Another form of creativity: the art of drawing and coloring

I always told my friends and complete strangers for many years that I couldn't draw to save my life. Drawing or painting was never in the cards for me as my skills were...not that good. What I loved were the many mediums you could connect with in art, such as writing, music, painting, dancing, and so on. I always enjoyed writing and music. I even took a Contemporary Dance class back in high school. Drawing and painting, though? I would avoid at all costs due to lack of skills. Perhaps that's why I enjoyed looking at art instead of creating it. 

Experiencing Art

Before graduating from college in 2016, I found myself signing up for a Paint Night event. Taking place during our Reading Period (where students studied for exams and worked on papers), this activity helped students combat stress and have a study break. Held in a room in the Campus Center, a woman instructed us on painting a turtle. I stressed - drawing and painting a turtle was BEYOND my artistic skills. That's when I discovered I didn't have to do the turtle if I didn't want to; instead, I could do my own thing. Other participants created their own works of art as well, showing me, again, the power of creativity and how art is best expressed through what we imagine. 

The Paint Night lasted for about an hour or two. By the time I finished my work, I was content. My creativity always shined when I let my imagination run wild instead of keeping to specific standards. My drawings were not magnificent, but they were my own. 

However, art would not leave my life. A few months later, my parents would take my best friend and I to the Worcester Art Museum in Worcester, MA for the MEOW Exhibit. This exhibition featured art centered on cats and included cats up for adoption, classes, and a community art show. 

After these experiences, I would later check out a Coloring/Drawing Workshop at my local library. I learned how to draw swirls, beads, string to connect beads, and other shapes. I did a pretty good job!! Drawing and painting helped me de-stress, but having the outlet to create was the biggest benefit. 

The Adult Coloring Book Trend

Many of us may recall the sudden popularity of adult coloring books back in 2015. Bookstores and retailers had shelves upon shelves of them. Amazon had numerous pages of coloring books you could purchase. I always remembered during my final year of college seeing them taking over the bestsellers and new books that arrived at my favorite bookstores. I had feared, and this would sound silly, that regular books would lose their popularity. Johanna Basford's Secret Garden and Lacy Mucklow's Color Me Calm were very popular and, in my opinion, began the craze.

However, the trend waned by the end of 2016. Coloring books were still available, but their shelf space shrunk considerably. You still see them in your local retailers and bookstores, but they've all been squeezed into one small area of a store. 

My Thoughts on Drawing Now

I thought I couldn't draw very well, but I concede that I have some skill. I will never be the next Picasso or Van Gogh, but I have come to embrace drawing and painting as a way to express my creativity.

Art will always have a place in my heart, no matter the medium. But there's nothing wrong with trying something new! Skill shouldn't matter, the fun and passion should.

Happy creating!