Thoughts on drawing (Ali Lebow)

Drawing has always been a part of my life since I was old enough to hold a crayon. My mom would bring a notepad and a marker to keep me quietly occupied in restaurants. I drew portraits of my friends in pre-school, made elaborate birthday presents for family members, and caricatures of teachers in class notes. In high school, I had the option of taking Art History. I fell in love with the Florentine Renaissance, Impressionism, and the diverse world of modern art. I even wrote my Common Application essay for colleges on a painting of Henry VIII done the artist’s own blood. Yet, when I got to college, I realized that my love of making art had switched to a love a studying art. All that was fine, but quickly I began to miss drawing.

Drawing is more than a passion. It’s a therapy. It can be tedious, it can mindless or can be somewhere in between, but there’s something about drawing that takes your mind away from reality. When I’m sketching, I get lost in what I am seeing or imagining. I stop stressing about things that need to be done, or relationships that need to be tended.  Drawing is one of the few things that I do 100% for myself. It is one of the only things that I can do entirely on my own that makes me feel happy. There is no better feeling than getting lost in a work and finally stepping back and amazing yourself at what you’ve created.  Creating art is a hobby that I hope I can keep up after college.