The publisher of
The Scribble Diary sent me a review copy for free. I don't normally accept review copies of non-yarny books, but there was one thing in the marketing blurb that caught my eye:
Use this diary to wind down at night and clear your thoughts before bed.
That's a book I need!
I also want to draw more. I'm no artist, but I think drawing and sketching (and free-style embroidery, for that matter) brings out a different creative side of me than the mechanical-robot crafts of crocheting and knitting. This is not a precious book of high-minded art that is too intimidating to scribble in, which is perfect for me.
This is where things get embarrassing for me. See what I mean about not being an artist? But I love this format because the minimal prompts and outlines really let my thoughts and feelings emerge without over-thinking everything.
Lord of the Rings? That's the other thing I do right before bed to clear my head. Nothing like a hobbit adventure to sweep away the stress of the day. ;)
Some nights I can do a brain dump on one spread. Some nights I do multiple spreads. I just keep doodling until I feel the worries, stresses, and concerns of the day recede into the background. I can't fix everything (or anything!) right before bed. And I can't fix much the next day without a good night's sleep. I even bought a super-cheap set of 30 colored markers at the dollar store for extra-colorful scribble fun.
If you look at
Lisa Currie's blog you'll see all sorts of amazing completed pages that readers have submitted. She also posts new doodle sheets for you to print. Here are three sample pages for you to enjoy, courtesy of the publisher:
What kinds of things do you do to settle down for bed? If you like to doodle, do you do it at other times and for other reasons? Tell me, I want to know. :)