#100 IKEA effect in Sketchnoted journal
Why You Care More About What You Create (And How Sketchnotes Can Help)
Hey Visual folks.
Ever built a tiny IKEA table, messed up a few screws… but still felt ridiculously proud of it?
Like — “Hey, I made this!”
That’s the IKEA Effect.
Psychologists say we tend to value things more when we’ve built them ourselves — flaws and all.
Now imagine bringing that same magic into your thoughts, reflections, and daily moments.
👋 Hey, I’m Kumar and welcome to my weekly newsletter.
Each week I share Sketchnote(s) on product, leadership, personal growth, and anything that helps you get started on Sketchnoting.
🧱The IKEA Effect for Your Mind
Most of us:
Jot quick notes in our phones.
Type out journal entries we never reread.
Let ideas float away because “it’s not worth writing down.”
But — when you sketch your thoughts…
When you draw out what made you happy today, what stressed you out, what you’re hoping for tomorrow —
You build it.
And it starts to matter more.
It’s Not About Drawing Well
Stick figures.
Wonky shapes.
Messy arrows.
That’s perfect.
It’s not about being an artist.
It’s about making your feelings, ideas, and moments visible.
You can’t use up creativity.
The more you use it the more you have.
~=~ Maya Angelou ~=~
Quick Example
Before:
“I want to feel calm this week.”
After (Sketchnote-style):
👉 A little sun
👉 A cup of tea
👉 A tiny heart
👉 The word “calm” floating above it
Suddenly — you own that thought.
You can add some emotions to your thought by adding color(s).
You built it.
You’ll care about it more.
⁉️ Why It Matters
Sketchnoting while journaling:
Helps you process what you’re feeling.
Makes goals, fears, and joys more real.
Builds little shelves of your inner world you can come back to.
And in a weirdly wonderful way —
You value your thoughts more.
🫵🏼 Your Turn — Sketch What’s On Your Mind
Take 5 minutes today.
Sketch your mood.
Your favorite moment of the day. Something you’re worried about.
Messy is fine. Silly is better.
Post it with #MySketchnoteJournal and #thesketchnoters — or just keep it for yourself.
See how it feels.
In one of my earlier articles I talked about using Sketchnotes for Organising thoughts.
Until next time—build your own little mental IKEA shelf.
And trust your pencil to help you out.
Thank you for reading Letsketchin. 🥧
Love this man. I do this all the time. At work I draw out things before I build them in PowerPoint. It’s an easy way to add a bit of creativity to my job.
Awesome! Make's total sense. When I'm drawing I give more time to the thoguht. By drawing about being calm, by the end, I'm calm myself. It's so powerful. I like that quote "What we pay attention become our master". Sketching allows time for our minds to realize what's important.