2 - My Year-Long Art Project
I’ve always been interested in art and in creating. I’ve filled sketchbooks all my life and have consistently felt the itch to draw or make something. But in December 2019, I felt I needed to up my game and dedicate more time and space to creating art, and more specifically, honing my drawing and illustration skills. Though I’d worked in architecture firms for the past 7 years at that point, my daily life just didn’t feel super creative. After following various illustrators and artists on Instagram, I felt more and more compelled to dust off my pencil crayons, get out there and draw the world around me.
When I received a sketchbook from my cousin for Hanukkah that year, I knew exactly how I wanted to fill it. I was going to create a drawing a day for an entire year. This sketchbook would be my jumping off point. It was just the perfect size. Not too big to feel daunting, with a manageable size of pages that if filled, I knew would give me the oomph I needed to draw daily.
I had listened to the brilliant Lisa Congdon on the equally brilliant Creative Pep Talk Podcast, by Andy J. Pizza (Miller), about her daily art practice projects over the years. I felt this unlock something in me. Not every drawing had to be amazing. In fact, most would not be! But if I could find a couple I really liked, and wanted to further develop, even that would be enough. Fast forward to the end of the year (and a couple days added in to account for any daily count errors that might have occurred!) and I completed my objective - one drawing for each day of 2020.
Looking back to the past year, I definitely drew things I didn’t necessarily love, or like at all, but I also came away with more than a couple drawings/ images/ materials/ styles etc that I really did like, and decided were worth pursuing and digging further into. I tried out new materials, new ways of drawing and looking at things, and the world around me, and even more important than all of that, I fortified my love for illustration and depicting the world around me. Though I have not drawn every day this year, I am drawing as much as I can, and am setting myself up to keep this practice of illustration growing and building. I’m taking the things I’ve learned and am doing my best to apply them as I go, and build upon them even further.
Five things I learned from drawing daily:
1 - Not every drawing will be great (and this idea is actually quite freeing!).
2 - Having a pen and notebook (or any scrap of paper) wherever you go is essential.
3 - Sometimes a drawing done in five minutes will be just as good, if not better, than the drawing that took over an hour (less is more, and also, don’t overthink!).
4 - Done is better than perfect (this, I believe, is from Elizabeth Gilbert’s book, Big Magic. I made a little sign for myself and have it next to my desk).
5 - Just keep going.
For Further reading / exploration on some people / things I mentioned:
Lisa Congdon, illustrator, fine artist, author, creative, inspiring person (in my view!). Most recently wrote Find Your Artistic Voice: The Essential Guide to Working Your Creative Magic.
Creative Pep Talk Podcast, by Andy J. Pizza. Great podcast and advice by veteran illustrator and connector of many people and ideas. He is so generous with his words and encouragement, and realistic when discussing the life/ trials/ tribulations and awesomeness of pursuing a creative career.
Elizabeth Gilbert, author, journalist and creative force, wrote Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear. This book fired me up and made me attuned and open to creative ideas, big and small.