I had never really kept a sketchbook until a couple years ago. I’d always wanted to, but I always felt the need for sketchbook images to be something, to look finished, neat, clean and well done—something others could see. I felt anxious at the idea of my failed ideas, mistakes, half-finished sketches, or bad drawings being all together in one findable place.
Lylee and me
In 2008, while visiting my favorite Lylee in Minneapolis, on one of my few trips back to the states while I was living in England–she and I decided to help creatively encourage and inspire each other by sharing a traveling sketchbook. In this sketchbook, we’d scribble, sketch, and artistically play, and then mail it back and forth.
For the first time, I allowed myself the freedom to really play with ideas or thoughtlessly sketch, and the freedom to make mistakes.
Finally, with this new freedom in creativity, I was able to truly develop image concepts, keep notes of song lyrics, thoughts, quotes, and reference images. In all honesty, Lylee and I only exchanged the sketch journal a couple of times. While our project itself wasn’t necessarily a huge success. But the process of inspiring me, and teaching me to embrace using a sketchbook was very successful.
Carly Swenson is an intuitive painter originally from northern Montana. She spent more than a decade working primarily as a mixed media artist before shifting to acrylics. Swenson received a BFA in Visual Arts with an Art History Minor from Bemidji State University. During and after university, she traveled and lived abroad, this included studying in China, traveling throughout Europe and living both in England and the Azores.Swenson’s work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions throughout the US and internationally. Her freelance writing and mixed media journals have been published in nationally distributed art magazines. She has facilitated art workshops for various age groups. Swenson’s work is also included in the permanent art collections of Angra do Heroismo Museum and Bemidji State University (Bemidji, MN). Currently, she lives in St. Paul, MN with a smart little dog and a weird little cat. They’re nice.
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All images (artwork and photography) protected by copyright and belong to Carly Swenson, unless otherwise noted. Any images not owned by Carly Swenson have been used with the consent of the copyright holder. Please do not reuse/publish/edit/copy/etc. any images from this blog without consent of the copyright holder. Thank you for your understanding and respect of artistic integrity.
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3 Replies to “liberated sketchbook”
I love seeing your sketches and finished pieces side by side. you are such an inspiration, i'm glad you decided to keep a blog. I look forward to catching up soon.
I had never really kept a sketchbook until a couple years ago. I’d always wanted to, but I always felt the need for sketchbook images to be something, to look finished, neat, clean and well done—something others could see. I felt anxious at the idea of my failed ideas, mistakes, half-finished sketches, or bad drawings being all together in one findable place.
Carly Swenson • Intuitive Artist 
I love seeing your sketches and finished pieces side by side. you are such an inspiration, i'm glad you decided to keep a blog. I look forward to catching up soon.
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