Learning how to draw (and find my way in life)

Turns out drawing is a teacher about life for all ages.

Start here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv3WuySn75U

What I would add is that the most magical part of drawing or creating is departing from the reference (whatever it is you are copying) and letting imagination take over. This means letting go of the drawing looking exactly like the thing and instead following what looks or feels good to me.

Maybe I change a part or make a mistake and it doesn't look like the reference but I like it that way, so I keep it. I go with it. And in this sense, I practice choosing what's best for me and validating my choices along the way.

What was useful for you in thinking about drawing as a metaphor for life? I'd love to know in the comments.

If YOU are interested in learning more about the transformative process of drawing, this book changed my life: Drawing with Children by Mona Brookes. It is a learning guide designed for children (but I've found it is also very relevant for adults and inner children who never benefited from supportive art instruction).

Mona Brooks has a list of suggestions on how to let the artist within come out. It includes the guidance I mentioned in the audio above: There is no wrong way to draw. If it is the way you want it, it is perfect. If it isn't, you can change it or start over, without feeling it's a failure. This reminder helped me re-train my inner critic when I'm making art. And you know what? By practicing it in my art, that mindset spilled over into all other aspects of my life, too. Funny how it works like that.

I hope you do something creative today while practicing this mindset. It can even be an activity you planned on doing already, like cooking dinner or folding the laundry.