Why Inktober?

For those unfamiliar, Inktober is an annual event where artists from around the globe create an ink drawing every day for the month of October (thus the name) and post it to social media with the #inktober hashtag. The drawing can be as eloborate or as simple as the creator wishes. The important thing is to practice and improve, bit by bit.

The parallels may not escape you.

The internet tells me that the whole thing was started by Jake Parker in 2009 as a challenge to himself to improve his inking skills and develop positive drawing habits. I think those are laudable goals, but what really appeals to me about the whole thing is the plethora of art that spills onto the web throughout the month. There's all manner of amazing stuff as artists experiment, try new things, and just have some fun.

My only complaint - if I were to have one - is that there isn't much room in Inktober for the writer. But that's really only true if you're lacking for imagination. Last year I decided to play along by writing a new page of comic script every day (a practice I'm doing again this year), but I figured for our purposes I might try something a little different.

I want to celebrate Inktober here at Thought Balloons by getting writers involved with the whole thing. So this week, jump on your social media of choice and track down some of those amazing Inktober pieces, find one that resonates with you, and write a script inspired by it. It can be a direct continuation of the image. It can be based on the feeling the image creates in your mind. All that matters to me is that you find something you like and have fun with it.

So Thought Ballooners new and old, find something you like and make something of your own from it. And most of all, don't forget to credit! :)