Sketchbook Time Capsule

Along with the various art and writing projects I put my energy into, my main one is a fantasy series that I began around 6 years ago. I've written multiple manuscripts, lost entire files of information, and have been compiling a notebook of every single detail I can put down about the universe I write about. I was planning on getting the first novel of the series out in 2019 but that did not happen. I'm glad it didn't. I have a lot to work on and fix and my illustrative skills have greatly improved over this year. I am aiming to send it to an agent sometime in year 2020 or if that does not work out then I will fall back on my plan of self-publishing. I would prefer to work with a professional agent so that I have a better chance of a publisher catching onto it but that is yet to be known.

Anyhow- I am working on another draft of the manuscript currently and I was looking for a very specific map I made years ago. It's a beautiful map. Everything is painted and the edges are singed to make it look weathered. (I almost set my old apartment aflame doing this- I don't recommend setting paper on fire in an enclosed space!) As I was looking for the map I went through several of my old sketchbooks and it was so interesting to see different chapters of my life laid out in those pictures without any words describing what was going on.

The type of sketchbook I used showed what type of financial situation I was in at the time.

The medium I used showed what materials I had access to.

The subject matter showed what popular culture I surrounded myself with, what I was watching on television at the time, or what project I was writing.

The pieces in my sketchbook conveyed what emotions and struggles I was going through at the time in a safe way so that no one else could find out what I was truly experiencing inside.

I dove into these sketchbooks to find a simple map and even a few sketches of my fantasy characters yet I embarked on a journey that I didn't expect. One that took me to many years past.A sketchbook is a personal thing and it can reveal many secrets about someone without using any letters at all. It can show pain, obsession, fear, and longing. It is a time capsule of the soul in a way. People could look into those sketchbooks and just see a random jumble of poorly done artwork, but I see so much more in them that cannot be explained to another.

And even though I took that adventure through those pages I still haven't found that damn map.