2024 is almost gone, and I’m considering changes I’d like to make in the new year. 

The idea of a fresh start with a clean slate sounds attractive, but as Mike points out in There Is No Starting Over, it can cause problems.

In this imagined new state, everything I’d written before would be like a dress rehearsal for the real thing. And everything that would come after would be perfect. In other words, I’d finally get my “act together,” whatever that means. - Mike Grindle

I’ve been holding on to a fantasy that someday, all my problems will be solved, and life will be smooth sailing. I can’t enjoy my life now, but once I “fix” myself, then things will be great. It’s a trap. I’m deferring my happiness to some imaginary point in the future that will never come.

Brandon talked about this in his No Clean Slate post.

I believe my quest for a clean slate was more of a desire to be someone different. To think that the version of me before was inheritedly broken and deserved to be replaced. - Brandon

I suffer from this in all areas of life. I reject myself for not measuring up. Everything feels like a test run. It’s never good enough. I’m always struggling and striving to meet some impossible standard, and it’s exhausting.

So, in 2025, I’m stepping off the self-improvement train. Things will never be perfect. I want to accept and appreciate my life as it is.

Santa came early! I purchase a new pair of Tozo NC9 Earbuds. The sound quality and noise cancellation are excellent for the price ($32 on Amazon). I've had them for less than 24 hours, so I'm still learning the various functions. I also downloaded the Tozo app, which allows you to set different sound profiles. I'll provide a more comprehensive review in a week or so once I have more hands-on experience using them.

Going into the new year, I'm eager to try urban sketching.

An urban sketch is a drawing created on location, indoors or out, capturing what the sketcher sees from direct observation. Urban sketchers use any kind of media to tell the story of their surroundings, the places they live, and where they travel.

If you haven't done any observational drawing, it can be overwhelming. There's so much detail in the world around us. How do you capture it?

This tutorial by Sketching Scottie provides a simple technique to sketch anything you see.

It feels great to be back in a daily drawing routine and sharing my work online. Inktober helped me break free from my perfectionism, and after completing 31 consecutive ink drawings, I jumped back into digital drawing with Linea Sketch. I completed a series of 10 sketches based on photos from stickerspotter.com, and yesterday, I posted my seventh sketch in a Christmas character series.

I've never drawn so much in a short period. Granted, none of these sketches are gallery pieces, but they aren't meant to be. I'm just having fun, drawing whatever interests me at the time. I try new styles and techniques. Not everything is as planned, but I always learn something I can use for the next drawing. 

I am still a recovering perfectionist, but after posting 52 drawings since October, I feel I'm doing much better. 

Here's what helped

• I set a two-hour time limit for each drawing.
• I consider a drawing complete around the 80-85% mark.

These constraints help me reinforce a done is better than perfect mindset.

In the past, I would get my sketches 80% complete within two hours, then spend countless more hours trying to squeeze an extra 15-20% by redrawing areas and fiddling with minute details. It didn't improve the drawing; it only left me frustrated, never satisfied, feeling like I needed to do more.

That last 15-20% has diminishing returns. Your time and energy are better spent working on a new sketch. 

I recently purchased an XP-Pen Artist Glove (not an affiliate link) on Amazon for $7. After using the glove for a few weeks, I wish I had bought one sooner. I love it! In this post, I share some benefits of using a drawing glove and why you might consider getting one.

There are several advantages to using a drawing glove. 

Reduces friction between hand and tablet.

Drawing gloves help when drawing curves and dynamic lines by reducing the friction between your hand and the surface of your tablet. This is most noticeable on bigger screens when making longer strokes, but I can tell the difference even on my 9.7" iPad. My hand doesn't stick to the screen, allowing more fluid strokes. 

Ensures no unwanted palm detection.

Prevent accidental taps and gestures while drawing. Only your pinky and ring finger are covered, so you still have three fingers to access touch features. Most iPad drawing apps have pretty good palm rejection these days, but I still occasionally get stray marks or unwanted clicks. Using a glove has eliminated this problem. 

Minimize smudges and smears.

A glove prevents sweat and oils from your skin from getting on the tablet. After drawing for hours, my screen looked horrible. I used a microfiber cloth to wipe it clean. My drawing glove is made from a microfiber-like material, so it helps to keep the screen smudge-free as I draw. It doesn't eliminate everything, but it's a vast improvement.

Do you need one?

How much benefit you'll see from a drawing glove depends on how you hold your pen, your drawing style, and how sweaty your hands get. But for such a low investment, it's an accessory every digital artist should have, even if they only use it occasionally.