Creativity Note #1

Hometown doodle

For the last year or so, I’ve been trying to be better about actually “keeping a sketchbook” - not like a diary or journal where I draw every day, but I’m trying to keep a sketchbook with me so when I feel the urge to draw or paint, I have something. With it in my bag, I do end up using it more often than I ever did before. 

But some days, I find it nearly impossible to come up with “something to draw.” I often try to get friends and loved ones to doodle with me and I KNOW I’m not the only one who feels paralyzed with that decision.

So, one of my goals with this newsletter is to pass along easy/fun/simple art projects to “unlock your creativity” (gag, I know….). Here’s my first experiment: Draw your “hometown”!

It’s easy and cute. Grab a piece of paper, piece of cardboard, an envelope, whatever. Get some markers or paint pens or watercolor. Get a black pen.

Start by putting just splotches of color on the page. They can overlap like mine, or if that makes you nervous, just do a bunch of circles or squiggles or colored shapes.

Then pick your favorite one, the one that “speaks to you” and draw the first house that comes to mind.

Then pick the longest/tallest shape and draw an office building or something utterly different from the house you first drew.

Keep going, don’t worry about detail right away - just do general shapes/outlines as you go. Think about the different style of houses in your neighborhood, your city. You’ll naturally fill in some detail as you go, that’s fine, but don’t fret about getting it “just right.”

Once you’ve filled in some of the bigger shapes or the ones that speak most to you, think about what else makes up a neighborhood. Maybe a playground? An ice cream truck? Bike riders? Bridges?

For mine, I started with a shortcut of associating green with pushes, trees, parks. 

Then I added paths, filled in details on the houses as I went. I squeezed in some fences, put some “birds” in the air, made a park bench (sorta) and just started filling in the windows.

Don’t feel limited by the shape you created - you can fit your images directly into the space you made, or expand out of it - this is not a “color in the lines” situation. 

And don’t forget, when you feel ready to end this creativity spurt, sign it! 

It’s official, you’ve created another art piece. CONGRATULATIONS!

And remember, just breathe and stay creative!

With joy,

Rachel/Aunt K