Mindful Drawing
They say that serious art is born from serious play. Recently I’ve been putting so much pressure on myself to create my next work, or make money, or find something that is going to feel like a massive achievement that I haven’t really let myself try to unwind, or enjoy the process. So as a result, I don’t feel like I’ve been productive in any specific area at all. Paralysed by the fear that my next project needs to be perfect, or fully formed, I haven’t been progressing in any of my endeavours.
Last week I went to a drawing class, run by the artist Lily Rose Grant. The class appealed to me because it was unashamedly welcoming to novices, promising that ‘anyone is able to draw - even you!’
I’m incredibly lucky that I have friends and family members who are talented artists - illustrators, sculptors, photographers - but when you have those people in your circle, it becomes incredibly hard to try and play in the disciplines they have built careers upon without feeling self-conscious, or frustrated. Comparison really can be the thief of joy, and it’s utterly bizarre that as we grow older we find ways in which to self-sabotage, or to add stress and anxiety to activities we spent blissful and mindless hours devoted to as children.
The session run by Lily really reminded me of this fact, and I found it incredibly liberating. The way the session was structured was very helpful to me, and I thought it might be useful to share with those who might not be able to get to London to experience one of her sessions directly.
Over the course of an hour, we had timed exercises, but that was the only formal structure we had to adhere to. We were free to draw inspiration from anything in the room around us.
2 x 30 second drawings
1 x 1 minute drawing using one continuous line (not lifting your drawing implement off of the page)
1 x 1 minute drawing using your non-dominant hand
1 x 3 minute drawing of a subject, where you are not allowed to look down at your paper
1 x 3 minute drawing of the same subject, but this time from memory (you can look at your paper, but not the object)
1 x 3 minute drawing - a copy of a drawing by another artist
1 x 5 minute drawing
1 x 15 minute drawing
What was so incredible about the session was firstly the physical changes I went through. Particularly for the exercise when I had to use my non-dominant hand, I felt myself unclench my jaw, and found myself releasing tension in my mind and my body. I had been so tense and self-critical for the first two brief exercises that once I had to place my faith into my non-dominant hand, strangely I became more forgiving and encouraged as a result. As the time span for each exercise extended in time, it felt incredibly generous and indulgent that I could take time to make additional strokes, or shade in areas that previously I didn’t have the luxury of time for.
It was also very therapeutic to use charcoal, which I hadn’t done since I was a child, and to see how I responded to different types of paper. As Lily suggested, some of my best drawings were on newsprint, which felt more approachable than my drawings on a higher quality card, which felt intimidating.
At the end of the session, we all shared our drawings with each other and it was incredibly supportive and nurturing - perhaps more so as we were mostly all complete strangers to one another. Since that workshop, I’ve ordered a set of charcoal and have been making random sketches throughout the day. They remind me, in style, of the sketches my mom would make when my sister and I were little, and would convince her to sit down and draw with us. It’s a lovely reminder for myself to stop putting barriers up for myself it when comes to creativity - that I ‘haven’t been’ drawing, rather than ‘can’t’. That trying to find creativity is a humbling process, but it’s about chugging along rather than waiting for perfection.
You can find out more about Lily Rose Grant on her website here, but I’m also sharing some of my favourite pieces from her Instagram by linking below - I’m going to save up for the Viva La Tomato print in particular, her work is brilliant!
