7:7 Sketchbook unfolds over seven weeks. Each week there will be:​

• One two-hour live session on Zoom with Ali (with replay)

• Daily drawing and journalling prompts by email for which you will set aside around half an hour each day

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Sessions are delivered live to a capped cohort, creating a calm and focused shared space. Each participant works privately in their own sketchbook throughout. There is no sharing of artwork - the emphasis is on personal process and internal observation rather than external feedback. Questions may be submitted via chat and are addressed at the end of the session. The atmosphere is structured, contained, and reflective.

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Each session centres on two elements: a clear exploration of the role art played at that developmental stage, and how that original function can support us in adulthood; and a guided sketchbook activity inspired by a well-known artist whose mature work consciously draws on that same developmental energy.

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The 'Daily Draw' prompts delivered by email each morning are designed to take around half an hour each day. This regular rhythm helps ease the fear of beginning and builds continuity. Over the seven weeks, these small drawing tasks accumulate into a steady practice, making it easier to return to the page when the course is over.​

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​Week One: Art as (E)motion

We begin with the Scribble Stage. At this stage, drawing is about movement and feeling. We use simple marks, rhythm and repetition to loosen up the hand and reconnect with the straightforward pleasure of making marks on a page.

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Week Two: Art as Attachment

In the Pre-Schematic Stage, drawings begin to centre on people and things that matter. We explore simple ways that drawing can express love, affection and attachment.

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Week Three: Art as Illustration

In the Schematic Stage, children develop reliable ways of drawing the world around them. We look at how these personal symbols emerge and how drawing becomes a way of telling stories about our lives and experiences.

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Week Four: Art as Alignment

During the Dawning Realism stage, children become more aware of the world around them and of the groups they belong to. This week focuses on drawing your own environment and noticing your own tastes and preferences in art and beyond.

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Week Five: Art as Apprenticeship

The Pseudo-Naturalistic Stage is where children start worrying about whether their drawings look 'right.' This week introduces observation and skill-building in a relaxed way, treating practice as a normal and useful part of learning.

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Week Six: Art as Identity
In the Crisis of Adolescence stage, art becomes a way of expressing individuality. This week explores how we can use style, symbolism and personal imagery to say something about who we are.

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Week Seven: Art as Authenticity
In the final week, we bring everything together. You’ll leave with a clearer sense of your own artistic direction and practical ways to keep your sketchbook practice going.

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By the end of the seven weeks, you will understand more about how art developed in your childhood, where confidence may have been lost along the way, and how to move forward with greater clarity, confidence and resilience.