realise I may have been approaching it the wrong way. I was too focused on finding a what, rather than building a how. Because, actually, when it comes to making art—or sipping from that sweet cocktail we call creativity—the what doesn’t really matter. Nor does the output. What truly matters is the how, the process. Actually, not even the process, but the practice.
Rather than waiting for something to arrive, some sort of spark or inspiration, I needed to create the conditions for it. I needed to build a system that allowed me to sustain a consistent creative practice.
I didn’t need a new small obsession. I needed a small assignment!
The difference is subtle, but significant: an assignment builds a practice, regardless of the outcome(s). And it’s the practice, not the output, that generates that creative energy. So instead of waiting to make art by stumbling upon the next obsession I’m learning to take control of the conditions that allow creative energy to appear by creating a practice that will invite that inspiration in, every day, regardless.
Action has magic, grace and power in it.—Goethe
This Small Assignment consists of the following: every day, I must find a corner, place, or building in London’s public realm that has something particular or interesting about it. It’s essentially like being a collector of moments and places across the city.
It must be within the public realm (or an indoor public space, like a museum), that’s a constraint I’ve set for myself. I’m using a small A6 sketchbook to collect these places. The trick, because sometimes I can’t sketch on site, is to always take a photograph and jot down the location. Whenever I can sketch in situ, I do. If not, I draw from memory later on, or use the photos to sketch from the scene.
As for materials, I’ve also set some constraints, because constraints are great for sparking creativity. I’m using my Pentel mechanical pencils, either 0.7 or 0.9 2B leads. I’m starting with simple line drawings. No colour yet. I’m keeping it easy on purpose to help build the habit and make the practice stick.
The Small Assignment is helping me achieve the following:
Practising the art of noticing.
Exercising the eye and training the skill of observation. It pushes me to look more closely, to find patterns or contrasts, to look beyond the obvious, and to ask questions. To stay aware of the world around me. To pay attention to it.
Practising discipline.
We all know this is the hardest part of any creative practice, but it’s essential if we want to take it seriously. Being intentional about what and why I draw helps to establish the habit. It’s a commitment to myself and my creative practice.
Practising joy.
In essence, I’m combining many of the things I love doing, many things that define who I am: London, architecture and urban design, urban sketching, observing, and drawing. It’s a reaffirmation of my own identity, too, and a daily awareness of the things that bring me joy.
Ultimately, the result will be a book of my London: places and buildings I have visited across a period of time, places that feel special to me. A personal visual map of the city. Nothing new here, many artists do this unconsciously every day. But for me, I need a little push, a bit of structure and a framework to keep going. That’s just how I work.
This Small Assignment is, at its core, a framework that allows me to play. A way to build a habit. It’s like furnishing an empty room with toys to transform it into a playroom. This Small Assignment is my playroom.
A brilliant book I read a few years ago and I keep going back to from time to time that feels very relevant to this idea of play and I would strongly recommend is The Photographer’s Playbook. It’s a collection of assignments and ideas around photography intended to sharpen your craft. But I believe that, even for other types of visual artists, it’s incredibly useful, especially when it comes to learning and practicing the art of noticing and going deeper into things.
‘Rather than focus on large jumps (…) we do better to focus on the first small step, and then the next small step after that. (…) Art is a matter of commitment. — Julia Cameron
I started this Small Assignment at the beginning of May and have been doing it for nearly a month now. There are a few lessons I’ve already learned:
Life often gets in the way—and that’s okay. Some days I don’t sketch at all, while on others I sketch for a whole afternoon. I started off strong, but after a few busy days with family visiting, my sketchbook sat untouched. I still need to learn how to balance my practice with other commitments. But more important than the daily sketch itself is the ongoing practice of noticing, of constantly observing and paying attention to the world around me, to the things that might be interesting or inspiring. It’s a valuable discipline for any artist, but above all, it helps me stay present.
After just a few days, I’ve already noticed how much I prefer sketching from life rather than from memory or a photograph. It’s not always easy to find the time, or even the comfort to stop and sketch in the middle of the street, but it’s something I’m increasingly pushing myself to do. It requires letting go of the fear of being observed, embracing a bit of stillness, and allowing myself to slow down in both time and space.
Limiting the materials—specifically to a 2B mechanical pencil—is helping me explore different drawing styles using the same tool. Again, constraints help your practice. I often return to the same drawing and redraw it, again and again, and by changing the style, I end up noticing different things. Some sketches are purely line-based, while in others I’ve begun experimenting with shading and tone.
This Small Assignment has become more than just a drawing exercise—it’s a gentle, daily reminder to slow down, look closer, and reconnect more with London and my creativity. It’s not about perfection or about the outcome, but about building a practice that keeps me present, curious, and inspired.
As Julia Cameron says, just begin. Begin where you are, with who you are.
✏️✨
Happy sketching!
Ana
Love this Ana, and love your chosen locations. I've been trying to build a small daily habit. I've accepted that I'm going to fail along the way, but I think eventually something will stick. I'm viewing the process of attempting to build a habit as an experiment in itself, to prevent my inner judge emerging. Looking forward to seeing how your drawing/observational habit develops.
Amazing Ana! I am now thinking of a small assignment ❤️😊