The "worksheet" no one asked for

Q's I constantly A myself

I LOVED worksheets as a kid in school, I still do. I liked organizing them in my color coded folders (everyone knows—math is red, science is green, english/literature is blue)

Anyway, there was something special about a new, crisp worksheet. It’s a form a kid gets to fill out. I don’t know if you felt like this, but I LOVED filling out “forms”¹, I would make up my own to fill out. I just wanted to feel like an adult with important tasks.

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Hi! I’m Kayla Stark, an illustrator working primarily in the children’s publishing world. I write about illustration, process, publishing, and my life in general. Join in! Everyone’s welcome! All posts are free for everyone—upgrading to a paid subscription helps me continue writing these and supports all readers. Thank you!

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This technically isn’t a worksheet, it’s a newsletter post. But in this instance, let’s think of it as a WORKSHEET! (I was going to make this a double duty newsletter and ALSO give life/picture book dummy updates, but it got too long. I’m breaking off the latter for next post.)

ANYWAY—worksheet, questions, improving…let’s go!

When I feel stuck or dissatisfied in my work, these are questions I consider. This is also how I begin each of my purposeful practice challenges. :)

1. Are you trying to restart your creativity or improve on a specific skill/skills? Circle one (metaphorically)

   

2. What do you want to improve? Pick 1 or 2 things.

   

3. Look at your work, look at the work you admire. If you don’t initially know what you want to work on improving, this exercise might help. :) Arrange work you admire around a piece of your own. What do you notice? Is there something lacking in your work that you notice in the work you admire?

4. Differences/Similarities— Why do you like the work you like? (What about it specifically?) How do you get your work closer to the work you admire/what you see in your head? Write at least 3 answers for each question.

   

5. What subjects are you interested in? Do you draw (if you draw) any specific subjects over and over? (List your top 3) Pay attention to these things that make you, you.

   

   What I come back to time and time again. <3

6. Where are your references? You need references to work, to practice, etc. It’s not cheating or bad to use them. Get that out of your mind if you were thinking it! (Just don’t flat out copy someone else’s work and try to claim it as your own.)

   

7. Give yourself some structure. Adding deadlines and structure always helps me make headway on my personal work and goals. Where can you apply a timer? How many pieces do you want to make? When do you want to be finished?

8. Take notes and analyze. Immediately take notes—you’ll be happy you did! What did you do? How did you feel? What did you learn? What do you like? What do you dislike? What do you want to remember for the next round?

   

Here’s a really simple example of how I might interpret my answers from above into a drawing prompt or challenge. What would yours look like?

This is a super simple structure, but it can be more complex like my most recent purposeful practice challenge (focusing on backgrounds/value). Which is probably more like 2 challenges smushed together.

Go nuts! But make it manageable and measurable!

*takes off teacher hat

So yeah, this is how I talk to myself and try to improve. One of my friends told me I should make a whole workbook of things like this. And, honestly, that sounds kind of fun! 🤓²

Next time I’ll write about my picture book dummy status and how it’s affecting my brain! 🙃🧠🦁🥖

Thanks everyone
xoxo
K

1. And by “form” I mean any piece of paper I drew lines on. Or sometimes it would be an actual form from an actual business that an adult would give me to draw/write on if I looked bored while waiting on my parents. :)

2. coming from someone who used to make PowerPoint presentations of Final Fantasy characters.