The most valuable tool in your kit could be sitting on your wrist. It’s the almighty timer on your watch!
Set a timer when you:
Choose a color palette
Sketch from a reference image
Clean your house
Look at your phone
Check emails
Does it feel restrictive and stressful?
No! The timer makes your day feel more like a carnival. When it buzzes, you know it’s time to get off a ride and move on to the next!
How can a timer help you?
Avoid overthinking - If you find yourself agonizing over getting that perfect line, set a 5-minute timer and it becomes a race between your brain and your hand. Hopefully your hand wins.
Limit procrastination - Errands, chores, and obligations can call out to us when we have work to do. Put 10 minutes on the clock, do what you can, then practice drawing!
Practice accountability - Social media is a necessity for promotion, but spending too much time there can sap creativity. Manually setting a timer to do marketing is a must!
If I were getting married, I’d ask my timer to be the maid of honor at my wedding. It may not be able to throw me a wild bachelorette party, but it’ll ensure I’m walking down the aisle on time.
![sketches of a zebra and crocodile](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1f445dfc-73c3-4737-a190-14e6308f60c8_2048x1574.jpeg)
![sketches of a zebra and crocodile](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F734b75d4-0935-410a-a929-10611b14cb05_2048x1536.jpeg)
A timer is my most important tool because it helps me treat my creative practice like a career. When I worked for others, I had no problem showing up at 9 am every day. The timer helps us treat ourselves with the same kindness and courtesy others expect from us.
![komodo dragon illustration by Beth Spencer komodo dragon illustration by Beth Spencer](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec8ed62e-dc2a-4e5e-b0eb-19d2decd9a30_2048x1536.jpeg)
TWO sessions next week!
Leaping Lizards on Friday and then a brilliant session with
on Saturday! Nishant’s drawing workshops are WONDERFUL and always leave me feeling inspired and excited to try what I’ve learned. If you’re a paid member of his community or this one, you’re invited!