Love this! I'm NOT an artist, and it really speaks to me...

9 Things That Happen When You Carry A Sketchbook With You Nonstop—by Priscilla Frank

Draw everywhere and all the time. An artist is a sketchbook with a person attached," artist Irwin Greenberg said.

OK, but what if you're not an artist? Or, at least, not yet. Can you still gain something from incorporating a sketchbook into your everyday life? The answer is yes, yes, a million times yes. And here's why. 

Exercising your creative mind is just as important as exercising your body. Studies have shown that just seeing, never mind creating art can lower levels of cytokine interleukin 6 -- a marker of inflammation that can lead to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and even Alzheimer's. And while coloring books have recently become the trendy artistic outlet of choice, I'd like to make a case for their humble grandfather, the sketchbook.

Coloring books are great for unwinding after a long day, but they're not the easiest to transport and whip out on the go. A sketchbook and a pencil, however, can (and should!) easily become part of your everyday routine. Slip it in your purse or backpack or back pocket and just like that, you can make art anytime, anywhere. Your pencil and paper become your secret weapons, or secret friends, depending on how you look at it. 

"I draw like other people bite their nails," Pablo Picasso famously declared. If you want to begin your own personal journey towards Picasso levels of mastery, you best start biting your nails now. If you commit to living the sketchbook life, prepare to witness some beautiful changes. Here's what can happen... (Click here to read the full article)