Challenge 35 · 14 days
Draw Instead
Let ideas flow without words.
“Not every thought needs words.”
Why this challenge
Not every internal experience needs to become a sentence.
Changing the way you express yourself can reveal patterns, feelings, and ideas that are easier to see visually than explain verbally.
Why it matters
Helps you access emotions beyond words.
Reduces mental clutter.
Builds creativity and flexibility.
Provides a safe, private outlet.
Helps you see patterns and gain new insights.
Turns overthinking into exploration.
What you do
When you’re tempted to journal:
Draw instead.
No artistic skill is required.
Sketch symbols.
Shapes.
Maps.
Anything.
Before you begin
A simple daily practice to express your thoughts visually.
Common ideas to draw
- How I feel right now (colors, shapes, symbols)
- A map of my thoughts
- What's on my mind
- A scene from the day
- An emotion as a weather image
- A timeline or flow chart
- A place I want to be
- Something I'm letting go of
- A conversation I wish I had
- A vision for the future
- Anything else
Reminders
- There are no rules.
- It doesn't have to look good.
- Focus on expressing, not impressing.
- Even a few lines count.
- Consistency over perfection.
Keywords
- Not every thought needs words.
- Show up. Draw it out. Keep going.
- A map of my thoughts
- What's on my mind
- A scene from the day
- An emotion as a weather image
- A timeline or flow chart
- A place I want to be
The point
- When you’re tempted to journal:
- Draw instead.
- No artistic skill is required.
- Sketch symbols.
- Helps you access emotions beyond words.
- Reduces mental clutter.
Your record
Where this stands
The tracker is the record. Writing on a day checks that day in. Mark the challenge completed when you finished it, or not continuing when you are done with it. Those marks are the review on your map. The lines under a day are here for whatever you want to say.
14 days
14 days. Open a day to write it. Writing checks that day in.
Day 1
thoughts, ideas, notes
thoughts, ideas, notes
In your own words
This space is here for the day the other lines do not fit. Write it the way you would say it. Add a picture if that is closer. It stays with this day, and it stays on your map.
Day 1
What you noticed
When you finish
How difficult was it?
1 = Easy, 10 = Hard
How helpful was it?
1 = Not Helpful, 10 = Very Helpful