While it’s usually easy to enjoy the drawing process while I’m sunk deeply into it, it’s usually not nearly as easy to enjoy the finished result immediately after stepping out of the glow of the flow. It is all too easy to zero in, seeing all the marks that were missed and feeling the full fresh weight of unmet expectations.
I believe we are all pretty much on the same page on this. It’s something we can all relate too.
After taking a moment (preferably a great many moments), to step away, and look back at a drawing, it’s usually not difficult to remember the delight that was experienced while working the colors into a drawing. Now looking at it, if it was there in its making, it’s often found in the finished drawing. For me, I’m recognizing that drawing doesn’t need to come across as if it’s a specimen pinned down on a sheet of paper, or a mimemic representation of life. Other artists fill that role much, much better than I do and with vastly more conviction. At this point, I’m comfortable with simply exploring the character of my own personal skill while exploring my agendas, and delighting myself with the pleasure of pushing a pastel across a piece of paper.
So far, it’s as straight forward as this. It’s still a joy based process.
Zygote Blum 