What I Learned from a Month Without Color
Turns out, limitations can open unexpected doors
Ciao AmicÉ™!
No new podcast episode in the email this time—just a Graphic Journal Tour video. My past February was full, and honestly, keeping up with everything while also trying to take care of my mental health felt like too much. So I decided to slow down. And sometimes, that’s the hardest part: choosing to pause, even when you want to keep going.
One of the ways I tried to simplify things was in my Graphic Journal. Do you remember that I have a Graphic Journal challenge? One Journal a month for the whole year! And, for the February one I set myself another challenge in the challenge because why not: no colors, only black and gray. I don’t know why—maybe I wanted to strip things down, maybe I needed a change. Or subconsciously I wanted to push myself out of a confort zone? But anyway… wow, it was HARD. Every page felt unfinished, like something was missing.
Then I started noticing other things: the shapes, the lines, the rhythm of the pages. I realized that even without color, the marks could tell their own story. And isn’t life a bit like that? We get so fixated on what we think we need, when maybe it’s their absence that leads us to new discoveries.
And that’s how my February Graphic Journal came to be. Today, I’m sharing it with you:
Please check out the video and help me with my youtbue channel by like, comments, subscribe and share. I really hope you’ll enjoy this new format video in wich I drive you through my sketchbooks while trying to don’t take too big of a side quest. Inside, you’ll find:
✦ Sketches from our Introverts Session on Patreon
✦ Flash tattoos, observation drawings & diary pages
✦ Doodles while watching Twilight (yes, the vampires, I admit it)
✦ drawing Bob Dylan & Rolling Thunder Revue
✦ Thoughts on Soft White Underbelly and that Mark Laita interview on Joe Rogan (and why Joe Rogan isn’t very interesting for me, lol)
✦ Chapell Roan
✦ Tadao Ando
✦ my dog
✦ black pages with white lines drawings
✦ textures
✦ A poem from the Strangeland writing workshop (thank you, Justine!)
A mix of chaos, sketches, and scattered thoughts—but also a reflection of how I’ve been navigating this time.
If you’ve been wanting to start your own Graphic Journal, come draw with us on Patreon:
also because this sunday at 6:30 pm CET there is the Introvert Session for drawing together on zoom!
And before we say goodbye tell me: have you ever set yourself a rule that felt like a limitation, but ended up leading you somewhere unexpected?
Sending you love,
Nicoz
P.S. A few exciting things coming up!
✨ In May, I’ll be tattooing in Rome! from 19 to 21 May (only Italian city in which I’ll tattoo)+ I’m also tattooing in La Rochelle as always—if you’re around, come get inked at Strangeland! link to book a tattoo (check the flash or ask for a custom) https://encre.me/strangeland-x-nicoz-balboa
✨ My T-shirt shop is live! If you love my designs and want to wear them, check it out here: https://www.nicozbalboastudio.com/store/ + and since you read up till here, I have a coupon code for you STAYQEER10
Hope to see you somewhere soon!