Inktober helps artists draw outside the box

In recent years, an art challenge known as Inktober has become a global phenomenon within the online art community. The premise is simple: On each day for the month of October, artists create one ink drawing and post it on social media.

Inktober creator Jake Parker, a film animator and artist known for his graphic novels, spoke with The News-Letter about how the movement came about.

“I never thought it would be what it is today,” Parker said. “I started it when I was working at Blue Sky Studios. We were working on Rio. I needed a creative outlet, and I wanted to get better at inking. I knew that I could force myself to draw with it every day, and then the idea came to make it an art challenge and do a drawing a day every day for a month.”

“October worked well with the word ink, so I made the word Inktober,” Parker continued. “I think Halloween is the most creative holiday because it requires people to think about what they’re going to dress up as. I like that creative aspect of Halloween.”

According to Parker, sharing art on social media is a large part of Inktober. Though he initially promoted the challenge on his blog, he said that it didn’t reach global recognition until the advent of hashtags. The first year only nine people participated.

“I don’t have an exact number, but it wasn’t a lot. Year in and year out, as I would come back to October again, more people joined. What really made it big was the hashtag. I said, ‘Okay, hashtag your drawings with #inktober and post them online,’ and that’s when I really saw it start to spread.”

This year, over  one million posts have so far been tagged #Inktober.

“I don’t believe it. That’s really crazy to me,” Parker said.

Parker also spoke about the nature of the Inktober challenge. In an essay on creativity, the artist argues that the two most important factors which produce creative artistic expression are accountability to others and working under constraints.

“I think that true creativity comes because of constraints,” he said. “I’ve worked with students on all different levels, and every time I give them limitless opportunities they come back with the least creative results. It’s the constraints that require you to make the most that you can with what you have.”

Parker says that the challenge and worth of Inktober comes from its limitations.

“When you are given this constraint to work within but then also faced with the task to do it daily for thirty days, it starts to develop positive habits,” he said.

Parker identified that the commitment to sharing daily work online is a way to hold artists accountable.

“The social aspect is why it’s spread. There is that element of accountability, that I don’t want to let people down, that I said I was going to do this. Checking the hashtag and seeing what other people are doing motivates you,” he said. “Seeing all these Inktober posts showing up in your feed inspires you and makes you want to be a part of that and add your art to the mix.”

Lauren Wilmshurst, an artist from Sussex on the south coast of England, shared her thoughts on Inktober.

“Since it’s grown into such a widespread, international event, there’s a great sense of community,” she wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “It’s a real boost to build a body of work. Sharing work regularly helps you build your audience too.”

The importance of the online sharing aspect of Inktober is echoed by other artists. Andrijana Vešović, an artist from Serbia, agrees with Wilmshurst.

“Inktober is great because a lot of other artists participate as well,” she wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “I’ve been participating since last year. It’s great practice, but also a very fun thing to do every year.”

However, some artists report that they participate in Inktober primarily for personal reasons, rather than the support of the online community. Aubry Cohen, an artist from Pennsylvania, and Brian Schmitt, of Minneapolis, shared their belief that Inktober is about personal growth as an artist.

“I try to participate in Inktober mostly for myself,” Schmitt wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “I think it’s really important to push myself to draw every day as a creative relief. Being a college student, I’m stressed, and art is a good outlet for me.

Cohen agreed with Schmitt.

“I like to participate in Inktober because it gives me a reason to draw every day,” Cohen wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “It’s really important to do that as an artist. The more you draw, the more comfortable you become with drawing and trying new things in art.”

Cohen appreciates how Inktober has opened artistic doors for her.

“I love everything spooky and Halloween-themed,” she continued. “It’s fun to think of how I can turn something non-Halloween-themed into something spooky with a few little twists.”

Vešović also spoke about Halloween as a creative muse.

“I love Halloween, and a lot of my artwork is Halloween-themed, no matter if it’s Halloween month or not,” she wrote. “When I was at art school, all of my professors said to me that it was only a phase, and that my artwork would take another turn as I grew, but I just found my own way of doing horror-themed artwork.”

Other artists say that their work is Halloween-themed because the season brings back nostalgic feelings. Wilmshurst wrote about an annual celebration held in her town and other towns throughout England.

“Spooky things appeal to me generally,” she wrote. “With autumn nights getting longer and the weather getting colder, it’s the perfect time to draw them. I’m thinking of doing a Bonfire Night-themed Inktober, too. The town I grew up in throws huge celebrations, so it really epitomizes the season for me.”

Schmitt also wrote that Halloween had special meaning because of his childhood.

“I love Halloween,” Schmitt wrote. “I always have ever since I was a little child. My Halloween-themed art is more of a nostalgic choice on my part, reflecting on the certain parts of the holiday that I enjoy the most.”

This year’s Inktober may be in its final stages, but there’s still time to jump on board. And even if your Octobers are especially busy, the practices encouraged by Inktober are valuable for any artist year round.