I received this email from an Urban Sketchers Group - but thought it worth sharing. ( August 30th '25)
You know that moment when you sit back, pen still in hand, and look at the page?
The colours have run a bit, the roofline leans too far, and the coffee beside you has gone cold while you've been wrestling with it.
That's when the little sting of doubt arrives.
It's not quite right... The perspective's off... The colours didn't blend as I hoped...
And the temptation is strong - close the sketchbook, hide it away, pretend it never happened.
But here's the truth: your sketch is probably more ready to share than you think.
Fear of sharing art isn't really about the drawing on the page - it's about the story we tell ourselves.
We imagine the worst
Will people laugh? Will they compare us to others?
Will they notice every flaw we've already picked apart?
That inner critic can be relentless. Many sketchers describe the same phrases circling in their heads: "You don't know what you're doing... this isn't good enough... don't show anyone."
But those thoughts aren't reality - they're just old doubts, and they lose their power the moment we question them.
When you do share - whether online, in a class, or just sliding your book across the café table to a friend - you invite something far more powerful:
Connection - others see your courage and respond with warmth.
Encouragement - supportive feedback helps you notice strengths you might have missed.
Accountability - sharing regularly keeps you picking up the pen.
Growth - seeing others' work and hearing constructive ideas nudges you forward.
Student Beth once told us that she dreaded sharing her "pinched, over-tight" warm-ups... until she posted them anyway.
To her surprise, people loved them - not because they were perfect, but because they felt real.
If the idea of sharing still feels daunting, here are a few easy ways to ease into it:
- Post in a private group first. A closed, friendly community such as our PLUS Facebook page is a safe starting point.
- Pair it with your process. Share the warm-ups, the false starts, the "before and after." People often prefer the messy middle to the polished end.
- Share without asking for critique. A caption like "Just enjoying the process today" takes the pressure off.
- Swap in person. Meeting a sketching friend and trading a peek at each other's pages is surprisingly encouraging.
Some of the most loved sketches in any group aren't the polished ones - they're the pages with quirks, with personality, with a story about where you were that day.
When you share your work, flaws and all, you give others permission to do the same.
That's how communities grow strong: not through perfection, but through openness.
So the next time you hesitate, try this little mantra:
Be quiet, doubt - I'm trying, and that's awesome.
Your sketch is good enough to share.
In fact, it might be exactly the encouragement someone else needs today.
The Urban Sketch Team
www.UrbanSketchCourse.com
P.S. Challenge yourself to share one of your sketches today. Upload it to the student gallery, or to the Facebook group if you're an Urban Sketch Plus member. You might be surprised by the encouragement you receive.
