Archive - Adventures with a pen

Being lost in the fog, and how to come back

A post about getting lost, and the things that light the way back to our creative selves.

Sep 14 •

August 2025

5 discoveries I made by drawing every day for 50 days

What I learned about using materials, sketchbook consistency and letting go.

Aug 19 •

July 2025

Illustrating my first book: what I learned

July has been very quiet here on my Substack, as there’s been lots happening in real life.

Jul 28 •

June 2025

My holiday inside a classic picture book

What happened when we stayed in what I'm sure was the real location from The Tiger Who came to tea.

Jun 27 •

A peek inside my pencil case: what I take with me when out sketchbooking

Tried and tested materials that are great for making drawings on-the-go.

Jun 3 •

May 2025

It’s ok not to do it all

Some drawings from my visual diary about the impossible expectations we set ourselves.

May 13 •

How to draw in public without feeling like a weirdo

Sometimes embarrassment gets in the way of us making those first few drawings. It can feel terrifying! But it doesn't have to.

May 6 •

April 2025

How drawing from life changed how I see the world

I expected drawing from life to improve my drawing skills. But all of the other, even more transformative things that it has given me have been totally…

Apr 23 •

Attack of the lurgies

I didn't realise I had the immune system of a Victorian workhouse urchin until my son started nursery.

Apr 8 •

March 2025

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