Monday, March 30, 2015

Creative Habits Are Good For the Brain

After listening to a podcast about maintaining creative habit yesterday, I felt inspired! 

The podcast: Elise Gets Crafty.
The particular episode: Episode #39 where Elise interviewed Crystal Moody.
Elise and Crystal chatted about Crystal's 2014 year-long project of drawing something different every day. It's definitely worth a listen if you,too are needing a little inspiration regarding any creative habit.

I can't draw.  I don't even doodle.  But I always wish I could.  But that whole thing about saying "I can't draw" actually just means, "I don't draw".  I don't make many attempts.  I don't make it a practice.  So I'm not much better than I was at about the age of 10.  I never developed the skill, because skill takes practice.

I'm not saying I'm down for doing a drawing every day for a solid year like Crystal did, but I would like to attempt to draw at least a couple of days out of the week.  Even if it's just for 5 minutes!

This weekend was perfect Spring weather, and I decided to get out my dusty old sketch book, (which I've had for about 7 years and have only drawn on 5 pages so far) and draw something outside.

I drew a very quick sketch of our chiminea.  After I drew it, I thought, "I really drew that crooked."  But you know what? It sort of IS crooked in real life.  I didn't even notice that until I drew it.   
crooked chiminea in still life


crooked chiminea in real life


It took less than 10 minutes, so I did a second sketch-- My feet!
My feet/ My feet
So there it is.
Day 1 of my sketching practice. It was pretty relaxing, and almost meditative.  I thought of nothing else while I had my little pencils in hand.  That's got to be good for the brain, right? 


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