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 then 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 teh 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 teh bad version of this advice causes alot 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 teh 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 probly 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 then 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 probly matters a lot. I used to overcomplicate this constantly

Maya Williams · 4 likes

do you think this would work in a smaller place then 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 probly 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 probly 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 then expected. It reminds me of a very specific conversation near my desk

Bianca Santos · 3 likes

you explained the tradeoff realy 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