Going Back to the Nature of Drawing

It’s O-Week, everyone’s in a feverish spree of getting to know each other, and from whomever you talk to, you always end up getting this question: “So, what classes are you taking this semester?” Whenever I mentioned drawing class, half of the questioners said “oh” and revealed that they also loved to draw when they were young.

I was intrigued by how at one point in their lives, a number of people loved drawing. When I was young, I also loved drawing without a doubt. But somehow, as I got older, drawing became something more complicated. I began to worry about what others would think about my work, compare mine to others’, and draw in a standardized way just to fit into other people’s expectation. Even a small scribble had to become a complete work of art for me. I was beginning to lose Elaine who just loved to express herself through drawing. And once I started to lose her, drawing became a burden instead of a fun activity.

I noticed that change within me during ArtsConnect activity while teaching art to elementary school kids. To the kids, the definition of art seemed to be “making a mess.” But however crude their forms were, surprising creativity and imagination stemmed from their small hands. And they were obviously drawing whatever they wanted to draw, enjoying the moment instead of worrying about other people’s reaction.

I used to have trouble expressing myself even on the sketchbook for the drawing class. But ever since learning from the kids, I began to really think about what I liked to draw and express it. For instance, I like capturing the atmosphere of a human being. My sketchbook is full of humans in different postures with different expressions. The sketchbook became a ground for me to draw freely. That is how I think I took a step closer, even just a bit, back to the nature of drawing.