What are your ‘creative magnets’?

I fell down a bit of an internet rabbit hole last week, and ended up looking at a book called The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker - yes, I’ve ordered it ;) - and the idea of “creative magnets.”

These are things in the world that naturally grab your attention - odd signs, weird shadows, interesting textures, funny juxtapositions. From what I can read, Walker describes them as everyday things that pull us in, if we’re paying attention. 

This aligns so well with daily-ish sketching. These magnets are essential tools. They don’t just give you something to draw - they help you see the world in a richer, more playful way.

When I’m out with my sketchbook I try to stay open to those little magnetic moments. The back of a truck that looks like a robot’s face? Sketch it (above). The way sunlight hits the side of a yellow building just right? That’s a page waiting to happen - and in fact it DID happen to me in Coonabarrabran in May 2021 - and I remember because I sketched it (below).

The point isn’t to wait for the “perfect” subject - it’s to notice what’s already calling out to you. And once you start seeing these things, it’s kind of addictive. You start finding them everywhere.

This is where daily sketching really becomes a practice of attention.

You’re not just training your hand - you’re training your eye and your sense of curiosity.

This idea of ‘magnets’ is a good reminder that creativity isn’t about conjuring things from thin air. It’s about responding to the world. Those creative magnets are like breadcrumbs, scattered all around us, inviting us to follow and see where they lead. Sometimes they lead to a full drawing. Other times, just a doodle or a quick colour note. Either way, they keep the creative wheels turning.

And remember your drawing doesn't have to 'be good' to be worth doing!

The message? These moments are already there. You just need to notice them.

Let’s get into the practice.

Anna xxx