March 2020.
Probably all of you remember what you were doing those days.
I was about to launch an idea I had at work: getting my colleagues out and about in London to do urban sketches. The first building we were going to sketch (followed by drinks at the pub) was King’s Cross Station.
Everything was planned.
·
My intention was to bring back the tool of sketching at the core of our architectural office in the form of social events and playful workshops.
Practicing architecture today means spending a considerable part of the day responding to emails, attending meetings, putting together packages for submissions, and preparing presentations. As a result, we spend more time in front of spreadsheets than sketching on a pad. And as it is easier now to produce visualisations and digital models, we tend to dismiss the craft in the process, neglecting the basic tools we have for becoming better (and happier) designers.
Sketching is one of them.
·
One of the first things I did when I started Architecture School was to get a sketchbook.
I used it to jot down my observations on the projects I liked and to sketch ideas on the projects I was designing for the school assignments. That helped me a lot in my design process: I was able to capture thoughts quickly, associate references fluently, and build a growing library of ideas to use when presented with a design challenge.
·
That was my secret in Architecture School: a sketchbook.
Actually, a whole shelf of sketchbooks.
However, I stopped sketching when I finished university and got a job in London. I was too busy reacting to deadlines and submissions that I lost my own creative process in the everyday noise and busyness of work in an architectural office.
Losing my process eroded my genuine curiosity and motivation as an architect.
·
It’s easier to recognise life turning points in hindsight.
One of mine was reading Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, which is the very first book I would recommend to any creative mind.
That book sparked the need to reconnect with my own creative self. So I took myself to life drawing sessions1 as ‘Artist’s Dates’2 and committed to sketching and writing - to practice - daily. This started to unblock my creativity.
I was, again, becoming more fluent in my own design process.
·
As an architect, I see sketching as design journaling.
Drawing helps me in my design-thinking process. Sketching is the way to practice this process. It helps me be a more informed and fluent designer. It trains me to be more observant and curious about the world.
It grounds me. And it gives me purpose.
·
Most things in life don’t go as planned. Some things, actually, turn out in a better way.
In the end, we couldn’t go to sketch around London as the pandemic unfolded. I was determined, however, in my mission to bring some sketching activities to our office to help us improve our design-thinking process and to have some fun drawing together.
I wanted to share what I was (re)learning.
·
That is how The Sketch Club was born.
Every month or so, we met for an evening of chatting and sketching. I prepared some assignments and challenges around a specific topic (similar to the ones you will find here) and we performed them together, connected online, each in our own homes.
The Sketch Club turned out to be a nice social event that kept us connected during those first months of the pandemic.
·
And here we are again.
Long story short, after a few months down the road, I got that same spark on sharing what I was learning on design processes and practicing on sketching at the moment (must have been another book!), with the hope of engaging with a community of like-minded creatives. So I undusted some of the assignments we did back then and brainstormed some new ones.
The Sketch Club is back.
If you are still here, thank you so much for reading!
You can find more specific information on The Sketch Club here.
If you would like to come on board on this creative journey with me, make sure to subscribe to the newsletter so you get the assignments and posts freshly baked into your mailbox.
And feel free to share your thoughts and feedback with me. It will be much appreciated. You can subscribe and send an email, or DM me on Instagram at @anavila_.
·
Cheers and happy sketching! 💫✏️
Ana
If you live in London and are interested, I fully recommend both Hacknakey and Fridays at the National Gallery.
This is one of Julia Cameron’s creative tools, together with ‘Morning Pages’ (you can find more on that in her book The Artist’s Way)
Thanks a lot Ana for reminding me the great importance of sketching for creative minds! I’m really excited about The Sketch Club!! Looking forward to start 🤗