Travel more, sketch more, remember more!

Travel More. Sketch More. Remember More.

People often ask me why I carry a sketchbook everywhere I go. After all, we all have cameras in our pockets that can capture a scene in an instant.

The answer is simple.

:: A photograph records what you saw. A sketch records what you experienced::

When you I stop long enough to sketch a fishing boat, a café, an old doorway, or a favorite beach, something wonderful happens. I begin to notice details that would otherwise slip by. The color of the shadows. The shape of the clouds. The laughter from the table beside you. The smell of fresh bread or salty ocean air. Even the breeze becomes part of the memory. When I started to sketch my surroundings I felt like i ‘knew’ the place… now when I glide by on my E-bike i feel like I now ‘belong’ to the place …

Sketching slows us down.

It invites us to be present instead of rushing to the next destination. Whether you’re traveling halfway around the world or exploring your own neighborhood, every page in your sketchbook becomes a story. Looking back through those pages months or years later, I remember not only what I saw, but how I felt. I recall the people who stopped to chat, the smell of the food from the nearby restaurants, the uncomfortable rock I perched on!!

The sketch doesn’t have to be perfect. In fact, the imperfect pages often become my favorites because they remind me of real moments. A wobbly line, a coffee ring on the page, all show I have ‘been there’. The handwritten notes beside the painting instantly remind me of the tiny details of that session.

When I teach watercolor and travel journaling, I’m not simply teaching how to paint. I hope I help them to learn to create lasting memories. Every sketch becomes a souvenir that can’t be bought in a gift shop.

Travel gives us new experiences.

Sketching helps us to SEE them.

Together, they create memories that last a lifetime.

So wherever your next adventure takes you, don’t just take photos.

Take a few minutes to sit down, open a sketchbook, and capture the moment with your own hand.

You’ll remember more than you ever imagined.

Sketchbook Challenge

This week, find one place you’ve been dozens of times—a park bench, your favorite coffee shop, a garden, or even your own backyard.

Spend just 15 minutes there.

Draw one simple sketch, add a splash of watercolor if you like, or just sit and ‘observe’.  Then… write down:

• Three things you noticed you had not really ‘seen’ previously.

• Two sounds you heard.

• One feeling you experienced while sitting there.

You may discover that the greatest adventures aren’t always the farthest from home—they’re the moments when you truly slow down and look.