Inktober 2026: 31.10 – 31. Flex

Today is October 31st—congratulations to everyone!

While this day might not be marked in red on the calendar, it will certainly be a memorable one for me. It has proven the truth of the old saying: "The eyes are afraid, but the hands do the work." This wasn't just a one-off task; it was a month-long endeavor—31 days—resulting in 31 drawings created for the "Inktober 2026" challenge.

Throughout this period, the thought "Maybe I should take a break?" crossed my mind more than once. But I swatted it away—much like one would shoo off an annoying mosquito—and picked up my pen again, leaning back over the paper.

As someone who wasn't particularly prepared for this, I dealt with physical strain almost every single day: tension in my neck and back, aching muscles in my hand, and the need to rub my eyes to relieve the strain from focusing so intently.

Yet, it’s a pleasant kind of discomfort when you have a clear goal in front of you.

Interestingly, for today—the final day of October and the conclusion of this stage of the Inktober 2026 challenge—the prompt was to draw something that conveys the word "flex."

I could have easily drawn someone "flexing" (showing off their muscles), but instead, I chose to depict a potato harvest in a field.

Anyone who has ever tended to a potato patch—planting the crop and bringing in the harvest—knows just how physically demanding that kind of work truly is. There’s no fitness trainer here to ask which muscle group you’d like to focus on; working on a potato plantation, you’ll get well-acquainted with the pain in your biceps, triceps, quadriceps, and latissimus dorsi. Your core will grow stronger, and deadlifting sacks of potatoes will serve as a perfect substitute for any piece of gym equipment.

Weighted squats and explosive lifts—these aren’t just familiar to weightlifters; they’re also part of the routine for anyone harvesting their own potatoes.

Even just squatting down to fill a sack of potatoes will soon have you feeling the strain in your calves, back, and neck—a fantastic workout that really delivers results for anyone taking part, lol.

Wishing everyone a blessed day!

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More to come!

Enjoy viewing the photos and reading the article!

Have a blessed day!

Category:	Art, Photography, digital art.
Tools:	Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300
Location:	Ukraine
Author:	Author @barski. In my publications you will see only my author's works.