“Don’t forget to sharpen your pencil!” Professor Bronté addressed the class. You’d think that after illustrating a few books, I wouldn’t need a Drawing Fundamentals class. But here I am, all summer, at my local city college, a HB pencil in hand, sketching still lifes alongside a group of students ranging in age from 18 to 80.

Why? Because part of staying creative is staying a student. I didn’t need a grade; I needed a fresh perspective. Author Stephen Covey calls this “sharpening the saw,” taking care of your mind, body, heart, and spirit for better productivity, but I call it sharpening the pencil. Because you can’t make a masterpiece unless you take care of your tools (thanks, Prof. Bronté). And guess what, in life, the tool is you.

Photo Credit: Natasha Khan Kazi

Unlock Your Creativity With Self Care

If you want to explore ‘sharpening the pencil’ and how to implement this habit in your life, I created this guided self reflection journal. The prompts help you reflect on how well you are taking care of yourself—mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually—so you can stay effective, creative, and energized.

A few of the prompts include:

• Mind: What sparked my curiosity this week?
• Body: How did I move in a way that felt good?
• Heart: What simple action made me smile today?
• Spirit: When did I feel the most grounded or at peace?

Anytime you are in a rut, just slip out this guided journal sheet, and take a few minutes to reflect. I hope you find an Aha moment or a few reasons to smile.

You can download this free printable by entering your email below!

It’s Never Too Late To Learn

Photo Credit: Natasha Khan Kazi

For three years I’ve wanted to learn about ink, ink washes, and pen. Thanks to this class, I was able to finally knock it off the bucket list. A reminder it is never too late to learn something new.

Peace & Salam,

Natasha Khan Kazi