I don't sketch first.

I'm prolific. I don't know all the ins and outs of it. I've just always been relatively fast at whatever I do.

So, there's a lot of books. A lot of silly shirts and mugs. A lot of crafts (you don't know about that part of me... yet).

I think part of the reason I'm fast is that I don't sketch out my plans for mandalas and doodles.

I start with one or two shapes. Usually I'm trying for something unique. Then I look for interesting ways to connect those shapes and fill the space around and inside them.

Once the page starts filling up, I settle into a flow state. I can often see the next shape before I've finished drawing the current one.

When the flow stops, I unfocus my eyes and stare at the page for a bit.

This allows me to see the creation as a whole. Sometimes I find the next step. Sometimes I don't.

If the inspiration doesn't come, I close the file and move to a different project.

This is why I often have 16 books on the go at once. Sometimes more.

It's also why some books come together quickly, while others take months or even years. (I have an incomplete doodle book that I started in 2023 and still work on.)

I rotate through projects, stopping when the inspiration stops and returning when it comes back.

It might not be the most efficient creative process.

But it's mine.