Picking up a pencil

One of my favorite things to do is draw. When I first went to school, I went not knowing what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to be in art, but I couldn't make my mind up as to what kind of art I wanted to be in for the rest of my life.

I eventually narrowed down the runnings between graphic design, interior design, teaching art and fine arts. I decided against teaching because I've always been a really introverted, shy person and while the thought of standing in front of children didn't frighten me, standing in front of a class of colleages did. I decided against interior design because while design was my first love in the art world, it was required in interior design to take a handful of architecture classes and the math associated with that was not so intriguing to me. And then I decided against fine arts because while I loved loved loved drawing, ceramics, and painting, I wasn't an abstract artist, but more of a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of artist, which was not what most professors these days want. They look down on tedious perfectionists like me. (They really do.) I knew I wouldn't fit in. So graphic design is what I went with even thought I knew nothing about graphic design, but I did know that it meant I could still be creative, that I didn't have to be the head of a class . . . any class, and that I didn't have to create houses.

I sometimes forget how much I like to draw. I am able to use my creative efforts a lot in other ways like photography (something I never knew I had in me until I was almost finished with graphic design), paiting walls in my house (I love doing faux painting), and even in coloring with my children (*smile*). And a couple days ago I found myself sitting at my desk working on some pictures in Photoshop and finding myself a bit bored and distracted. So I picked up a pencil (which I rarely ever do anymore) and I started drawing a sketch of Noah's eye. I know it's not anything spectacular, but it reminded me of what I have inside me still . . .something I don't allow myself or others to see very often anymore. It's definitely something I must start allowing. I love art, I love drawing, and so I hope I can put aside time in the very near future to let my creative drawing juices start flowing again. It's God's gift to me. It's what He created me to do.


(And maybe if I find time I will scan some of my older works and have a little show and tell with you? That would be fun.)