Using my sketchbook to get organised!

June 18, 2021 | 5 Comments


One of my favourite uses for my sketchbook is to document the mundane things in everyday life, and I love using it as a way to make me commit to a project at home.

As a general rule, I use my Bullet Journal for planning (so it’s for things in the future) and my sketchbook for a record of what happened, where I went, what I saw etc (things in the past). It’s only occasionally that I use my sketchbook for planning – such as my trip prep or my sewing plans (in the old days when I made more time for sewing).

This week I’ve started a systematic tidy up in my workspace. Going through every drawer and shelf etc in order to create more space. I decided to document my progress in this simplified diagram. As I’m halfway through my current sketchbook (No. 145) I’ll have to complete this page (and project) before I finish the book. So that is a nice source of motivation for me.

The image in my sketchbook had to be done quickly and simply as I want to maximise my time for tidying up! 🙂

I often find that these types of diagrams are super interesting to me when I revisit them down the track. The last time I did a similar diagram in my sketchbook was when I documented my camera positions while filming Sketchbook Design – that time my diagram was actually to scale. (BTW Sketchbook Design is returning soon – find out more here!)  I also used this tidy-up diagram technique 10 years ago and there is a fun aerial view of my studio in my last home.

And just for the record, there is nothing special about the marker I am using. Just a pen I bought many years ago when I was doing a brush lettering course.

Do you ever do pages like this in your sketchbook?

5 Comments

  • Peggy Bowman says:

    I did something similar years ago when we added a room to the house. I laid out my then-weaving studio space with everything drawn to scale so all my yarns and tools were accessible where I needed them in the right sequence. Wish I had thought of placing that planning in a sketchbook. Would be useful for my re-focus on painting and journaling. I hope you share the final layout of your studio with us!!

  • David Campbell says:

    I do! I call them “Da Vinci pages” now, after an inspiration from the fantastic Sketchbook Design course work.

  • Ana says:

    La verdad es que yo no tengo cuaderno de bocetos, nunca lo había visto, pero me resulta una forma muy interesante y creativa para organizarse. Gracias.

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