Leighton Hubbell - Illustrative Designer

A while back, after many years of doodling my little thoughts on anything I can get to accept a mark–anything from cocktail napkins to used envelopes,  I had found a way to give my brain a rest. I put it all in a book-bound sketchbook. The little 'scraps of brilliance' can all be pasted in one place for easy reference later. By putting it somewhere where you can get to it later, there is less anxiety about forgetting the thought. This puts less stress on the old hard drive located between your ears. It's too bad they don't make upgrades for more storage space–at least, not yet!

In essence, this is just a creative journal for visual people. You can pretty much pick any size you want. They come is anything from a 4" x 6" version to 14" x 17" and up. I like the 8" x 10" size because it easily fits in my backpack and on my bookshelves. You can get an inexpensive one at the stationery store, or order a really nice one from an art retailer. I decorate each one a little differently, so I can keep track of them. When they're full, go and get another one. There are really no rules on how to use it, you can make those up as you go.

I just find stuff that inspires me and paste, glue, tape or staple it in–you can even write or draw it in! They can be whatever you like: receipts, invoices, napkins, stickers, notes, cards or whatever strikes you as funny, weird, ironic–just whatever. It's anything YOU like and appreciate, so keep that in mind.

There are times when you are feeling less than inspired or for a particular project you are working on. This is a simple way to go back and skim through your thoughts. You never know, there might be something pertaining to your current stumper. Just think,  you've got yourself a separate creative brain all wrapped in moleskin. Have fun!