Draw

People often tell me they’re not artistic, “I can’t even draw a stick figure!” But oh how we undervalue the stick figure. The only way we learn to draw figures is to start with the stick figure, to start with simple lines and shapes and build it out from there. It’s okay if it’s not always proportional. It’s okay if it doesn’t always look right. The point is that we pick up the pencil, pick up the charcoal and teach our hands to make the shapes. Sometimes the imperfections are what will make it uniquely yours—what will separate fine art from perfectly accurate photographs. And either way, the creator is always better for having created. Try! Make shapes and lines. Shade in darks and lights. Find values, make forms. Let your hand interpret your world and find the beauty in every mark.