Ah, sketchbooks. Sketchbooks are kind of essential if you do anything art related, it's where tiny ideas spark and grow into illustrations, surface patterns and projects, a place to collect all of the random thoughts from a creative mind.

I've got quite the collection of sketchbooks, A3, A4, A5, square, handbag sized, ring bound, spiral bound, stitchbound, hardback, soft cover, you name it, I probably have at least one of them.

And I use them for all different things, art journaling, sketching, writing, doodling planning in craft projects and sometimes I alter the cover of the book (just for fun) like the one that has a little door handle and a key on it. 

I used to have a bit of a love/hate relationship with sketchbooks, I'd always "ruin" them a few pages in when something I was working on didn't turn out as planned, or I'd draw something really cool but I then couldn't recreate it on a flat piece of paper to scan into the computer, I certainly couldn't rip a page out of a stitchbound sketchbook, what kind of monster does that?! 

But then I was given some knowledge by the amazing Rachael Taylor of Rachael Taylor Designs, Rachael Taylor Studio and Make it in Design . 

I was taking The Designing Your Way Course (aka Module One) by Make it in Design and it was Sketch Week, I can't remember Rachaels exact words, but it went a little something like this....

"Don't be precious with your sketchbooks, if you make a "mistake" or it doesn't work out, it's ok, it's okay, it's YOUR sketchbook, it's not ruined, it's a work in progress, changing as you go & if you still don't feel comfortable doing that, use a sketchpad instead"

Wow, this was more of a lightning bolt than a lightbulb moment, a total revelation, so fantastically simple & obvious that I couldn't believe it hadn't occured to me before.

Since then the way I use my sketchbooks has changed. I now mainly use spiral bound sketchbooks so I can rip pages out to scan on to the laptop, then file them away. Sometimes all I'm left with is a front cover & a rear cover of a sketchbook. The stitchbound sketchbooks are now used as inspiration books, sticking in greetings card, magazine & catalogue cuttings, just for collecting all kinds of patterns, colours and fonts. And most of my sketch and illustration work is now a big pile of paper in a folder (which takes up less space than lots of sketchbooks and is also filed alphabetically by subject matter so  it's easier to find the images I'm looking for).

How do you use your sketchbooks? How would you like to use your sketchbooks? Pop a comment below and share your thoughts, I'd love to hear them.