Today's WIP Wednesday Sketch Blog dives into the rhythms of staying on top of creative projects and shows how readers can use the 8 Pages of Sketchbooking as a rhythm-setting tool for staying ahead—or at least not falling behind—the infamous "8 ball."
Welcome to another...
Work In Progress Wednesday
Every Wednesday, the to-do lists start to feel a little heavier. The initial rush of Monday’s energy is fading, Tuesday's tidy plans have likely sprouted a few chaos-flowers, and by midweek, we're either cruising on momentum—or juggling so many tabs (in our brains and browsers) we can barely find where we left our sketchbook, let alone our focus.
If you’re anything like me, Work In Progress Wednesday means one thing above all: regrouping. Reviewing all the scattered thoughts, notes, half-sketched ideas, coffee-stained post-its, and digital memos from a dozen apps. It means migrating everything into one place before it gets lost, forgotten, or buried under next week’s urgency.
It’s a make-or-break moment. You're either steering the ship—or hanging on while the creative waves toss you into the next storm.
And this, my friends, is where the 8 Pages of Sketchbooking shine—not just as an art practice, but as a planning framework, a creative life raft, and maybe even a compass for the long voyage of bringing your ideas to life.
But First... What Is the Proverbial "8 Ball"?
You’ve probably heard the phrase “behind the 8 ball.” It comes from the game of pool, where the 8 ball is the one you’re not supposed to hit until the end. If it blocks your shot, you’re in trouble. Being “behind the 8 ball” means you’re stuck in a tough position, where your next move might ruin the whole game.
Sound familiar?
That’s what it feels like when you miss a deadline because you forgot a key piece of planning. Or when your sketchbook's full of ideas you never followed through on. Or when a dream project stalls—not from lack of passion, but from lack of structure.
So today, let’s talk about how to stay ahead of that 8 ball by making the 8 Pages of Sketchbooking a core part of your creative routine—daily, weekly, and monthly. Whether you're juggling client work, personal projects, or an ambitious artistic vision, these pages can help you clear the table, aim your shot, and sink your ideas one by one.
What Are the 8 Pages of Sketchbooking?
In case you’re new here, the 8 Pages of Sketchbooking are a repeatable framework to fuel your creative process. Each page represents a different phase of the journey—from inspiration to execution. They go like this:
- Page of Possibility – Brainstorms, dreams, and wide-open ideas.
- Page of Play – Experiments, loose sketches, doodles.
- Page of Practice – Focused repetition of skills.
- Page of Study – References, observations, master copies.
- Page of Story – Narrative fragments, visual storytelling.
- Page of Design – Layouts, character design, compositions.
- Page of Reflection – Notes on what worked, what didn’t.
- Page of Completion – A finished piece, even if small.
Used together, these pages give structure to chaos. They keep the creative wheel turning, not in circles, but in spirals—each cycle building on the last.
A Matter of Course: Integrating the 8 Pages into Real Life
Let’s break down how to fold these into your daily, weekly, and monthly planning—so you don’t just create more notes to migrate every Wednesday, but actually move your work forward with flow and intention.
🗓️ DAILY: The Sketchbook Ritual
Each day, choose 1-2 pages to engage with. Think of it like cross-training for creativity.
- Monday: Start with the Page of Possibility to dump all ideas for the week. No filters.
- Tuesday: Dive into the Page of Play and Page of Practice. Loosen up, get in your reps.
- Wednesday: Midweek calls for Page of Study and Page of Story. Let inspiration and structure meet.
- Thursday: Spend time on the Page of Design—bring clarity to the chaos.
- Friday: End with Page of Completion and a short Page of Reflection. Celebrate progress, however small.
A 15–30 minute sketch session each morning can work wonders. If you’re short on time, just touch one page. You’re keeping the gears turning.
📆 WEEKLY: The Work In Progress Review
On Wednesday (how fitting!), set aside time to:
- Flip through the past week’s 8 pages.
- Ask: “What’s evolving? What’s stalled?”
- Update your Page of Reflection with midweek notes.
- Use your Page of Possibility to plan next steps or capture what bubbled up unexpectedly.
This becomes your creative checkpoint. The better your notes and sketches, the easier it is to find lost threads and pick them up again.
🗓️ MONTHLY: The Creative Pulse Check
Once a month, make time for a Big 8—one complete cycle through the 8 pages as a standalone project.
