How to Start Drawing Again (When It’s Been a While)

If you haven’t drawn in a long time, you’re not alone, and you haven’t lost anything permanent.

Life gets busy. Jobs, kids, moves, and burnout all crowd out creative time. Then the longer the sketchbook sits, the scarier it feels to open it. Suddenly, picking up a pencil feels like a big, loaded decision.

I’m Genna, an illustrator, surface designer, and educator in Detroit, Michigan, and I’ve taught lots of artists who came back to drawing after a long gap. Here’s how to start drawing again in a way that feels good.

First: Your Skills Didn’t Disappear

Your first few drawings might feel clunky. That’s normal, and it’s temporary. Skills come back faster than you expect, and what you’ve learned about looking, color, and taste stays with you. Think of this as stretching before a run, not a test of whether you’re still an artist.

6 Easy Ways to Start Drawing Again

1. Make the bar embarrassingly low

Don’t plan a masterpiece. Plan to draw for five minutes. Set a timer, draw something small, and stop when it goes off. Finishing a tiny session builds momentum much faster than abandoning an ambitious one.

2. Draw simple, everyday objects

A mug, a shoe, your keys, a piece of fruit. Familiar objects need no idea-hunting, so you can just enjoy making marks. A short daily habit is one of the best ways to rebuild your skills, and I share more in how a daily drawing habit helps you improve your art and find your style.

3. Use a photo as your starting point

A blank page can feel paralyzing. A photo of your pet, your garden, or a snack on your counter removes the “what do I draw?” problem. Here’s how to draw from a photo in a way that also nudges you toward your own style.

4. Pick a sketchbook you’re not afraid of

Precious notebooks create pressure. Choose something inexpensive and let it get messy. The goal is to fill pages, not to produce pages worth framing. 

5. Welcome the ugly drawings

Your first drawings back may not be your best, and they don’t need to be. Some of the most useful pages are the ones that go wrong. I wrote about why messing up a drawing might be the best thing that happens to it.

6. Stop comparing yourself to your past (or anyone else’s) work

Comparison is the quickest way to make drawing miserable. Your only job right now is to enjoy it. If the inner critic gets loud, remember that you don’t have to be “talented” to be an artist.

A Simple 7-Day Plan to Restart Your Drawing Habit

• Day 1: Draw one object near you for five minutes.
• Day 2: Draw your breakfast or your favorite snack.
• Day 3: Draw a houseplant, a tree outside, or a vase.
• Day 4: Draw from a photo that makes you happy.
• Day 5: Doodle with no plan, just shapes and lines.
• Day 6: Draw something silly.
• Day 7: Flip back through your pages and notice what you enjoyed.

You don’t need to post any of it. This week is for you.

Keep It Fun

The artists who keep drawing aren’t the most disciplined. They’re the ones who stay curious and keep it enjoyable. If you need a reminder of why that matters, read why creating art for fun is essential for every artist.

Want some structure and company? Try the Draw Simple Daily challenge for a gentle, no-pressure way to build the habit, or grab my free resources.