Why is it, when you’re a child, you draw with complete confidence and abandon?! No fear. No worrying about what others will think of your pictures. Of your precious pieces of art.
I want to be like that again. I struggle to draw confidently which is crazy because drawing is how I make my living. Designing. Illustrating. But I do seriously struggle to draw well and with the same confidence I had as a child. I’m guilty of being one of those people that wants perfection. That worries about what other people think. Not in a vain, arrogant way. I want people to be happy and inspired when they see my work. I want to spark creativity in others through the work I do.
My little business is struggling. It’s ok though. I know how to fix it and I’ve been brainstorming with my husband, who is also my mentor and business partner. We’ve been exploring ways that I can pivot my brand and be more successful. And one way is for me to gain more confidence in what I create.
I have so many ideas. I’m inspired daily. That’s not a problem and I know I’m fortunate like that. What I struggle with is translating those ideas into actual products. To illustrate what I see in my head.
It’s a shift in how I think. It’s taking the time to draw every day. To practice every day. To create some muscle memory. And to post my work on social media no matter what. It’s about enjoying the process. Learning through doing and practice every day. Embracing the imperfections.
And so that’s what I’m doing. One way to keep focused is by doing a 30 day challenge on instagram. At the moment, I’m doing 30 Days of Flowers. Drawing a flower everyday. It’s a challenge that was set up by a work colleague because she wanted to do the same. Improve her drawing.
I think posting no matter what the outcome, is a good way to see improvement over time. It’s also a good way to document your work. And there’s accountability too. Honestly, I haven’t posted every day. And it bothered me a lot. So I had to also remember that it’s ok to do these things in your own time when you’re struggling. And I had a wobble over a few things in the past couple of weeks, that’s for sure. I was drawing every day but I was struggling with social media and had to step away for a little bit for my own emotional and mental welfare. That sounds dramatic. It really wasn’t. I needed a little bit of time out, that’s all.
Now, I’m thinking about what daily drawing challenge to do next after all these pretty flowers are done. I’d love to hear any suggestions so please leave a comment if you have one. And do join me, if you’re not already, over on Instagram and see my 30 days of flowers - https://www.instagram.com/dianerooney_/