Drawing From Life

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today i woke up a bit late - 12:30pm or so - but felt better than usual since dad installed a humidifier yesterday morning, which meant my mouth wasn't as dry.

i saw my dad bring it in, and i said, 'oh, is that an imac?' and my dad pauses, confused, and goes 'it's a humidifier...' so i feel like i exposed serious nerd levels.

anyway. i posted to twitter early in the morning during one of my waking periods. i saw a meme that was like, 'what's my biggest artistic strength?' so i decided to post it and check it later.

some friends responded - posted to my locked acct, so of course it'd be ppl i know - and it makes me happy to hear a resounding 'your art is comfy and has good colors and scenery'. these are things ive focused on a lot in my art over time, even as early as 2013 when i was still in HS.

art, i think, is a place of respite for me. it's like going to your favorite duck pond and watching the clouds go by. it's where i go to be in solitude - i think phrasing it such makes it sound a bit more self-intended, rather than being isolated or 'alone'. because, really, i'm not 'alone' - i am spending time with various facets of myself, and my memories.

i've been drawing upon (haha!) a lot of feelings of warmth and nostalgia. maybe it's because spring is here? the seasonal depression symptoms are going away now that the sun is out for longer. so i guess it makes sense that it'd be something i touch on artistically.

last night, i was on a voice call with my girlfriend and some friends, and i feel like i had an epiphany that was auxilary to the actual topic in the call at the time. i realize - and this is kind of funny to hear from me, i'm sure - that art's main goal isn't just to perfect things. human nature tends to align that way, but it's not the sole purpose, nor the only way to do it.

the truth is, art started from wanting to express things. it doesn't have to be completely faithful to real imagery. you can pick things that speak to you - colors you see, or subjects you like, such like that - and place them together however it pleases you. pursuing realism or improvement to form/color/composition/etc is good, of course, but i think we (as people) tend to forget that art is about pleasure.

i'm reminded of a post i saw a long time ago, and i couldn't tell you its source, but it said something along the lines of, 'humans make art like bees make honey or birds sing.' which means it's just an innate part of our being. humans experience things and are compelled to make some form of tribute or depiction.

so, i guess this is all to say... i needed to remind myself that art isn't a marathon, or practice for an upcoming race. or at least, doesn't have to be. you can just take a little hike through the woods down a familiar worn path. draw what you like, even if it's not anything groundbreaking. just have fun.