Samantha Dion Baker - Draw Your World: How to Sketch and Paint Your Remarkable Life

To my grandmother Evelyn Keyser, who is with me in spirit, I am so thankful for your words and guidance that were a gift to me for so many years. I can still hear your voice so clearly, telling me how proud you are. And thank you to my parents, Deborah and Alan Dion, who continue to support everything I do, from being first in line to purchase my work to liking every one of my posts to offering to take care of my boys while I meet a deadlineI am so lucky to have you. To Fairley and Cecil Baker, whom I am so thankful for each and every day; to my sister, Joanna Brownyou are always my inspiration; to my girlfriends (you know who you are, and I am incredibly blessed to have your constant support, understanding, advice, and laughter)you ladies get me through the days and I carry your words and love with me everywhere. Thank you to, hands down, the best literary agent, Laura Lee Mattingly, who knew I had a Draw Your Day 2.0 book in meonce again, this book would not exist without you. To the entire team at Ten Speed Press and Watson-Guptill: Ashley Pierce, who edited the book with so much care and love and has become a friend through the process; Jane Chinn in production; Lisa Bieser, who made the book as lovely as it is; and a special shout-out to the incredibly talented Kaitlin Ketchum, whose confidence in my work and in me carried me through the entire process. To Ian and Theo, whom I have gotten to know even better through the pages of my sketchbooksyou are the coolest kids on the planet, and you are loved beyond measure. And last but not least, to my very best friend and guiding light, Malcolm Bakerthank you for loving me and letting me love you back.

Samantha Dion Baker grew up in Philadelphia in a family of artists. She graduated from The Cooper Union in New York City and spent over twenty years working as a graphic designer. Now a full-time author, illustrator, and artist, her favorite thing to do is wander the city streets and travel with her family, drawing in the pages of her sketch journal all of the things she does, eats, and sees. She is also the author of Draw Your Day and Draw Your Day Sketchbook . Her self-published daily sketch journals are in the permanent collection of the Morgan Library & Museum exhibited at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. She lives and works in Brooklyn with her husband and two sons.

How can you capture a walk in the park with blooming flowers all around? A sad day, or a frustrating meeting? Or feeling tired, or full of excitement? How can you create a body of work that is simply an expression of your overall state of mind in a particular week, month, or year? We have awful years and wonderful years. Your world does not need to be broken down into days or hours. Many artists create a body of work that encompasses a larger period of time, and then another, and another, and these collections are often completely different expressions. Sometimes it is hard to tell that certain bodies of work were created by the same artist. Just as times change, our inner world changes, and so can our creative practice. When you look at it this way, all art is an interpretation of the world around the artist. Activist or political artwork is an expression of the time; making art about falling in love is an expression of the moment; art used for healing yourself after a physical trauma is an expression of the moment. Or, full circle, illustrating your bowl of cereal in the morning is also an expression of a moment. And all of these experiences can be expressed on paper in any way you choose.

When we pick up any new hobbyor come back to a creative practice that we abandoned long agothe road to a place of pride and confidence can be really rocky and frustrating. I have so many moments and days where I feel like my progress has leveled, or even regressed. Its part of life. If we begin at a place of perfection, then why keep trying? I understand its hard to have something youve worked hard on stare right back at you and feed you with all sorts of unpleasant feelings. Unlike picking up music or a sport, with visual arts you have a physical record of your progress. In the beginning, looking at your work can make you feel embarrassed or like a failure, outweighing the feelings of pride. But eventually that balance shifts. And trust me, its worth putting in the time to get there. I hope that I have helped you to realize that the journey is yours , and can lead you to unexpected places. From the beginning of this book to the end, I hope you feel inspired to draw your world in a way that lifts your soul and enhances your creative spirit.