What I Learned From 75Art
A Daily “No Pressure” Drawing Challenge
Back in February, I shared that I’d joined Genna Blackburn's75Art Drawing Challenge — a 75-day commitment to drawing for just 5-15 minutes a day. Now that I've made it to the other side, I wanted to reflect on what I learned over the last 75 days — about routines, drawing, creativity, and honestly, about myself.
On Creative Routines 🎨
I went into this hoping to break a pattern I've always had: carving out an hour for something rather than 15 minutes here and there. Short windows have always felt rushed and unsatisfying to me, and this challenge confirmed it. On the days when I only spent 5-15 minutes drawing, I felt less focused and more hurried — unless the prompt was one I genuinely connected with. The lesson? I work best when I'm fully in it and can give my creativity ample time. That's not a flaw, it's just how I'm wired.
What I Discovered about my Drawing Style
Flowers, food, structural or environment inspired, and a new favorite: cropped details of my daughter from photo references — these were my sweet spots. I could have guessed that going in, but it became apparent rather quickly.
The prompts I struggled with most were the broad landscapes and human-focused ones — or at least that's how I interpreted them: actions, people, themes like mystery or drama. I found myself gravitating toward design elements rather than the figure itself, which felt more natural and interesting to me. When I pivoted to this, I tried to think of how the elements could evolve into something larger, like a pattern.
Which leads me to something else I loved about this challenge: when drawings started to feel like they could become something else — a character, a pattern, a building block for a future design. I’ve recently been practicing drawing and creating patterns for fabrics, wallcoverings or products. And when a piece felt like it had the bones of a brand or a collection, I got genuinely excited. Not surprising, but a good reminder of where my creative instincts naturally live.
The Case for Putting Down the Screen
The most valuable reminder this challenge gave me was to always try starting with something physical. I spend so much of my professional life working digitally — and there is something irreplaceable about putting pen or crayon to paper, even quickly and imperfectly. It helps me to get where I’m going in a way that a screen sometimes can't. I always encouraged students and designers I’ve mentored to do this, and this is a classic case of “practice what you preach”!
I also got to revisit color theory, a subject I've taught at FIT and studied during my own undergrad. This aspect was both comforting and freeing at the same time. I was drawn to brighter colors and contrast throughout these seven weeks, which I think had a lot to do with the mediums I was working with. But thinking back to my painting work of the early aughts, this tracks. I liked saturation and contrast back then too, and working with complements to compose images. The pieces with the most color and contrast ended up being some of my favorites during this span of 75 days.
Would I Do It Again?
Yes! I'd try a different medium next time. Colored pencils or oil pastels are something I have little experience with. Or maybe revisiting watercolors (though that feels more of a commitment than drawing… maybe it’s the combination of the tool, aka the brush, and the medium). Going forward I'd like to draw each week rather than every day — setting aside an hour (or two) to explore by hand feels more sustainable and more enjoyable than a daily “to do” list task.
I'm also excited to draw from nature as spring arrives, and from the inspiration that comes with the upcoming travel I have planned. And perhaps most importantly, I'd love to include my daughter in this practice. She loves creating and it's something we already enjoy doing together. I want to foster that. Drawing doesn't need to be serious or perfect; we just need to put crayon to paper and create something that wasn’t there before!
Final Thoughts: Keep my hands moving
True to my original intentions, this was a simple and consistent way to build a drawing habit — and it helped me get clearer on what I love to draw and why. My hands moved (almost) every day to create something from a blank page. That feels like a success worth celebrating. 🥳
Revisit all of my drawings at my original post here. 🖍️
