My inspiration for today's inktober theme - PATH was the landscape where I grew up and live, the edge of the Swabian Alb in southern Germany (more precisely: the rock gate in the princely park Inzigkofen near Sigmaringen).

Down here and up in the Alb there are so many beautiful little paths and trails. Unfortunately, over time one becomes "blind" to one's own surroundings, one no longer perceives them properly. That is a pity.

When I see photos or drive through an area where I haven't been for a while, I become aware of the beauty again. I wish for more of these moments.

Do you feel the same way?

I always find pigeons rather annoying. They nest everywhere, poop all over everything...

Nevertheless, the first thing that came to my mind about today's topic was the carrier pigeon. They have an amazing orientation. When they are released, they always find their way back home. They orientate themselves by the sun, the stars and the landscape.

But how funny would it be if the pigeons couldn't do that on their own, but would always unpack a MAP or use a tiny little pigeon navigation device in between?

Today I find it incredibly difficult to write an appropriate caption. I mean, what do you say to a skull with a hat and a GOLDEN hatpin?

For today's Inktober keyword I had several vague ideas, but then I discarded them all and finally stuck with a more or less random motif. It just seemed interesting to me and could easily be realised in the style of an etching.

That's how the creative process can work sometimes.

Voilà. So that's what came out of it. What would you write about it?

Day 7 at inktober - one week is already over. That went surprisingly fast. Especially since I didn't really know beforehand whether I would participate this year or whether I should devote my time more intensively to my other projects.

Well, now I've started, so I'm trying to follow through and do the other things, which this October include two markets where I'll be selling my prints, alongside work and family, in a way that I'm happy with.

What does all this have to do with today's theme of DRIP? Actually nothing at all. I just wanted to say that.

Hip hip hurray! Let's celebrate the beginning of the second week of Inktober with Day 8 🥳 It's Sunday, nice weather and everyone is in a good mood - only the TOAD seems to be "not amused".

She probably has a reputation to uphold, because inside she is only too happy to join in the celebrations. Why else would she have voluntarily put on her party hat?

Sometimes an idea comes to me immediately when I get the briefing or the theme. Sometimes I have to think about it for a long time until I come up with something suitable that, in the best case, not everyone else has thought of, but that stands out a bit from the crowd and that also fits the style in which it is to be drawn.

Today, with the theme of BOUNCE, I came up with a few ideas quite quickly, but I quickly discarded them all. So it took quite a while until I came up with what you see here. And then, of course, I had less time than planned to realise it. But I think the fast, loose style is not bad at all. And it also suits the drawing.

How do you approach (creative) tasks?

I find happiness or being happy beautiful, but they are both states that usually only last for a short time. For me, contentment is much more important than the pursuit of happiness.

By that I don’t mean „lazy“ contentment, where you are content with given circumstances and don’t seek improvement, but a state of inner contentment.

But before this gets too philosophical in the early morning, I’ll make a coffee and a delicious breakfast. Because that, too, is a little piece of happiness in my day.

Translation of the saying in the drawing: „Some people dream of great happiness. Others of cookies.“

According to Statista, hiking holidays are the fourth most popular type of holiday among Germans.

I too know extended hikes from my childhood. Once a year, for example, the whole family got together for a hiking day: Grandma and grandpa, uncles and aunts, cousins, parents and siblings.

Or recurring hiking days at school. Sometimes we children had to be motivated a little. Then a certain saying had to be used, which I’m sure some of us still remember:

„A hat, a walking stick, an umbrella, forward, backward, sideways, close, heel, toe, lift your leg. And 1 and 2 and 3 and 4....“

Do you recognise my inspiration for today’s theme?

I don’t really like spicy food, at least not when you can’t taste anything else but spicy. A little bit of spiciness is delicious.

That’s why I can’t understand how you can voluntarily take part in these chilli eating competitions and then stuff one pod after another into your mouth within a very short time, from relatively mild to almost deadly hot. I would die. Just watching it makes my eyes water. 😭

Do you like spicy food?

Wakey, wakey, RISE and shine!

Honestly, I find this awful every day. It usually takes me several attempts before I turn the alarm off completely and actually crawl out of my bed.

I’m a real morning grouch and it takes me a really long time to „function normally“.

Are you an early riser or a night owl and how many alarm clocks do you need to wake up?

#inktober2023rise #riseandshine #goodmorning #aufstehen #wecker #morgenmuffel #frühaufsteher #nachteule #wach

Today I am very late with my contribution to Inktober. I was in Ludwigsburg all day with my prints at the popupimschloss-market as an exhibitor. And it was wonderful. Coincidentally also so fitting to the theme CASTLE today 😀

However, I didn't draw the Ludwigsburg Residenzschloss, but a landmark from my area - the small but beautiful Schloss Lichtenstein, built high above the Echaztal on a rock at the edge of the Swabian Alb.

