Sketch A Mess

The utility of chaos and how to use it

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One of the most useful tools of a game designer is a sketchbook. More specifically, a sketchbook that has no purpose other than being there for random ideas. This no-strings-attached journal is especially helpful for those with perfectionistic tendencies.

It’s in this pad that you will find the freedom to create without restriction or compulsion. Your lines don’t have to be straight; your circles can even be square. It doesn’t matter. The point is to have a sanctuary for raw ideation.

Get a sketchbook, a legal pad, scraps of paper—anything blank works. Blank and no expectations. Anything can be drawn, written, painted, folded, cut out, or pasted on. You want this blankness to become a conduit for your subconscious. You want to get all that creative gunk out—stuff that standards and structure wouldn’t otherwise allow. You’ve got to unclog your brain. When you do, some very interesting things happen. But I’ll leave it to you to find out.

Originally posted on Kieffer Bros.

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