Whenever I find myself on a long journey, particularly on cross-country trains or during lengthy flight layovers, I really enjoy keeping a quick travel sketch diary. It is something I took up a couple of years ago when I realised how much time I was wasting just mindlessly scrolling on my mobile phone out of pure boredom.
All I need for this is a compact, pocket-sized notebook with thick paper and a couple of fine-liner pens, so it doesn't take up any valuable room in my rucksack. Essentially, while I am waiting on a platform or sitting by the window in a quiet carriage, I try to capture little snapshots of life around me. It could be an interesting piece of historic architecture outside, a quirky coffee cup at a station café, or even just the posture of a fellow passenger reading a newspaper.
To be honest, the main reason I find it so engaging is that it forces me to be completely in the moment. When you try to draw a scene, you notice tiny details you would normally overlook, like the way the sunlight hits a brick wall or the intricate patterns on an old ticket barrier. It makes time fly by effortlessly; what feels like ten minutes often turns out to be an hour or two.
On top of that, looking back through the pages after a holiday brings back far more vivid memories than ordinary digital photographs ever could, as every sketch is tied to a specific mood and place.