#101 Messy First Drafts
Why Imperfection Wins in Sketchnotes (and Life)
Quick gut check:
How many times have you not sketched an idea because…
“It’s not neat enough.”
“I don’t have the right pen.”
“This looks ugly.”
Me too. 🙋♂️
We’re all trained to chase polished, perfect outcomes.
But here’s the truth no one says enough:
Messy first drafts aren’t just OK—they’re essential.
Especially when you’re sketchnoting.
👋 Hello visual learners, 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.
🌪️ Why Messy Works
1️⃣ It Gets the Idea Out
Before it slips away. Before self-doubt talks you out of it.
2️⃣ It Shows the Real Thinking
A clean, final sketch looks nice… but a messy one shows the twists, turns, and “aha” moments of real thinking.
3️⃣ It Lowers the Pressure
Once you give yourself permission to be messy, you’re free to explore more boldly.
The Power of Visual First Drafts
When you sketch your ideas messily, you:
See connections you might miss in a neat list.
Invite collaboration (people aren’t afraid to add to a rough sketch).
Avoid getting stuck polishing before the idea is even ready.
How to get the mess out of your head on paper
Don’t try to filter or block any thoughts or ideas. Let them come on paper.
It can be in form of word, sentences, scribble or just letter. The more you practice the better you’ll get at this language of translating the mess in your head to visuals on paper.
Don’t worry about where your thought lands on paper. It can be anywhere. Pre requisite is for the page to be blank. Ruled pages set constraint to your ideas and force them to be listed in sequence.
Use pen so that it stays there. Don’t think of erasing the idea. It’s ok to strike it or scribble over it later.
And it’s a thought after all.
The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.
~=~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~=~
A Personal Moment
I remember sketching a talk on “Future of Work” with my team.
My first attempt?
A total mess:
unorganized layout,
unrelated ideas,
scribbled notes in margins.
It looked chaotic.
But—surprise—it was gold.
Because it captured raw, living ideas we could refine together.
Here’s another example of visualizing my weekly warmup session.
🫵🏼 Your Turn — Sketch What’s On Your Mind
Got an idea you’ve been sitting on?
Take 5 minutes today:
👉 Sketch it out as messily as you can.
No erasing. No worrying about neatness.
Prompt:
“What’s one thing on your mind that deserves a messy first draft?”
Until next time—recover from being a perfectionist, get messy on paper, not in your head.
And trust your pen/pencil to help you out.
Thank you for reading Letsketchin. 🥧
