2026 resolutions
I always start the new year a bit over-motivated. This year was no exception, but I tried to channel that motivation in the right direction. No overly ambitious goals, but rather building small routines that don't create pressure and focus more on fun and relaxation.
the "other" resolutions
Last year, I think it must have been around September, I read a book for the first time in years. And then I even read two! By the end of the year, I had read four books in total – two of them by Jane Austen. Her books have been sitting on my shelf for years; I've wanted to read them for so long, and I finally managed to.
Ein Vorsatz ist also „mehr lesen“ geworden. Das Ziel sind 12 Bücher in diesem Jahr. Das soll mir unter anderem bei meinem anderen Vorsatz helfen, weniger am Handy zu hängen und in Instagram zu scrollen. Wenn ich nicht weiß, was ich tun soll, lese ich anstatt Instagram zu öffnen. Im Januar habe ich jetzt schon 2 Bücher gelesen und ein drittes angefangen. Ich könnte das Thema „Lesen statt Instagram“ noch etwas ausführen, aber darum soll es jetzt nicht gehen.
artistic resolutions
My next resolution is much more fitting for this blog. I wanted to express it in a short sentence, but I'm realizing now that it's not so easy. The simplest way to put it is: more drawing practice.
The more detailed version:
Since the end of December, I've been doing at least one small sketch every day. And I'm doing it with anything I want – that's part of my resolution! No restrictions, just doing it. If I don't know what to draw, I copy pictures by illustrators I like. I somewhat euphemistically call them "Master Studies" 😀
It sounds banal, and it is: I don't let myself be influenced by things I see on Instagram or put myself down for not being as good as I want to be. But I can only improve with practice. And for me, "practice" primarily means just doing it and not constantly overthinking everything and not even starting for whatever reason.
Double page from 27th Dec 2025 until 1st Jan 2026
View of the individual sketches:
Except for one day, I've stuck to my new routine. I deliberately started very simply, just with a pencil. Well… with lots and lots of pencils 😀 I was surprised by how many different pencils I now own. From 2H to 5B, I have something for everyone. Before, I only ever used HB, the gray one from Faber-Castell. Now I understand the benefits of different pencils. But in the end, one will do just fine 🙂
my small pencil collection (and two erasers)
Of course, I don't always paint in the same sketchbook or with the same materials, but with whatever I feel like or whatever inspires me at the moment. And I have a new "favorite toy." More about that in the next blog posts.