How many of us can remember our first drawing or doodling?
Well, I remember mine. It was the number 8 or the infinity sign, with embellishments to make it a cat!
As a child, I discovered the joy of simply picking up my pencil, drawing a number or a letter, using it as a frame and then letting my imagination run wild as I made it into an object. It was so much fun to simply change the final outcome of my penmanship within minutes into something beautiful.
Simple beginnings
Over the years, I grew out of doodling, like we grow out of our many childhood interests.
Cut to 2020: I was living in isolation, worry, and stress, when one day I suddenly noticed my black pen and white notepad in a way I never had for many years! I took a round bowl, drew circles, and just randomly started drawing shapes and patterns. The outcome was the picture you see below. I enjoyed this mindless, no-pressure scribbling so much that more followed.
The (re)start – A black pen, white paper and a bowl
With time I realized that I was getting better—better at coming up with my own patterns, shapes, and skills—but I felt a block in terms of range. I also made a lot of mistakes. So, I took some online classes in mandala drawing and the Zentangle method, which opened my mind to new shapes, colors, patterns, modifications, lighting, shading, and 3-D effects I could experiment with. I also learned to combine Zentangle concepts into my mandala drawings than keep it purely classic. The results are below.
Slowly ideas flow
When you hit the wall, learn new things
I would be immersed for hours on a weekend simply to finish a drawing, sometimes forgetting to eat or sleep. The rush of energy I would feel when a drawing was completed to my satisfaction, and the deep sleep of contentment that would follow was all well worth it.
When I picked up the pen, I never planned what designs I would make. Rather, I would let the pattern flow through me and let myself discover what I wanted to express on that day. I started having small reflections: for instance, I draw more circles, curves, and flowers when happy and more geometric figures like lines, squares, and triangles when feeling not too great or feeling blocked creatively. I also noticed the times when I started in an edgy or bad mood, using squares and triangles, feeling completely blocked. But as I stuck to the motions of the pen, I moved on to flower petals and lamps, and that simple pivoting of hand lifted my spirits!
Reflections
These reflections gave me some amazing insights that influenced how I approach my work.
- Details matter. I realized that minor details add so much to the overall solidity of a drawing (or “project”). Whether anyone notices these details or not, their absence is stark, almost rendering the project a skeleton.
- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. When you make mistakes along the way, there are always options and ways to course correct it. You figure out creative problem solving and learn to pivot as required.
- There is no right time to start anything. It is OK to take a break when you are blocked. Pause and learn new things. Consistency is important for success, but perfectionism holds you back. We are often more focused on the mistakes that are possibly only noticeable to us; others mostly see the overall lovely picture. So, calm the inner critic down!
- Practice discomfort. It’s OK to feel vulnerable when you put your project out there for everyone to see. But there is immense strength in vulnerability. People want to see your expression, that is uniquely you. So, no need to measure yourself against some external self-imposed, unattainable, paralyzing, high standards that no one cares about except you.
- Know the importance of finishing well. The last mile effort of adding golden dots, a little shadow shading, with a quick, last check-in—Can I do more? Have I done all that I possibly can to elevate all my hard work so far?—goes such a long way! This mindset when applied to projects is just as useful to ensure your impact is fully realized.
Everyone is creative—just unleash your natural expression and have fun
So, the journey of the creative process may seem hard and daunting when you begin. You may end up underplaying your efforts and over-indexing on the gaps. But if you take a deep breath, go with the flow, with a mindset to just have fun along the way while exploring your authentic, creative expression, it can be so liberating! And sometimes, to get started, all you have to do is pick up a pen and paper!