MINDFULNESS AND SKETCHING I’m so excited to take you through what I have found to be a rather profound adventure in discovery, that at first glance appears simply visual, but runs so much deeper. It is powerful to create something and add your own unique spin on it, through your style, selections, energy, or all of the above.
I encourage you to make this experience your own. As you connect to your creative side, know that
you do not need to know how to draw. Sketching our surroundings is even better when your efforts have an organic energy without perfect lines, proportions, or symmetry. Being free in this way will allow you to cultivate a deeper connection with all that surrounds you.
I first felt the impact of this style of sketching when I came across a piece by James Richards. I not only saw this artwork, but I
felt it.
From the vibrancy of his color choices to his expressive lines to his intentional subject matter—a bustling crowd, greenery, and old architecture captured in a way only he can—I saw the unique beauty of it.
Each style you come across will have a different feel. A group of people can draw the same subject and each interpretation would be specific to the person who created it, whether on purpose or not. We can’t hide from our own unique creative interpretations on paper: It’s a beautiful thing.
BENEFITS OF DEVELOPING A SKETCHING PRACTICE Have you ever noticed upon reflection that a cramped road trip, a long waiting period, or some other experience that might have been considered an inconvenience yielded a silver lining based on some minor or unexpected things that occurred? Sometimes the memories we have highlight the best moments during those times rather than the final result or destination. I had a paradigm shift when I adopted this mindset after noticing my own thought reflections. Suddenly, what I used to consider moments of unimportant or even annoying “in-between times” became memorable and important.
It’s about the journey. So do it for the process.
Copyright © 2022 by Peggy Dean. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
