Clint Walkingstick

If the idea won’t work on paper, the idea won’t work. Keep sketching.

I believe in this so much that I manufactured my own sketchbooks! I suffer from having too many ideas. The easiest and fastest way I can tell if they’re worth anything is to put pencil to paper. Everything can benefit from being outlined or sketched out on paper, yes even poorly. If an idea passes that first test then I have to decided whether I can devote myself to finishing them or not. If not I move on. If I believe that my ugly idea has legs and can help someone in the marketplace I outline the next step and actually do it. This is where the proverbial rubber meets the road.

I believe there’s something magical that happens when you write things down. Most of all my ideas, plans or goals all gain that first spark of life or they die an honest death there in my sketchbook. But it’s the pencil and the paper that first turn the myst of an idea into a solid form. Only then does it gain the the visibility required to excite others. My poor wife is the first one who experiences the things in my sketchbook. She is quick to let me know whether the idea has any kind of merit whatsoever. Some would think that’s harsh of her, but I believe it’s what helps to push me forward. She grounds me in reality, keeping me sane-ish.

I believe that the best sketchbook is the one in front of you. There’s nothing sadder to me than an unused sketchbook. The poor thing just sits there with no purpose. It just takes up space, waiting and wanting to be filled with the contents of your heart and your mind. I’d prefer you use the sketchbook I designed but I’d be happy for you to use any sketchbook at all.

It’s difficult to be held accountable to the intangible. That’s why I love to put ideas down on paper. It creates instant accountability between me and the newly minted idea. The next time an ideas strikes, have the courage to take accountability for it and write it down.

1. Will your idea work?
2. What could make it work?
3. What would need to happen for it to work?

Show your idea to someone you trust. Show someone who can be honest enough with you to hurt your feelings and see what they think.

Where are all the awful attempts? I see a bunch of lettering masterworks on Instagram that look fluid and amazing but you never see the 900 attempts that were made before that one 30 sec post.

So here I am sucking at drawing some letters with a pencil in my sketchbook. Be brave enough to be awful at something first so you can be humble when you’re amazing doing something cool. This was fun so I’ll make more funny videos of me sucking at hand lettering soon.

Some of my best graphic design is made when I’m having fun. There’s danger in taking yourself too seriously so don’t do it!

This is design, if you’re not having fun you’re doing it wrong.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJvo0PWglz3/?taken-by=walkingstick_co

 I recently gave myself a little design challenge:

Use the, and I’m using the term very loosely here, “aesthetic” of the Westboro Church to make signs with positive messages.

Sadly, my versions of their awful posters would not get the same attention as their negative counterparts generate. But here’s the twist, I made them anyway. Even if you think that the things you make may never make a difference, make them anyway. Put good thinks out into the world. You may be surprised where it takes you.

What was the last thing you made just because? You may be amazed where it takes you.

I was recently interviewed. You can read it here.

Interviews have always left me flat. Everything feels very surface level and there’s never any solid advice. After the whole thing was finished I felt I still had more information to give.

I decided to change that by telling the world how I actually get things done from day to day.

Take a look.

What about you? How do you actually do your day to day? Help keep the conversation going by commenting. Thank you.