As the quiet of January settles in, I find myself drawn again to the comforting ritual of opening my sketchbook—no plans, just a cup of tea, a blank page, and the gentle promise of new beginnings. Each new year brings that rush of hope for creative routines, but turning a resolution into a real, joyful habit can be tricky, can’t it?

Maybe you’ve tried before—devoted a week or two to daily drawings, only to watch the habit quietly fade away… I know the feeling! So let’s explore some gentle, practical ways to make sketchbooking part of our daily lives in 2026, without pressure, perfectionism, or guilt if we miss a day.

My favorite tricks for keeping a sketchbook habit alive:

• Keep your materials visible and easy to reach. Leave your sketchbook on the kitchen table, or carry a tiny one in your bag. When sketching feels spontaneous, it’s much less intimidating.
• Lower the bar for “success.” Give yourself “permission” to doodle, scribble, write in messy handwriting, or even just make a color swatch. The important part is showing up—not making a masterpiece.
• Bind the habit to something else you do daily. For example, make a quick sketch while your coffee brews, during your commute, or right before bed. Small rituals work best!
• Record life’s little moments: your morning coffee cup ! A sketchbook is a place to celebrate the details—your favorite coffee cup, your cat’s unusual nap pose, the shadows on the wall, a quote that touched you, or the weather outside your window.
• If you miss a day, just start again—gently. Your sketchbook is never judging you, I promise. Every page is a fresh start.

Time for a gentle challenge?

Are you planning to sketch every day, or maybe just once a week? Is there a creative ritual or reward you’re hoping to try in the new year? I’d love to hear from you—simply reply to this email and share your hopes and struggles for your 2026 sketchbook. Let’s gently cheer each other on!

To get you started, I created a new online class on Skillshare: the 5-days Coffee Cup Challenge Class!

There’s something wonderfully liberating about keeping a regular sketchbook practice where you can simply play with watercolor and color pencils without pressure or expectation, sketching everyday objects like tea or coffee cups. Simple everyday objects that give you every day small pleasures.

Most of you who know you know I love to sketch tea cups ans I filled whole sketchbooks with them.

But I also have pleasure every morning to drink a cup of coffee or capuccino, so now I started a “coffee” sketchbook!

These coffee cup studies capture that spirit perfectly—the loose washes, the playful splashes, colorful pencil lines, those exploratory color swatches along the bottom testing out your palette. It’s in these relaxed moments, when you’re just observing the curves of a beloved Bialetti or the worn charm of a favorite mug, that you discover how colors blend unexpectedly and how a few gestural strokes can capture more essence than any labored detail. And the color pencil steps in, where the watercolor may feel too complicated. The bold color pencil lines complete the washes.

With this link you can have a free try out if you didn’t try Skillshare yet: Free link