Drawing

I used to draw a lot, to the point where we would constantly be running out of paper. I’m thinking it’d be a good idea to further my artistic capabilities and pick up a pen and paper again.

When I was younger it seemed like I drew all day, coloring in my artwork, creating stories to go with some of them. It even got to the point where on nice days my parents would kick me out of the house… albeit they wouldn’t forbid me taking my art supplies outside and so I would continue on the front porch or back deck. But those days were a very long time ago and I haven’t really focused on anything much since, with the exception of the occasional painting (I think it’s been 3 years since my last) or simple drawing for a quilt appliqué pattern.

At the very least I want to start illustrating again. I feel like my artwork isn’t what it used to be, mostly because I feel so out of practice. I think I’m going to go back to my old sketchbook and work myself back into using my Wacom Pen and Tablet on the computer because it seems like I’ve forgotten the feel of a brush stroke on canvas or a pen stroke on paper or the joy of blending and coloring with colored pencils. Plus, while talking with my pastor on Saturday as we were representing our church at a booth in Esther Short Park he asked if I had thought about doing illustrations and I had to sheepishly reply that I used to a long time ago. It got me wondering, why did I stop?

Life. Stress. Responsibilities.

Many of the things that have happened over the last decade and a half have caused me to grow up, and with that my creativity slumped in the process. Instead I found myself focusing my creative energy into practical things like food and baby blankets and gardening. You’d think that with this now almost two year gap in employment I’ve been in I’d have found some time to draw or paint, but my artistic side has taken a beating from years of neglect and I found myself not even wanting to drag out the paint and brushes or pull out a piece of paper and the container of colored pencils sitting on my desk in my craft room.

I may not get to the point again where you couldn’t drag me out of the house without a multitude of art supplies, but I’d like to just carry a sketchbook around again at least, just in case the mood to draw something strikes me. Maybe if I start working out some of the random thoughts that continuously flow through my head when they are actually passing by I might just feel like I’m not wasting what talents God has bestowed upon me.