Yesterday I was able to sit for several hours and just draw. It was frustrating and wonderful at the same time. Our drawing workshop of sorts, was led by Katrina Van Grouw, artist and author of The Unfeathered Bird (note: you should buy this book, but if you do using this link, I will make a few cents).
Frustrating, because I used to be able to make my hand do what I wanted–and wonderful, because O! the luxury of just sitting and looking and moving my hand and not-thinking. I write and read, because I cannot imagine any other way to spend my time. But, I do the other things I do, like knit, cook, draw, practice yoga, run–all to keep from flying apart into a million panicked, crazy pieces.
The less time in the day I can devote to those things that comfort me, the more likely I am to rail against the universe and cry randomly. Sometimes it’s easy to know a thing and still forget it, is I guess what I’m saying.
The drawings that came out of the workshop weren’t great works of art, but that’s beside the point. I loved the shiny silver smudges along the the skin of my hand, loved the sound of the graphite scraping off slowly in arcs.
I’ve also gotten a few acceptances in the recent past, which I hope to share news of soon. Until then, I’m going to re-arrange my schedule a bit to make sure I can get in that good stuff more as the semester draws to a frantic, harried close.