Day 30: Big Hope, Bright Tomorrow — A Fairy Wren & a Gentle Look Ahead

Day 30 — and just like that, we’re almost at the end of our December Drawing Challenge.

Today’s prompt was Big Hope / Bright Tomorrow, and my drawing arrived with such perfect timing that it felt like a small gift. I drew a fairy wren — a bird I often hear on my morning walks but can never quite get a good look at. So quick, so elusive. I’ve hoped for a long time to really see one… and today, I finally did.

Its head feathers flashed the most sparkling, brilliant blue — so bright, so happy. A pure delight. Of course I had to draw it. What a beautiful reminder that sometimes hope is simply about staying open long enough for the moment to arrive.

Yesterday’s prompt was Treasure / Surprise, and I took an unexpected turn there too. I revisited the shape of my Day 28 fairy and found a new treasure hidden inside it — a hen! That drawing, along with today’s fairy wren, is over on Instagram if you’d like to see them. I’ll also be sharing another blog post soon to gently wrap up the whole month of drawing.

Five gentle ideas for Big Hope / Bright Tomorrow

If you’re still drawing along — or revisiting the prompt later — here are a few ideas to spark your page:

• A bird in motion — mid-flight, mid-song, or just arrived
• A path leading somewhere bright, even if the destination is unknown
• A calendar, diary, or blank notebook opening onto the future
• A small symbol of hope — a feather, bud, star, or seed
• A future-you moment — peaceful, creative, content, becoming

Let your drawing hold possibility rather than certainty. Big hope doesn’t need all the answers.

Drawing on cards: small pages, big meaning

Throughout the challenge, I’ve loved drawing not only in my sketchbook, but also on small cards. Sketching on a card gives drawing a gentle sense of purpose — and it means your art gets to live around you. I glue mine onto thin card and slide it into a desk card holder, changing it daily as a quiet creative ritual.

To support this, I’ve made a free printable card template for you — available via Google Drive here on this post. You can sketch, write, or record ideas on these cards, then keep a small stack on your desk, ready whenever inspiration appears.

Looking ahead to 2026 🌱

As we turn toward a new year, I want to gently invite you to consider starting a Creative Planner in 2026. Your Creative Planner can be anything you want it to be — a place for drawing, planning, reflection, play, or light structure. Mine has sparked joy for me for many years, and I hope it might do the same for you.

You can learn more about the Creative Planner here:
👉 https://www.fromthepond.com/creative-planner

If you’d like ongoing support, ideas, encouragement, and connection, you’re also warmly invited to join my Creative Planner newsletter list — a soft place to land creatively throughout the year.

Thank you for drawing alongside me this December.

May your tomorrow feel bright, hopeful, and just a little bit magical ✨