TheyDrawtober: A Month of Daily Drawing Challenges & What I’ve Learned
Wow, what a beautiful journey! Taking on the TheyDrawtober challenge this year has been a wonderful practice that stretched my creativity and commitment. I felt challenged, inspired, uninspired, and brave enough to try new things—and now, looking back at each day, I’m filled with joy and a sense of accomplishment.
This was my first time completing a drawing challenge like this, and I’m so glad I took the plunge. Back in September, I received an email from Sally and Nate at TheyDraw announcing the challenge, and I knew it was the perfect opportunity to jump back into a creative practice. I’d taken a step back from my art around May as I prepared for the arrival of my baby, so the timing couldn’t have been better.
Before the challenge, I was working on filling my sketchbook with food illustrations, experimenting with ink and colour, which is a particular challenge for my inner perfectionist! I also wanted to practice art by hand and not rely so much on Procreate to straighten out those “wonky” lines. So, after getting that email, I decided to dive right in. The food-themed prompt list was perfect for me, and I treated myself to a set of Tombow Dual Brush Pens as a birthday gift. I made a plan, and by October 1st, I was ready to go.
Here’s what I’ve learned over the past month:
1. Finding the Time and Setting Boundaries
I’m a mom of two (my littlest is 3 month old), so my days are busy, and I often found myself drawing at 9 p.m., after dinner and once the kids were in bed. This time would normally be for relaxing on the sofa with a Netflix show, but instead, I took that time to draw while still enjoying my show from my desk. I also found that setting a timer helped me to stick to a reasonable amount of drawing time. While I didn’t always manage to keep within my half-hour goal, it taught me to value the time I could carve out, even if it wasn’t perfect.
2. Embracing Imperfection with Colour
This was a big one for me! Working with markers and ink, I couldn’t “undo” or double-tap to fix a line as I can in Procreate. It made me feel out of control at first, but as I let myself make mistakes, I found a new level of freedom. Using colour helped me embrace these imperfections and appreciate the spontaneity of hand-drawn art.
3. Planning Ahead Pays Off
At the start of the challenge, I reviewed the prompt list so I could plan my ideas. For some prompts, like “Salty Snack” (#3), I already knew I wanted to draw a pack of Wotsits giants (a favourite of mine and the closest the British have to a classic pack of Cheetos!), and for “Cookbook” (#12), I was excited to illustrate my concept for a baby weaning cookbook. Knowing these prompts ahead of time helped me focus and reduced the overwhelm of having to think on my feet each day.
4. Done is Better Than Perfect
One Sunday evening during Week 2, the prompt was “Ice Cream.” I’d recently designed a tea towel covered in ice cream illustrations, so I felt a little stuck. It was late, I was tired, and honestly, I just couldn’t gather the energy to create something brand new. So, I grabbed some of my daughter’s colourful origami paper and started cutting shapes without much of a plan. It felt a bit silly, but I got it done. And the next day, I found myself enjoying the experience enough to try again with paper collage. This taught me to let go of perfectionism and embrace the creative process as it unfolded.
5. Will I Keep Going?
I’m going to try! While I didn’t always love having to do this every single day, I’m proud of the 31-day streak I maintained, and I’m keen to keep the momentum going. I may set my own prompts or explore other challenges to keep myself motivated. Could I continue this through to the end of the year? I’m not sure, but I’d love to find out.
Final Thoughts
TheyDrawtober has reminded me of the joy that comes from showing up consistently. Whether I was feeling inspired or not, the practice of creating something every day was transformative. I found new styles, learned to let go of the “perfect,” and rediscovered the simple pleasure of drawing by hand. If you’re considering a creative challenge, I’d encourage you to dive in and see where it takes you. You never know what you might create—or learn about yourself along the way.
Thanks for following along, and I can’t wait to share what’s next!
