My Day in Small Drawings

Book excerpt: Inspired by everyday life, comic artist Matilda Tristram offers an engaging and accessible introduction to the radical potential of diary drawings, small writings and comic strip creativity. Diary comics can tell your personal story; start conversations; describe things that can be difficult to communicate with words alone; and be a creative experiment in expression. Weaving words and images together to tell a story is fun to do; therapeutic; a way to connect with people; political; and even transformational! In My Day in Small Drawings, discover how to practice observation and active listening and use narrative and storytelling techniques to weave drawings and ideas together to craft a unique and delightful visual diary. After an introduction to diary comics and tips on incorporating humour, developing a visual style, creating characters and choosing pens and paper, discover 52 prompts to inspire your observational journey. Use the blank frames that follow each prompt to record your life as it grows with you. In any order you choose, document and explore: Yourself and your home – Find inspiration in your daily chores, activities and favourite clothing and objects. The world around you – Look outwards, at the people and things you pass on walks and in public places. Modern life – Examine how you feel about politics, the environment, online content, exercise, things that annoy you and things that make you happy. Family and friends – Write and sketch about your relationships, socialising, disagreements, holidays and love. Describe your real and imagined worlds by adding text to images and become a storyteller to create your own graphic narrative! Observational, personal, overheard conversations taken out of context, objects given a voice, locations and memories they inspire are all woven deftly into this charming book to cherish.