My 4-month experiment with illustration after a tiny failure

Daan Bakker · 272 likes

Agree completely. The simple version is underrated. I noticed the same thing in Melbourne.

Benjamín Rojas · 2 likes

I laughed, but you are not wrong.

Tomás Gómez · 106 likes

This made me smile more than expected. My only addition is to make the first step visible.

Silver Fern · 1 likes

My wallet felt that.

Quiet Otter · 8 likes

Beautifully concise.

Urban Rider · 1 likes

Same here. It took me too long to learn.

Mango Baker · 3 likes

I am stealing that phrase.

Mango Mango · 92 likes

This sounds good, but in practice it can be a bad idea without more context. A little friction removed goes a long way.

Ren Suzuki · 69 likes

This is adorable and oddly motivating. I would test it for 6 days before deciding.

Hugo Martin · 44 likes

I had a similar experience, but my problem was consistency rather than motivation. My only addition is to make the first step visible.

Amelia Hughes · 14 likes

Exactly; the hidden cost is energy.

Chloe Davis · 7 likes

Now I want a spreadsheet.

Zeynep Demir · 2 likes

I needed the reminder to start smaller.

Tiny Runner · 42 likes

This has cozy competence written all over it. The Lisbon example makes it feel concrete.

Sophie Gagnon · 39 likes

That last line is excellent. The delightful part is easy to underestimate.

Tanvir Rahman · 33 likes

The kindness in this post is lovely. I noticed the same thing in Jakarta.

Avery Johnson · 31 likes

I am saving this for the next time I overthink illustration. The Warsaw example makes it feel concrete. The texture and mood are lovely.

Priya Nair · 24 likes

The kindness in this post is lovely. I keep a note about critique for exactly this reason.

Sophie Gagnon · 23 likes

My version of this was messier, but the conclusion was similar. The winter version is even more interesting.

Paper Orbit · 3 likes

Good clarification — I read it differently at first.

Cian Kelly · 22 likes

Interesting. I would like to see how it changes after 8 months. The cozy constraint is probably the real story. Process photos would be fun to see.

Grace Parker · 22 likes

Excellent timing; I was just thinking about failure. The winter version is even more interesting.

Avery Johnson · 16 likes

That would annoy me more than it helped. This is where I would ask one more question before choosing.

Yasmine El Amrani · 15 likes

The framing feels off to me. Not terrible, just not convincing. I learned that one the expensive way. I like that it feels lived-in instead of over-polished.

Curious Orbit · 13 likes

I think the bad version of this advice causes a lot of frustration. I would love to see a follow-up after 6 weeks.

Jonas Schneider · 12 likes

I wish more posts had this much context. The a neighborhood park detail changes the whole answer. The texture and mood are lovely.

Rachel Tan · 11 likes

I love this. It feels practical without pretending life is neat.

Camila Rocha · 2 likes

That made the concept click.

Noah Miller · 11 likes

Helpful and not preachy, which is rare. Great use of light and restraint.

Isha Menon · 3 likes

Exactly; the hidden cost is energy.

Ayesha Khan · 11 likes

That is a good question for people with more experience than me.

Oliver Smith · 11 likes

That is a surprisingly elegant way to frame it. I would test it for 5 days before deciding.

Sophie Gagnon · 10 likes

This feels like advice from a patient friend. I used to overcomplicate this constantly.

Sofía Hernández · 34 likes

Now I want a spreadsheet.

Chinedu Adeyemi · 2 likes

Thanks for making it less intimidating.

Sofía Hernández · 20 likes

Thanks, that actually helped.

Sara Ahmed · 26 likes

Exactly; the hidden cost is energy.

Emma Tremblay · 6 likes

Anecdote beats theory here.

Quiet Rider · 2 likes

Fair pushback.

Lucas Dubois · 10 likes

Really good advice, and it feels doable. Honestly, the simplest version wins for me.

Amina Okafor · 9 likes

Good reminder that boring can be good. That is where the boring checklist helps. The texture and mood are lovely.

Tola Ibrahim · 1 likes

Good clarification — I read it differently at first.

Mateo Cruz · 8 likes

I appreciate the honest middle stage, not just the polished ending. The low-effort version is probably the keeper.

Cozy Marauder · 8 likes

That is a good question for people with more experience than me. This is where I would ask one more question before choosing. The texture and mood are lovely.

Hugo Martin · 8 likes

I am mostly here for the follow-up. I noticed the same thing in Istanbul.

Curious Orbit · 4 likes

Anecdote beats theory here.

Felix Weber · 8 likes

I wish more posts had this much context. The messy part is easy to underestimate.

Maya Williams · 8 likes

Honestly, great taste. The Manila example makes it feel concrete. Process photos would be fun to see.

Benjamín Rojas · 7 likes

Did anyone else read this and immediately make a tiny checklist? It sounds small, but the conversation matters.

