The first page simply read:
Leo, who wanted more than anything to draw but whose every stick figure looked like a disaster, blew off the dust and opened it. the guide to the abc's of drawing
Leo drew a blob. He squinted. It did look like a sleepy turtle. He added a tiny tail. He laughed. The first page simply read: Leo, who wanted
Leo closed the book. He looked at his drawing—a mess of awkward lines, blobs, a lopsided circle, and a turtle-potato hybrid. It was, without a doubt, the ugliest drawing he’d ever made. It did look like a sleepy turtle
Then he kept going.
This page was mostly blank, save for a single bold, sweeping stroke of ink. "The difference between a scribble and a signature is belief. Put your pencil down. Now draw a circle in one breath. Don’t chicken out halfway. Let it be round or wobbly—just own it."
He flipped to a fresh page, took a deep breath, and drew a zigzag.