I was working on a new piece today and I was thinking about how when I draw my mood has a huge influence on what comes out of my head. I started becoming interested in drawing in my last few years of college and since then I've come a long way (and still have so much to learn). A big reason why is because it helped to bring focus and reflection into my life.
I think in many ways art is cathartic. If eyes are the window to the soul, art is the window to the mind.
One experience in particular that stands out is when I was at a party. I was drinking and smoking doobies (the typical party stuff in Washington) and having a good time. I remember seeing one of my bud's drawings laying on a table and thought it was interesting. Being curious, I asked him about it. He said he occasionally liked to draw when smoking and it made me curious as to what I'd draw while under the influence. This is probably what really started my journey into the world of drawings.
Even though I was at a party I remember asking for some paper and immediately dropped everything to draw. I don't know why but I just really wanted to know what I'd draw. As soon as I started drawing I remember looking at the paper trying to think about what I wanted to draw. Ideas kept coming into my head but I either lacked the skill to do it or my crossfaded mind was too mixed up to keep it in my head. As I kept staring I eventually saw an image of what I wanted to draw on the paper. Rather than thinking of the idea, my meandering mind just decided to draw what I saw in the shadows cast by the light and as I kept turning the paper to gain a new perspective and drawing more shapes I eventually started seeing an image of a face.
As the image progressed the idea became clearer and I then knew what I was going to draw. It was like I was searching for the image that laid hidden in the paper for me to draw out and as I kept drawing the pieces the key to the puzzle would finally reveal itself. In this case I just drew what I saw and eventually the actual idea for my drawing came together. What came of it was a dark, twisted figure of what I think is an alien or some creature that represented many of the insecurities I had going on at the time. It may have also been the alcohol...I'm pretty sure I ended up puking that night.
Either way, I've been getting the feeling that my drawings are in large part reflections of myself. In hindsight, it seems really obvious since art is a form of expression and expression is something that comes from the inside. I guess I never really thought about it that way until recently. I've been so focused on trying to find ideas for my drawings that I never considered how much my subconscious influences my ideas and decisions.
What sets this idea firmly for me is what happened when I decided to draw again when I was smoking one night. This time there wasn't any alcohol involved and I remember wanting to re-do the drawing I did earlier. I ended up thinking about the concept of duality and how there are multiple sides to every story (and perspective in general). What came out was something completely different from what I had originally done despite me starting out with the same basic outlines.
When thinking about how I felt at both times I know that my thoughts are much different depending on the vice and this realization is something that I'll keep in mind when looking back at my older works. When I think about it each one has its own story (well, most of them) and the context of each one tells me a lot about myself. Things that I can use to keep growing.
And knowing is half the battle.
Peace
I think in many ways art is cathartic. If eyes are the window to the soul, art is the window to the mind.
One experience in particular that stands out is when I was at a party. I was drinking and smoking doobies (the typical party stuff in Washington) and having a good time. I remember seeing one of my bud's drawings laying on a table and thought it was interesting. Being curious, I asked him about it. He said he occasionally liked to draw when smoking and it made me curious as to what I'd draw while under the influence. This is probably what really started my journey into the world of drawings.
Even though I was at a party I remember asking for some paper and immediately dropped everything to draw. I don't know why but I just really wanted to know what I'd draw. As soon as I started drawing I remember looking at the paper trying to think about what I wanted to draw. Ideas kept coming into my head but I either lacked the skill to do it or my crossfaded mind was too mixed up to keep it in my head. As I kept staring I eventually saw an image of what I wanted to draw on the paper. Rather than thinking of the idea, my meandering mind just decided to draw what I saw in the shadows cast by the light and as I kept turning the paper to gain a new perspective and drawing more shapes I eventually started seeing an image of a face.
As the image progressed the idea became clearer and I then knew what I was going to draw. It was like I was searching for the image that laid hidden in the paper for me to draw out and as I kept drawing the pieces the key to the puzzle would finally reveal itself. In this case I just drew what I saw and eventually the actual idea for my drawing came together. What came of it was a dark, twisted figure of what I think is an alien or some creature that represented many of the insecurities I had going on at the time. It may have also been the alcohol...I'm pretty sure I ended up puking that night.
Either way, I've been getting the feeling that my drawings are in large part reflections of myself. In hindsight, it seems really obvious since art is a form of expression and expression is something that comes from the inside. I guess I never really thought about it that way until recently. I've been so focused on trying to find ideas for my drawings that I never considered how much my subconscious influences my ideas and decisions.
What sets this idea firmly for me is what happened when I decided to draw again when I was smoking one night. This time there wasn't any alcohol involved and I remember wanting to re-do the drawing I did earlier. I ended up thinking about the concept of duality and how there are multiple sides to every story (and perspective in general). What came out was something completely different from what I had originally done despite me starting out with the same basic outlines.
When thinking about how I felt at both times I know that my thoughts are much different depending on the vice and this realization is something that I'll keep in mind when looking back at my older works. When I think about it each one has its own story (well, most of them) and the context of each one tells me a lot about myself. Things that I can use to keep growing.
And knowing is half the battle.
Peace
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| The one on the left is the original and the other is its redux. |
What's something you have/do that says a lot about yourself and the way your mind works?
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