Blank paper is terrifying. Honestly, it’s the most intimidating thing in an artist's studio, even if you’ve been sketching for decades. You sit there, pencil hovering, waiting for a spark that just won't come. We’ve all been there. You want fun stuff to draw, but your brain keeps suggesting "a tree" or "an apple" for the thousandth time. That’s not inspiration; that’s a chore.
The problem isn't a lack of talent. It’s a lack of direction. Most people think they need to wait for a "muse" to strike, but professional illustrators like Jake Parker, the creator of Inktober, suggest that constraints actually breed creativity. When you have too many choices, you choose nothing. When you narrow it down to something weird—like a "cyberpunk teapot"—the gears start turning.
The Psychology of Creative Block
Why do we get stuck? Neuroscientists often point to the "inner critic," that annoying voice in your prefrontal cortex that judges every line before you even make it. When you’re looking for something fun, you’re subconsciously looking for something perfect. That’s a trap. Fun happens when the stakes are low.
Think about your childhood. You didn't care if the dinosaur had anatomically correct hips. You just wanted it to have laser eyes. Reclaiming that "laser eyes" energy is the secret to filling up a sketchbook.
Objects with Personality (Not Just Still Lifes)
Forget the fruit bowl. Seriously. Unless you are deeply invested in the texture of a pear, it’s going to feel like homework. If you want fun stuff to draw, look at the junk on your desk but give it a backstory.
Take your keys. Anyone can draw a set of keys. Boring. But what if those keys belong to a giant? Now you’re playing with scale. You’ve got a massive, rusted skeleton key that requires two hands to lift. Or maybe your old, beat-up sneakers. Draw them, but imagine they have tiny wings like Hermes, or maybe they’re overgrown with moss and mushrooms as if they’ve been sitting in a forest for fifty years.
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Everyday Items with a Twist
- A toaster that’s actually a portal: Draw the toast popping out, but instead of bread, it’s a tiny galaxy or a fleet of paper planes.
- Your morning coffee: But the steam rising from the cup forms the shape of a ghost or a localized raincloud.
- A stack of books: Where one of the books is slightly open and a tiny rope ladder is hanging out of the pages.
Drawing from life is a fundamental skill praised by institutions like the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), but they also emphasize "conceptual thinking." It’s the "yes, and" of the art world. Yes, I am drawing a lamp, and it has octopus tentacles for a base.
Animals That Shouldn't Exist
Animals are a staple of the "what should I sketch?" category. But let’s be real, drawing a realistic dog is stressful because we know exactly what a dog looks like. If the eyes are two millimeters off, it looks like a cryptid.
The solution? Lean into the weirdness. Character designers at places like Pixar or DreamWorks often use "shape language" to make creatures feel fun. Start with a giant, wobbly circle. That’s the body. Now add tiny, spindly legs and a massive beak. You’ve just invented a bird that’s fun to look at and even more fun to draw because there’s no "wrong" way to do it.
Mashups and Hybrids
Hybrids are a goldmine. Take two things that have no business being together. A "Shark-Corgi." A "Snail-Tank." An "Owl-Bat." These prompts force you to think about how different textures interact—like how fur meets scales or how a hard shell connects to a fleshy body. It’s a workout for your brain that feels like play.
Why Urban Sketching is Actually Fun
If you're tired of sitting at your desk, go outside. Urban sketching is a massive movement popularized by Gabi Campanario. The goal isn't architectural perfection. It's about capturing a moment.
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Go to a local coffee shop. Don't draw the people—draw their shoes. Or draw the weirdly complicated espresso machine. There’s something deeply satisfying about capturing the clutter of real life. The tangled wires behind a computer, the overflowing trash can, the way a bicycle is leaned against a chipped brick wall. These things have "character." They tell a story about a place without needing a single word of dialogue.
Finding Beauty in the Mundane
- Power lines: They create amazing geometric patterns against the sky.
- Storefronts at night: Focus on the glow of the neon sign and how the light hits the pavement.
- Vending machines: They are basically big, colorful robots that give you snacks. What's not to love?
Getting Technical: The Science of "Flow"
Ever heard of "Flow State"? Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi described it as being so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter. Drawing is one of the fastest ways to get there, but only if the challenge matches your skill. If you try to draw a hyper-realistic portrait and you're a beginner, you'll get frustrated. If you draw stick figures, you'll get bored.
The "sweet spot" for fun stuff to draw is something that pushes you just a little bit. If you’re good at faces, try drawing them from a "worm's eye view" (looking up). If you’re good at landscapes, try drawing a forest made entirely of giant crystals instead of trees.
The "Draw This Again" Challenge
One of the most popular trends on platforms like ArtStation and Instagram is the "Draw This Again" challenge. Find a drawing you did three years ago. It’s probably cringey. That’s good! Redrawing it shows you exactly how much you’ve improved. It turns a solo activity into a measurable game. You’ll notice how your line work is steadier or how you understand light better now.
Modern Prompts for the Digital Age
If you’re working on a tablet like an iPad with Procreate, use the layers to your advantage. Draw a character, then create a new layer and "costume" them.
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- The Space Suit Version: Add helmets and glowing tubes.
- The Victorian Version: Add top hats and lace.
- The Zombie Version: Well, you know what to do there.
Actionable Steps to Keep Your Sketchbook Full
Don't wait for the perfect idea. It isn't coming. Instead, try these specific tactics to ensure you always have fun stuff to draw ready to go.
Build a "Prompt Jar." Write down fifty random nouns (Cloud, Sword, Turtle, Pizza) and fifty random adjectives (Melting, Robotic, Ancient, Tiny). Pull one from each. You might end up drawing a "Melting Sword" or a "Robotic Turtle." It sounds silly, but it works every single time.
Limit your palette. Sometimes having every color in the world is paralyzing. Pick three colors. Just three. Try to make an entire scene work using only those shades. This forces you to focus on values (light vs. dark) rather than getting distracted by "which green should the leaf be?"
Stop erasing. This is the hardest one. Use a pen. If you make a mistake, incorporate it. That "wrong" line could become a scar, a shadow, or a piece of clothing. When you take away the option to "undo," you become more intentional and, surprisingly, more relaxed.
Use a reference, but don't copy. Look at a photo of a cool building in Tokyo. Don't try to draw it exactly. Instead, take the shape of the roof and the weird signs, then put them on a floating island. You’re using reality as a springboard for your own imagination.
Set a timer. Give yourself five minutes. No more. Try to capture the essence of an object in 300 seconds. This kills the perfectionist habit and forces you to look at the big shapes rather than the tiny details. You'll find that these "messy" sketches often have more life and energy than the ones you spent five hours on.
The goal isn't to create a masterpiece for a museum. The goal is to keep your hand moving. Every bad drawing is just a prerequisite for a good one. So pick up the pen, find a weird prompt, and just see what happens on the page.