What if I told you my rubbish drawings are my prized possessions. They show my progress, my determination (or delusion) and they show me what I’ve learn along the way. A record of growth and change, a letter for 18-year-old Jen when she had no confidence
Drawing by nature is messy, awkward and expressive and “crappy” sketches are often where the magic is. I think as an industry we need to rethink what makes a drawing valuable. To me any drawing is valuable, its valuable because you did it! Its valuable because it is communicating an idea or solution, whether it’s considered a “good’ or ‘bad” drawing its still doing an amazing job. I think it is time we rephrase “crappy” and reclaim the process.
Here’s why embracing imperfection might just help. it might be your ticket to leveling up your style (and landing clients!).
If you have ever had a class with me you will know I take a messy is best approach. My work starts out with a very quick rough base and I refine as I go because I realised chasing perfection was slowing me down and interfered with my confidence. I always encourage my students to leave the judgment at the door and just give it a go. Because a crap sketch is better than no sketch at all. A “crappy” sketch is often just in your head because I know a client doesn’t see your sketch as “crap” they see effort and care (no matter what it looks like to you)
Now, don’t get me wrong if you want something to come easily you need to practice. There’s a theory that it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill. But here’s the twist, those 10,000 hours aren’t spent making one perfect drawing. They’re spent just making thousands of drawings. If every drawing is an experiment, a chance to mess up, test ideas, and evolve it’s not about perfection it’s just about doing the drawing. Great illustrators are built through volume, not perfection. Confidence comes through practice not perfection..
So we need to aim for confidence not perfection and that’s the difference!
I got to where I am now by experimenting relentlessly, failing often, and drawing thousands of sketches that never saw the light of day and thousands of sketches I share. even now most of my sketches have wobbly lines, corrections and changes of mind. but they all come toger to make some kind of sense because of practice (confidence) not perfection.
Illustration isn’t just about getting good, it’s about enjoying the process and I think our clients can tell if you had fun. The best artists are the ones who keep that sense of playfulness, even after years in the industry. When you focus solely on making things look “right,” you stop taking risks, trying new techniques, or pushing your creativity. When you embrace the learning mindset, every sketch becomes a discovery. Instead of stressing over flaws, I ask myself:
Can I create something in under five minutes?
What’s the weirdest, most unconventional approach I can take?
Is there a medium that communicates me?
These little challenges fuel creativity, make practice fun, and keep you improving without burning out.
I realised that if I wanted to stand out I needed to be different. The best way to be different was to lean into “me” It’s not about copying others or making the “most polished” work. it was about finding my own voice and building confidence. And that only happened because I stopped focusing on perfection and leaned into every drawing (good bad and ugly).
Next time you pick up a pencil, don’t stress about making something perfect. Instead, focus on making something. Anything that shows you listened! Whether it’s wild, wobbly, or downright ridiculous, it all adds up to your growth and connection.
Your worst drawings are secretly your best teachers, always your clients favourites and the ones you should value the most. So join me in forgetting “perfection”, embracing the idea that some pages will end up in the bin and celebrate the process not the result.