#inktober2023castle #castle #schloss #burg #betterlatethannever #schwäbischealb #schlosslichtenstein #romantic

After two days at the fair, I am now behind with my inktober drawings. So here, so as not to completely lose touch, is yesterday's drawing on the theme of the dagger.

Where do you still come into contact with daggers these days, if not as a tattoo motif or on a guided tour of a castle?

#inktober2023dagger #dagger #dolch #mittelalter #tattoo #schlange #oldschool

So, I still owe you yesterday's drawing on the subject of angels. Here it is. I won't say much about it, but I'd rather get straight to work on today's drawing so that I can get back on track. The first half of October is done, the other half will be done too :)

#inktober2023angel #engel #angel #flügel #federn

Today (yes, I'm up to date again) comes exactly the opposite of yesterday - a demon. I didn't want to draw an ugly grimace, so what you see here is what came out.

And to be honest, I'm already too tired today to write a more adequate text on the subject. Please bear with me...

#inktober2023demon #dämon #widderschädel #skull #horn #gehörnt

Plump - the theme of today. The first thing that came to my mind were the plumped-up lips of some women.

To be honest, I never find the overly plumped lips pretty, rather somehow disturbing, but that's for everyone to decide for themselves. I'm not talking into it. Besides, this is a topic that is not reflected in my everyday life. So I have nothing more to say about it than that with an action like Inktober, there are sometimes topics that appeal to me less, but I still have to think of a suitable picture.

#inktober2023plump #plump #beauty #op #fake #lips #ideal #icon #vorbild #schönheit #imaugedesbetrachters

Fortunately, it's not quite as cold here as in my drawing, but today and all week long it's been pretty wet. When people ask me which season I like best, I usually answer "autumn", but I think all seasons have something great and I especially like their change.

In fact, I wouldn't like it if it was only cold or only warm all the time. Just that it gets cooler again after a hot summer or when the sun shines strongly again for the first time after a cold winter, those are the most beautiful moments.

#inktober2023frost #frost #kalt #eiszapfen #winter #jahreszeiten #seasons #eis #schnee #cozy #cozyseason

And yet another weekend has passed without me posting anything for inktober because I was busy elsewhere (as an exhibitor at the art and design fair in Stuttgart).

So I'm now catching up on yesterday's post. Today's post will be tomorrow... oh dear, I can already see where this is going, but don't worry, I'll hang in there and work on it until I'm up to date again - I promise!

#inktober2023chains #chains #ketten #absperrung #toolateagain #sorrynotsorry

Here comes a CELESTIAL duo for you, without much frills and also without much text. I'll let the pictures do the talking :)

#inktober2023celestial #betterlatethannever #celestial #sun #moon #planets #vintage #vintagestyle

Today's topic: SHALLOW "... in the sha-haha-llow, in the sha-lalalalala-low..." when I hear this word, I always think of Lady Gaga's song from the film "A Star Is Born".

Who sang along?

#inktober2023shallow #betterlatethannever #shallow #sea #couple #getyourfeetwet #water #ausflugansmeer

Did you know that women used to live dangerously in several ways? Not only did they have to put on clothes that literally took their breath away, but these clothes were often dyed with a beautiful but unfortunately deadly dye.

The so-called "Schweinfurt green" is a very beautiful, strong shade of green, but unfortunately it contained arsenic. This dye was also used in other things in everyday life, for example as paint for wallpaper or toys.

Is this where the name poison green comes from?

#inktober2023dangerous #danger #verstecktegefahr #victorian #arsenic #green #poison #gift #giftgrün #mode #modeopfer

Normally, I'm a rather even-tempered person. But one of the things that really drives me up the wall is when labels don't come off properly.

No matter if it's labels on jars (who of you also has a collection of old jam jars in the cellar?) or labels on wooden boards or many other things that always (!) leave adhesive residue behind... waaaah 🤬

In the meantime, I have a whole hodgepodge of different products that I use to get rid of the stubborn label residue.

#inktober2023remove #labels #thatdrivesmecrazy #dasmussweg #jarcollection #wd40

Today is the last day of Inktober and I think the topic couldn't be more appropriate for a little summary.

Over the course of a whole month, everyone who participates in Inktober has made and posted a drawing, a small print, a lettering or whatever every day. And yes, it's just as much work as it sounds, even if the list of themes is published a month early and you can already prepare the drawings.

Still, that's a whole month of being present and delivering every day (don't misunderstand, it's all voluntary of course and there is NO Inktober Police). But the inner pressure, once you've started, that you want to finish and preferably in a consistent quality, is definitely there, at least for me, and that often gives me a rather negative feeling. Above all, creativity suffers and that is rather unfavourable in a creative challenge.

In between, the path is often very rocky and bumpy, with many obstacles or even longer detours. But then it is all the more rewarding when you have persevered to the end.

So to everyone who took part in Inktober, and of course to everyone else, too, because there are new challenges to overcome every day: CONGRATULATIONS! You did a good job. I wish you that your fire will keep burning, even if the flame sometimes becomes very small and inconspicuous, that it will never go out and that you will always be able to rekindle a small spark.