Ink, Paper, and Persistence: Inktober in Nutshell

Recently, I’ve been polishing one of my hobbies, drawing, and participating in the Inktober challenge, which has been my way of committing to daily practice. The challenge, however, didn’t come without its obstacles. Balancing my job as a researcher and other responsibilities made consistency difficult, especially in the first few days. My early sketches were hurried and more about getting something on paper than creating meaningful art.
But as the month progressed, I found my rhythm. With time, I started to explore different mediums and techniques, which led to some interesting discoveries.

Experimenting with Mediums: From Ink to Digital

Inktober gave me the push to try various art tools, from traditional mediums to digital platforms. The first thing that comes to my mind is that each tool requires a different approach, especially when it comes to controlling pressure. For example, dip pens and brush pens both use ink, but the way they respond to pressure is worlds apart. The brush pen needs a delicate touch; push too hard, and you’re left with a mess of ink. Dip pens, on the other hand, offer smoother control and flexibility in line thickness depending on how hard you press.
Then there’s digital art, which I’ve only recently dabbled in. Digital tools like zoom, undo, and the lasso tool make the process so forgiving—you can correct mistakes instantly! I find these tools especially helpful since I tend to make plenty of errors. However, drawing on a tablet without a screen was strange at first, as it didn’t have the same direct hand-eye connection as traditional media. But once I got the hang of it, I realized how convenient and liberating digital art could be.

Art, Consistency, and the Price to Pay

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from Inktober is that consistency comes at a price. Balancing art with the demands of my job and daily life wasn’t easy, but I realized that if I wanted to improve, I had to make time—even if it meant squeezing in drawings during short breaks or late at night. I started carrying my art supplies everywhere, forcing myself to sketch whenever I had even a few spare minutes.
Through this process, I discovered that consistency matters more than perfection. Some days, my work was far from ideal—rushed and messy. But what counted was the daily practice and showing up, even when I felt too tired or uninspired. It’s in this perseverance that I saw the most improvement, pushing me to experiment with different techniques and mediums. In the end, I learned that the true price of consistency isn’t perfection—it’s making time, committing, and letting go of the need to always get it right.

By the end of the month, I had a collection of artwork that reflected not just my growth in technique but also my persistence in showing up, even when it felt tough. In this post, I’d like to share some of the works I’ve created during this journey. Oh, and I also started my YouTube channel to document and share this creative process!