One collaborator, a retiree from Australia, says of the project, "I was inspired by previous sketchbooks that participants have made. It gave me a purpose, a deadline, and a challenge." Another says, "Knowing that my work will be out there for people to people is an amazing feeling."

If the idea sounds daunting, let me just say that even an amateur like me can vouch for the transformative power of keeping a sketchbook. I took an art class in college where one of the assignments was to keep a sketchbook in which you would draw or paint the same thing—I chose the view from my kitchen window—a different way every week, and I can still viscerally feel the deep satisfaction I got from my crappy oil pastels of pigeons. The teacher assured us that tackling the same subject again and again would help us to see the thing more deeply and what do you know, she was right! I haven't lived in that apartment in almost a decade, and yet I can picture the view from that window precisely. Seeing things more deeply, and having your artwork on display? Whether you're an artist looking for community or a creative person seeking a an assignment, The Sketchbook Project might be just the thing to get you through the winter.

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