Drawing.

This little blog is nearly 10 years old. When I started the blog I drew on paper with pens and pencils, then scanned the images into the computer. Over time the drawing became more sketching or doodling. Most recently it has been on the computer and has been almost solely doodling.

I missed drawing.

I wondered if I could still draw. I wondered if I could draw something that looked like it actually looked – with details and lines and dots and shadows. Could I sit down and take the time to actually look at something and draw it?

I made a commitment to myself.

100 days of drawing for 10 minutes.

I jumped in. I have been posting daily on Instagram. It is my first experience with Instagram, and anyone who knows me, will know I am not someone who loves new technology. But Instagram provides a platform that allows me to take a quick picture of my drawing and post it. It keeps me accountable. So I jumped into that as well.

What have I learned in the first 20 days?

• Drawing is hard. Translating that three-dimensional object from real life to paper is not easy. I grumble a lot when things are hard.

• Drawing allows me to see things I would otherwise have missed. The gradations of color on a mum – it’s not all one shade of purple, it’s actually white and pink and magenta and purple and violet. It’s gorgeous when I actually slow down and look at it.

• Slowing down is good. My brain appreciates those 10 minutes to only focus on one thing. Perhaps there is a lesson there for other areas in my life?

• Rocks are my nemesis. I thought drawing a rock would be easy. It’s just a rock for goodness sake. Ha. I am currently obsessed with drawing rocks so they actually look like rocks. Not like grey pancakes or miscolored lumps or a walrus or anything else that is not a rock.

So, if I were my own best friend I would remind myself to do something new. Commit to it for 100 days. Be accountable. See what I learn in the process. It might not be what I expected to learn.

So far it really has been about the process and the commitment. I don’t feel like drawing every day. But after it is done (and it’s only 10 minutes!) I feel a sense of accomplishment. I have honored my commitment to grow and learn something each day. And I have learned it is hard for me to draw rocks.

What could you commit to for 10 minutes each day for the next 100 days? Want to join me?