For most spooky-loving ghouls, October is the start of the most wonderful time of the year. Not only is the weather starting to change (kind of a joke for us in Texas), but artists everywhere are dusting off their sketchbooks for the Inktober drawing challenge—a month-long event that, for me, brings out all things dark and creative.
Every time I've participated in the past, my artistic creativity and skill have been nourished, like planting seeds in fertile soil. Each time, the challenge pushes me to explore new ideas, refine my techniques, and embrace a fresh level of dedication. Inktober has become a catalyst, helping me grow as an artist and pushing my creativity in a positive direction.
Since deciding to pursue art as a career, it seemed like a no-brainer to take on the challenge once more. This time, incorporating a daily tattoo practice into the mix.
Committing to the Inktober Drawing Challenge
The 31 randomized prompts were released a month early, allowing artists to get a head start on the challenge. Note: You're not alone if you read through and questioned the "randomized" descriptor for the prompts above. Most of the words seemed to be following a theme (NOT Halloween) and a few were synonymous. The comments section of the official Inktober prompt post was worthy of some popcorn.
How do you commit yourself to a 31 day Inktober drawing challenge when you're pissed about the prompts leading you in an entirely different direction?
Call me stubborn or rebellious if you'd like, but I prefer to see it as determined. Hell-bent, if you will. Getting heated about something is great motivation for me, so I immediately set to work on how each prompt could, even at a stretch, become related to the season.
Pushing Creative Boundaries
I've tried different strategies, but my go-to method for research is to create a board on Pinterest with 31 different sections for each prompt. I'll spend hours searching and organizing different pins - I find most of my inspiration through photography.
Once I feel like I'm set on an idea, I'll start sketching it out and see where it takes me. Normally, I take pen to paper, but because I've been learning and working on Procreate for tattooing, I decided to use my iPad for this challenge. Most of the drawings remained digital, but some ended up on paper and others became tattoo practice on synthetic skin. I even got to tattoo one design on a friend's shoulder!
The Role of Social Media
Mostly, I participate in the Inktober drawing challenge because I like pushing my creative boundaries and seeing what fun designs I can come up with. It really gets me thinking outside the box and results in skill and creative progress—exactly the point. However, I’d be lying if I didn’t acknowledge the social media benefits. Let’s talk about that for a hot second.
Sharing my daily Inktober creations online wasn’t just about posting and sharing art, even though I really like the praise. And, it wasn’t about growth or numbers for me this year, even though Instagram let me know that I reached 20,000 views - a nice boost for visibility after not actively posting for a bit. Posting my work daily held me accountable to the commitment I made to actually complete all 31 prompts of this drawing challenge.
Comments, messages, and feedback kept me motivated each day, making Inktober more than just a solo creative journey. It was a chance to connect with people who share my passion for art, including other artists participating in the challenge, and maybe even inspire someone to take on their own creative journey.
Not only did social media hold me accountable, but it also sparked meaningful interactions, leading to unexpected commissions. For the prompt "grungy", I decided to turn a selfie into a drawing and added my favorite horror movie character - ghostface. When a friend saw it, they reached out and wanted one of her with her favorite horror guy.
But I won't pretend it was all smooth sailing. Alongside the excitement and praise came plenty of pressure, and ultimately, burnout.
Mental Health and Self-Reflection
Being creative is my favorite way to spend time, but putting myself through a 31-day challenge with a public audience ramped up my anxiety. I’m still learning to balance pushing myself with stepping back when needed, and I tend to overexert myself when faced with deadlines. Halfway through Inktober, I got hit with what must’ve been COVID, (though I didn't get tested), which forced me to ease off the physical side of things like tattooing.
The pressure was lingering, though. I couldn’t help feeling like I had to care about social media analytics and engagement, so I forced myself to take a step back and set a reminder that my focus wasn’t on growing my account. While my reach grew, it felt like my regular followers got tired of seeing Inktober content, which is totally fair. Let's be real, not everyone shares my love for spooky season!
To be honest, I hit a mental low after completing the 31 drawings. I even turned off story replies on Instagram to give myself some space, and I took a few days to completely unplug from anything creative. That built up some anxiety, too, especially with an art show and holiday market just around the corner. But, it was a necessary pause. I realized (again) I couldn’t force myself to keep producing, no matter how much I wanted to power through.
Lessons Learned
Despite the self-induced pressures, the Inktober drawing challenge is a great experience. Maybe next time, I'll preemptively schedule in more breaks to balance out the anxieties. Yes, I'm great at pushing myself, but I need to work on recognizing when it’s time to step back and rest, especially when my mental and physical health are on the line.
More lessons I have to keep recycling are self-compassion and letting go of perfectionism. Done, not perfect. Done, not perfect. Done, not perfect.
Note to self: It’s okay not to post every day or interact with every message if it feels overwhelming. Taking time to recharge isn’t a waste; it’s necessary for long-term growth.
And finally, a note for the future, the challenge is supposed to be fun, not an obligation. The results and the journey are valuable no matter the engagement or how others react. The challenge is about personal growth, not external validation.
My thanks
As I reflect on this year's Inktober journey, I’m thankful for the support of my friends and followers who cheered me on through each drawing, and for the connections I made within the artistic community.
It’s not lost on me that I have the ability and opportunity to explore my creativity in new ways, even when the experience was challenging. Each drawing was a chance to express myself and grow as an artist, and the unexpected commissions were delightful surprises that added to the journey.
Ultimately, I’m grateful for the lessons learned—about balance, self-compassion, and the importance of having fun with my art. Inktober may have come to an end, but the insights I’ve gained will continue to shape my creative practice as I move forward into new projects and challenges.
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