Mike

I've been drawing and sketching for as long as I can remember. In elementary school, I was huge comic book fan (not geeky at all), and remember drawing the Hulk smashing or Spider Man spinning webs. All through school, I doodled, often to distraction, in the margins of my paper and even sometimes (gasp!) on my desk. Sorry, Atlanta Public Schools.

I went on to get an art degree at the University of Georgia and submitted illustrations to various publications for a time. Unfortunately, the more-immediate need to make a living reared its ugly head, and by way of designing websites, I meandered my way into IT.

I never stopped drawing, though: in meetings, I would take "notes", which often ended up just being doodles that made me smile. Still, I felt validated when I learned that these loosely-work-related doodles might be characterized by some as sketch notes.

Throughout the years, whether I was sketching on school handouts, drawing on desks, or taking "notes" during work meetings, I felt the satisfaction of taking an idea from my mind — my experience — and having it end up in pen and ink on the page.

I started Sketchbreak to share what I've learned over the years in keeping a sketchbook (or loose papers gathered together, if I'm being honest) so that others can experience some of the satisfaction of taking ideas and memories from thought to physical reality. I hope you enjoy.