- This could be one concept explored across all 8 pages.
- Or it could be a greatest hits: pick your favorite sketches from the past month and evolve them to completion.
- You could even treat it as a portfolio piece or a “state of the artist” check-in.
Over time, these monthly cycles form a natural archive of your creative growth, challenges, and accomplishments.
Staying Ahead of the Curve (and the 8 Ball)
Here’s the trick most people miss: planning is not separate from creativity. It is creativity. Every time you migrate your notes, schedule your sketching time, or decide which page to focus on, you’re actively shaping your story as an artist.
The 8 Pages of Sketchbooking help you:
- Avoid paralysis from too many choices.
- Keep momentum during busy weeks.
- Reconnect with joy when you're feeling burnt out.
- Build a visual diary of your progress.
More importantly, they make sure you never have to look at a cluttered desktop, 14 open tabs, or a blank page and wonder, “What was I even doing?”
You’ll know. It’s in your sketchbook. Waiting for you.
Final Thought: Progress Is a Page at a Time
On this Work In Progress Wednesday, I invite you to open your sketchbook and turn to the next blank page—not with anxiety, but with intention.
Whether you're catching up, diving deeper, or just starting again, remember progress is built one page at a time. And if you’ve got the 8 Pages as your map, you’re never really behind the 8 ball.
You're just getting into position. To keep that notion in play how would you like a downloadable to help in that endeavor? You deserve it for reading this far!!
Download this Planner - Single Sheet!
Here is a printable 8 Pages of Sketchbooking Planner Template designed to help you incorporate the 8 pages into your daily, weekly, or monthly creative flow. This layout works great if you like organizing your thoughts visually and methodically—and it's built to be printed, folded, or pinned into your sketchbook workspace.
🖨️ Printable Template: 8 Pages of Sketchbooking Planner (Letter Size: 8.5" x 11")
Option: Print one per week or month, or scale it down and paste it into your sketchbook.
📌 PAGE LAYOUT (Single-Sheet Planner Format)
------------------------------------------------------------- | 8 Pages of Sketchbooking - Weekly Planner | | Name: ____________ Week of: ____________ | ------------------------------------------------------------- | PAGE 1: POSSIBILITY | | Brainstorms, big ideas, random sparks | | _________________________________________________________ | | _________________________________________________________ | | _________________________________________________________ | | PAGE 2: PLAY | | Free doodles, mess-making, joyful lines | | _________________________________________________________ | | _________________________________________________________ | | _________________________________________________________ | | PAGE 3: PRACTICE | | Repetitions, drills, warmups | | _________________________________________________________ | | _________________________________________________________ | | _________________________________________________________ | | PAGE 4: STUDY | | Life drawing, references, master studies | | _________________________________________________________ | | _________________________________________________________ | | _________________________________________________________ | ------------------------------------------------------------- | PAGE 5: STORY | | Character ideas, plot scenes, visual storytelling | | _________________________________________________________ | | _________________________________________________________ | | _________________________________________________________ | | PAGE 6: DESIGN | | Layouts, character design, thumbnails, compositions | | _________________________________________________________ | | _________________________________________________________ | | _________________________________________________________ | | PAGE 7: REFLECTION | | What worked? What didn’t? Surprises? Goals? | | _________________________________________________________ | | _________________________________________________________ | | _________________________________________________________ | | PAGE 8: COMPLETION | | A final mini-piece, inked panel, or visual wrap-up | | _________________________________________________________ | | _________________________________________________________ | | _________________________________________________________ | ------------------------------------------------------------- | 🗓️ DAILY TRACKER: Which pages did you touch each day? | | [ ] Mon [ ] Tues [ ] Wed [ ] Thurs [ ] Fri | | [ ] Sat [ ] Sun | | Notes: _________________________________________________ | -------------------------------------------------------------
🧭 Tips for Using the Template
Print & Fold Idea:
Print double-sided and fold in half like a booklet or paste each side into your sketchbook across a spread.
Digital Users:
Import this layout into a PDF annotation app like GoodNotes, Notability, or OneNote and sketch directly in each section using a stylus.
Bullet Points or Sketches:
Feel free to mix visuals and text in each block. Use checkboxes, thumbnail ideas, or symbols for recurring themes.
Customize for Projects:
Assign a specific project to each week or month and track how it evolves through the 8-page cycle.
