El Papél: 0425
“First, forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won’t. Habit is persistence in practice.”
Hello Sketchboard Community,
Nat here. Man, it's feeling like it's been years since I last sat down and wrote something concrete. The weight of the world, the continuous defacement of our access to healthcare, autonomy — it's all overwhelming. The streets are looking terrifyingly cleaner. The violence directed towards the people we love. How does one stay grounded? I have been meditating on the topics I'd like to cover for each newsletter, becoming more intentional. And I guess I can start there, as our first topic.
Being intentional with our relationships, what we create, is a form of resistance. It is calling back to ourselves, to get back into the somatics of feeling human. More than ever, our habitual practices are being questioned: is it something that is good for us, or just what we know based on society's prescriptions? From the deep shame, our separation from the land and each other — it's no wonder why folks flock to community spaces like ours to feel fully present in their own bodies again. This reminds us that the mind is not separate from the body, and the body holds the collective.
So when we all are constantly traumatized by the powers that be, what do we do? We turn to creating another world outside of reality. We look for places that promise connection to others in an intentional way. We show up, present, ready for reciprocity.
Colonization's ultimate violence is to sever relationships; so our ultimate resistance is to stay within them and create power through numbers. Carceral logic has shaped our nervous systems' urgency, fear, hypervigilance, shame — but we long for a different way of being. Abolition is not just about dismantling prisons, police, and oppressive systems—it is about building new ways of being in relationship with ourselves, each other, and the world. It is about unlearning domination and embodying liberation. But how do we feel liberation in our bodies? How do we reclaim pleasure, agency, and trust when oppression has shaped our nervous systems?
“Healing isn’t a fixed state but rather an embodied state that is cultivated with ongoing practice.”
We become what we practice regularly. We get back into our bodies. Creatively collaborating with your body can feel and, arguably, is transcendent; it's another way to say fuck the system, fuck the biases, the stigma, the unrealistic beauty standards society has imposed.
At our carefully curated events, we encourage you to break away from the societal sludge, from the need to be perfect. Embrace the imperfections in the lines, giving you permission to play, and transform alongside us. Figure drawing requires you to come as you are. You'll come differently each time, but you're coming with the same intention to be present.
And that’s just it, you’re here to practice alongside strangers, that could turn into creative comrades. We’re not here to reinforce those negative thoughts about yourself or your work. These spaces are designed to call you back to yourself, intentionally through vulnerability.
During our breaks at each event, we encourage artists to walk around the room to soak in the various methods and mediums being used by their peers. Some are too shy to show off, some say “I haven’t done this since college!”, some say “Oh, it’s not that good”, and most say “that was a really hard pose”.
To that, I say “You’re just here to practice, keep going.” After all, you gotta be bad before you’re good.
We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone that has been routinely showing up to each event with enthusiasm and love. Your support means more than ever, as we lose everything from federal funding to our human rights. We created Sketchboard because the personal is political. Sketchboard does not align with any institutions or collaborators who express bigotry, oppression, or values that conflict with our mission of creating inclusive, healing spaces through art.
Upcoming Events
Our 2nd Art Show is here, SAVE THE DATE!
Over 50 of you are participating and helping us fundraiser for our programming. Thanks to everyone who has submitted artwork.
📆 Thursday, May 1st from 6-9pm at 500 Divisadero Street in San Francisco.
🎟 Free to anyone 21+ with a valid ID.
Intro To Grant Writing with Pallavi on April 19th.
This is an in-person event. Masks are encouraged and will be provided.
✍️This 6 hour intensive is for individual artists, arts projects, collectives, grassroots organizations, and small businesses.
📆 Saturday, April 19 from 10am - 4pm at 815 Alice St, Oakland.
🎟 Registration through the link: https://forms.gle/ynNaAW8MpTBzuGuK7
Melanin: Figure Painting in Gouache Workshop with Eugene.
UPDATE: We changed the dates!**
This immersive workshop is designed to equip artists with the skills to capture and celebrate dark skin tones using gouache, a versatile water-based medium.
Under the expert guidance of Eugene Young, participants will work with a live model during both sessions, enhancing their observational abilities and understanding of skin texture, color, and composition.
📆Saturday May 10th and 17th from 10am - 2pm at 815 Alice Street in Oakland.
🎟 Registration through the link: https://sketchboard.as.me/melanin
Our Shibari and Pole series is back!
We’re going to bless you all with 2 salons, b2b. Our most popular series is returning to the Monument stages. This is sure to sell out, so grab a ticket while you can.
📆 Series 3 + 4 on April 20th and May 18th from 2pm- 5pm at 140 9th Street in San Francisco. Must be 18+ to participate.
🎟 Registration through the link: https://sketchboard.as.me/shipo
Our June Salon Theme this year is: Rocky Horror Picture Show.
We are teaming up with our friends BBFigureDrawing for this Pride event.
📆Sunday, June 15 from 2 PM - 5 PM at 140 9th Street in San Francisco.
🎟 Registration through the link: https://sketchboard.as.me/smnmt
Our July Salon Theme this year is: James + The Giant Peach.
We are teaming back up with Wave Chamber Collective.
📆Sunday, July 20th from 2 PM - 5 PM at 140 9th Street in San Francisco.
🎟 Registration through the link: https://sketchboard.as.me/smnmt
Community Events:
From our very own Lian having their own art show to our wonderful partners, Ruth’s Table’s group art show - we wanna make sure you know what’s good and where to go.
Lian’s Solo Art Show
Meet some of the Sketchboard Crew at The Bird Cage this week to celebrate Lian’s first solo show, woohoo!
📆Thursday, April 3rd on 816 Sutter Street from 6-9pm.
On view at The Bird Cage from April 3rd - April 30th, 2025.
**Rooted: Group Art Show at Ruth’s Table
Our partners, Ruth’s Table, are having a powerful group exhibition curated by Jun Yang—featuring Bay Area Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) artists.
📆Thursday, April 10th on 3160 21st Street from 6-9pm.
On view at Ruth's Table from April 10 - Jun 6, 2025.
Find more info here: https://www.ruthstable.org/rooted
**Free Community Day: Ruth Asawa at SFMOMA
Come learn about one of the Bay Area’s most beloved artists at this Free Community Day in celebration of the opening of Ruth Asawa: Retrospective. SFMOMA has partnered with the organization Ruth’s Table to bring you a day of performances and hands-on making, facilitated by Bay Area artists who share Asawa’s belief in the power of art making to build connection and community.
All ages welcome! RSVP encouraged. Tickets available starting April 1. Entry to Ruth Asawa: Retrospective will be first-come, first-served. Visitors may experience a wait time for entry.
📆Sunday, April 13th at SFMOMA from 10am-5pm.
On view at SFMOMA from April 5 - Sept 2, 2025.
