☀️ my best studio diary video tips, just for you (pulled directly from my workshop)

May 30, 2025

The calendar reminder to record chimed on my phone.

My new sketchbook was open. My daughter had just fallen asleep for her afternoon nap. And my tea was getting cold.

I’d already propped my phone up across from me.

But I didn’t feel like recording.

Because suddenly I was thinking about the pajamas I was still wearing at 4pm. (if you’ve had young children, you know!)

I wondered whether this was the right moment worth recording.

That’s when it hit me:

This isn’t for anyone else yet.

It’s a diary. It’s for me:

To remember the day. To witness this work. To capture what it actually feels like for me to be in the middle of making something.

None of this is about becoming a content creator.

It’s about creating a time capsule of your art life — one quiet, unscripted video at a time.

And then later on you get to decide if you’ll share any of it.

That’s the whole idea behind the Studio Diaries Made Simple workshop.

Today I want to give you my best Studio Diary tips, pulled right out of the workshop, so you can jump start recording your own studio diary videos right now:

Recorded is better than perfect.

Stop overthinking this. You don’t need fancy gear or perfect lighting for studio diaries — just show up and record.

Start with what you have.

Your phone is really the only video tool that you need to start recording. Your voice is enough. Your art is enough.

15 minutes is all you need.

Set aside 15 focused minutes a week to record a studio diary so that you can document your art journey. That’s it.

The hardest part is showing up.

You’re already making progress by pressing ‘record.’ After that the rest can be just practice and play.

If you do publish a studio diary: Don’t aim for viral, aim for connection.

Studio diaries aren’t about hype. They’re about capturing your real art process, rooted in life as an artist.

Let it be messy.

Creativity isn’t clean. Let what you record reflect the beautiful chaos of making art.

Your studio diaries are documentation, not performance.

You’re not putting on a show — you’re preserving a moment in your art life.

Your future self will thank you.

These studio diary videos become a record of growth — a living archive of your journey.

Continuity over intensity.

A small, weekly studio update practice builds momentum better than any sporadic, polished videos ever could.

Go gently — it is part of being ready to record.

Please treat yourself with the same compassion you bring to your art.

...

You’re already making art. You’ve already got your voice.

Now go record a Studio Diary for yourself.

Today is a great day to begin.

And reply if you wanna let me know that you recorded one! I’d love to hear.

Keep creating,

-Zach

P.S. It only takes 15 minutes (at most) to record a studio diary. And over time, it'll give you years of insight, clarity, and connection.

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