How Did Inktober Start?

What Unites All Artists?

Besides the obvious spirit of freedom, the recognizable style with colorful hair, vintage dresses, or alternative clothing, artists are also known for their community. One of the best examples of this unity is art festivals.

These festivals often take place offline, where fans come to buy exclusive merch directly from artists. It’s like a marketplace where you can discover unique, collectible art pieces from your favorite creators.

But even if you’ve never been to a physical event, you’ve definitely heard of two popular online art challenges: Mermay (drawing mermaids in May) and, of course, Inktober. Let’s talk about the second one.

Inktober and the Halloween Vibe

As Halloween approaches, the atmosphere changes. Leaves turn yellow and rustle underfoot, the air smells of dampness, mushrooms, and pumpkins, while heavy clouds wander across the sky. Witches from all over the world gather on their broomsticks for a spooky party.

Halloween comes with its symbols: pumpkins, ghosts, mummies, evil witches, spiders, and creatures of the night. Which one are you? (Check out our Halloween personality quiz to find out!)

The tradition reminds us that humans are just like monsters—or maybe not? On October 31st, we hide behind masks so the real monsters walking freely among us won’t recognize us.

What Is Inktober?

The word Inktober comes from two parts: “ink” and “October.”

The official website inktober.com publishes the official daily prompt list every year. The idea is simple: every day in October, artists create one ink drawing based on the theme and share it online with the community.

Inktober began back in 2009, when American illustrator Jake Parker created it as a personal challenge. Today, it has become a global phenomenon with thousands of participants.

The goals of Inktober are:

• to improve your ink drawing skills
  
  

• to build a daily drawing habit
  
  

• to connect with the worldwide art community
  
  

There’s even a belief that drawing every day strengthens your artistic skills just like exercising strengthens your muscles.

Why Inktober Feels Like Magic

The smell of ink perfectly matches the Halloween aesthetic—as if you’re a witch writing spells on parchment. The challenge is not only about practice but also about embracing creativity, mystery, and magic.

And speaking of witches—if you enjoy Halloween themes, don’t miss the Webtoon “Witch’s Pie.” It’s a story about magic, battles, friendship, and betrayal. Who will become the true enemy of the heroines, and what goals will they choose to fight for?

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