Silver Fern · 54 likes

@cl_atlas Could be regional too.

Brave Noodle · 14 likes

This. Exactly this.

Emma Tremblay · 7 likes

Beautifully concise.

Sofía Hernández · 1 likes

Thanks for making it less intimidating.

Benjamín Rojas · 5 likes

That is a good boundary.

Bianca Santos · 10 likes

Totally agree, especially for beginners.

Benjamín Rojas · 4 likes

I like this more than the top-level advice.

Mia Bauer · 1 likes

The Tuesday test is undefeated.

Emma Tremblay · 5 likes

Can you expand on that a bit?

Luca Bianchi · 5 likes

I think both things can be true.

Amir Tan · 1 likes

That is a good boundary.

Rapid Baker · 7 likes

I would push back gently on the tiny part. Process photos would be fun to see.

Finn Brown · 7 likes

I am skeptical. The idea sounds good, but the maintenance cost is real. I noticed the same thing in Buenos Aires. Process photos would be fun to see.

Iryna Melnyk · 6 likes

Excellent timing; I was just thinking about experiment. I learned that one the expensive way.

Camille Dubois · 17 likes

You just saved me a bad purchase.

Inês Ferreira · 5 likes

Good clarification — I read it differently at first.

Iryna Melnyk · 4 likes

Appreciate the nuance.

Emma Tremblay · 1 likes

Kind of wild how often purchase is the whole issue.

Paolo Garcia · 11 likes

Respectfully, I see it the other way.

Zofia Kowalska · 3 likes

The Tuesday test is undefeated.

Emma Tremblay · 3 likes

Can you expand on that a bit?

Ananya Rao · 6 likes

The conclusion is too broad, but the example is interesting.

Noah Miller · 6 likes

I think the bad version of this advice causes a lot of frustration. It sounds small, but the first draft matters.

Jisoo Park · 3 likes

Yep, the boring details matter.

Chloe Davis · 1 likes

Respectfully, I see it the other way.

Siti Lestari · 6 likes

The vibe here is immaculate. I would write it down before changing anything else.

Jisoo Park · 6 likes

That is a good question for people with more experience than me. I would write it down before changing anything else.

Faisal Al Saud · 12 likes

Small caveat: context changes the answer a lot.

Quiet Rider · 5 likes

The kindness in this post is lovely.

Grace Parker · 5 likes

Agree completely. The simple version is underrated. The ambitious part is easy to underestimate.

Lina Keller · 5 likes

Good reminder that boring can be good. I used to overcomplicate this constantly.

Sophie Gagnon · 5 likes

I like the idea, but the setup probably matters a lot. I am curious whether critique still feels good next month.

Solar Orbit · 4 likes

Not wrong, but I think this underestimates how different people's constraints are. The quiet Sunday version is even more interesting.

Paolo Garcia · 4 likes

The kindness in this post is lovely. The 5-minute rule is underrated.

Hugo Martin · 2 likes

I needed the reminder to start smaller.

Rohan Mehta · 4 likes

I like the idea, but the setup probably matters a lot. I used to overcomplicate this constantly.

Maya Williams · 4 likes

Do you think this would work in a smaller place than Madrid? The surprising constraint is probably the real story.

Sleepy Coder · 4 likes

I wonder how much of this depends on timing. It sounds small, but the tiny repair matters.

Noah Miller · 4 likes

What happened after the first week? I am curious whether illustration stayed easy. I keep a note about practice for exactly this reason.

Maya Williams · 3 likes

This is the kind of useful internet I still show up for. The delightful constraint is probably the real story.

Élodie Favre · 3 likes

Anecdotally, this tracks with what I have seen. The a neighborhood park detail changes the whole answer.

Antonia Silva · 2 likes

Small caveat: context changes the answer a lot.

Jasmine Cruz · 3 likes

My version of this was messier, but the conclusion was similar. The a family dinner detail changes the whole answer.

Grace Parker · 3 likes

Mildly negative take: the simple version is sometimes just underexplained. The low-effort version is probably the keeper.

Maja Wiśniewska · 3 likes

What would you change if you started over? I would test it for 8 days before deciding.

Grace Parker · 3 likes

Can you share what you tried before this? I would love to see a follow-up after 10 weeks.

Paolo Garcia · 3 likes

This made me smile more than expected. It reminds me of a very specific conversation near my desk.

Bianca Santos · 3 likes

You explained the tradeoff really clearly.

Iryna Melnyk · 3 likes

This sounds sensible, though I would need to test it myself. This is where I would ask one more question before choosing.

Midnight Baker · 3 likes

I get the appeal, though I would be careful calling it the best option. My only addition is to make the first step visible. Process photos would be fun to see.

Hugo Martin · 3 likes

You explained the tradeoff really clearly. The social part surprised me too.