Two years of drawing. What has it done for me?
Ok, so I've cheated a bit here and there, getting behind and then doing several drawings to catch up but there is more than a drawing for every day. 731 days (one was a leap year) more than 731 drawings.
What has it done for me? Well, when I started out my son was very little. I was still in the early days - milky blur! It put some me time there. Some minutes out of each day of nappies, feeding, feeding, feeding, nappies, in which I was me, not just the baby's mum! It has made me happy, it has made me friends, I've received wonderful comments and messages from people who felt that it inspired them or helped them, this has made me feel worthwhile.
As an artist the practice has paid and paid and paid. It's been like a process where I shed all my demons. To begin with I was a quite pragmatic artist, also a designer, and not too prone to over self criticise, but I still started out editing drawings, not good enough? Don't share it, do another. Later I started sharing them with excuses, or explanations, later still I got involved in what people think, do they like it? How many likes can I get? What will people respond to? I went through that into a serene place where I literally DO NOT GIVE A FLYING SQUIRREL what anyone says or thinks of my art! If I like it, or even if I don't, and I know they are right, it's not my best work, I still don't feel diminished or introspective! So what? More art is on the way, it's not rare or precious, I don't need to be in a special mood to make it! I can bang it out every day and I've practised so much I know a good proportion of it is quality work. So all can hate it if they like, I'm impervious. It's a very safe place for an artist to work from.
But you haven't hated it, you have been amazing, many of you have complemented and encouraged me, helped me when I felt it was pointless and celebrated my good days with me. Many people have also joined in, drawing with me and playing the drawing a day game. #drawingadayclub. Thank you all you are wonderful.
With so much time, so many days to fill I've tried everything I fancied. It's not a commission, or a design I need to get paid for so I've just played! Doing things in new media, things I don't normally draw, things in odd colours... Played. I used to have this long reasoned speech I gave about why I couldn't draw people, "Portraiture is a specialised skill, those artists practice just that... On it went, guess what? I can draw people, I can draw anything! Obviously I still have things I like to do and things I'm best at, but no subject or media or style is impossible. I'm unafraid of drawing, there is no working up courage, and picking my way, trying not to ruin it, heart in mouth. Drawing is an effort free zone! Easy, ok not always perfect but easy and unconcerned.
It's been so nice to share. My design work is so secret. They make my design house sign a form that says it has not been shown around... I've worked so hard on building up all this design work and I can't show anyone. It was so liberating to show art to all my friends and be in a two way conversation with the viewer!
Ideas, beget ideas, there is no scarcely! I have found the more ideas I "use up" on my drawing a day, the more new ideas I have to make designs, or more drawing a days, use up your best ideas, they are the tip of your idea iceberg! Try it, it's true!
Discipline, oh! Discipline! It's been good discipline to draw everyday, sunstroke or sick kids, grief, happiness, period pains and boredom all transcended by art. Discipline is THE NUT TO CRACK if you want to get anywhere with art, I'm still working on that.
The collection; I am not collecting any wealth, or power, nor am I about to cure cancer, so I'm not leaving the world or my kids anything very much in the way of a legacy, but I don't want my tomb stone to read "She kept up with the dishes and Netflix." Drawing every day has given me the feeling that I'm not entirely wasting my time. Here is all this work I did and some have enjoyed it.
The future; As I mentioned I have worked very hard to get signed with a great design house. I am going to set some targets on how much design I send them - so I won't be drawing every day next year.
I'm sure I won't be able to resist a bit of non work related art and when that happens, I will share it!
Thank you 731 times for all the support and feedback.
Love, Kirsteen
I've included a few I like from the last two years here:
I've included a few I like from the last two years here:
