If you’re looking for a good way to relieve stress and rediscover yourself but you’re “too busy,” or if you’ve been putting off your New Year’s resolution of learning how to draw because you can’t be bothered to go to an art lesson, then look no further! Divya Marie Kato, founder of When In Doubt, Draw, has opened an online drawing school, leaving you with no excuse for putting off transferring those ideas in your head onto paper.

Kato is a positive, cheerful and friendly artist, passionate about sharing the benefits of exercising our creative side. The founder learned to draw as a coping mechanism during her adolescence: her family went through divorce, bankruptcy and home repossession, amongst other massive changes. In times of doubt, drawing empowered her. The practice continued to strengthen her further when she first came to Japan to study traditional arts and quickly became overwhelmed by the foreign environment. The artist shows no signs of her turbulent past in her demeanor—perhaps a testament to the powers of drawing.

The origins of When In Doubt, Draw were modest. What started out as a few private lessons in her own dining room developed into workshops and is now a fully-fledged course. Kato’s syllabus encompasses more than just learning about how to grip your pencil properly or where to shade, it’s also a creative empowerment program. From young children to grown professionals, Kato has had many different kinds of students, all of whom offer their praises about the course. She felt that the opportunity should be available for more people in Japan and elsewhere, and thus opened her new online drawing school. Kato adds, “There has never been a more important time to rediscover and nurture that expressive and creative part of yourself.”

Kato’s online drawing school currently offers two different courses; her signature program, When In Doubt, Draw, and a completely free mini-course, Divya’s Sketch Sesh. There are no scheduled times, no designated locations and neither limitations nor obligations to stop you from taking these lessons. For beginners, Divya’s Sketch Sesh is the program for you to dip your toes into the water and just enjoy drawing. With six sketching sessions, Kato helps you kickstart or reignite your creativity. If you’re already familiar with picking up your pencil for the occasional doodle and want to try When In Doubt, Draw, make sure to take advantage of the comprehensive free preview to ascertain that this course is for you. If you want to meet the woman herself, she also has in-person classes (at her atelier), creative empowerment workshops and art retreats. Kato will also accept different kinds of commissions.

Whether you’re a seasoned artist or an amateur doodler, there’s nothing to worry about, because Kato will be with you every step of the way and you’ll find yourself learning something new in each session.

If you’re ready to get started with your online course, click here.
For more information, check out her website or Facebook page.