Unlearning Perfection: A Drawing Workshop
Casa de Dobby , Ta Van, Sa Pa
April 11, 2026
For the past few months, I’ve been practicing unlearning perfection.
I’ve been documenting my process—what I learn, what I let go of, and how I shift away from trying to make everything “perfect”.
Instead, I focus on being present and enjoying the process. Learning happens naturally when you stop forcing it.
In Sapa, I’ve been walking through villages, sketching landscapes, and drawing H’mong women I meet along the trails.
All of this became part of my practice.
This workshop came from that.
I didn’t want to “teach”. I just wanted to share and guide people into that same mindset.
The Workshop
There were six people who joined, plus me—seven people drawing together at Casa de Dobby.
Most of them were travelers I met in Ta Van. It felt like a small, relaxed community. We started in the late afternoon, close to sunset.
I began by sharing my experiences over the past months, showing some of my sketches, and explaining what happens when you let go of control. Then I gave them options—use my references, or draw something personal from their own memories and travels.
From there it just flowed.
What Happened
People started opening up.
There were a lot of conversations—about travel, childhood, and personal memories.
It became more than just a drawing session.
Some of my favorite moments were watching Teddy and Oceane sketch their favorite dogs from the homestay, Julianne draw a selfie with her friends, Julia sketched her tour guide from Fansipan (wearing sandals while hiking), Diana drawing this beautiful image from the rice field—a kid and his buffalo playing in the mud, and May draw her girlfriend and their cat.
Everyone was drawing something personal. And you could feel it in their work.
Seeing six different people go through the process reminded me why I started this.
Art doesn’t have to be perfect.
It doesn’t have to be “good” or “bad”.
Why it Matters
What matters is:
You enjoy it. You feel the freedom. You express something real.
That’s it.
What’s Next
This is just the beginning.
I’ll be hosting another Unlearning Perfection workshop around July, close to my exhibition at The Pause in Ta Van—just a few steps from Casa de Dobby, overlooking the terraces.
If you’re visiting Sapa and want to try something different, I’ll be opening another session soon.
What does creating freely mean to you?
Let’s talk. Send me a message.
