I got up last night from my deep REM slumber as my phone chimed because of artist around the world tagging us in their artobercnc challenge. I am away from India so my night time is their work time and that’s the time most of people create their art and tag us 🙂 .
Frankly I got frustrated a little at first as i was watching a beautiful dream but then i realized how beautiful this reality is that people are responding to this challenge and day by day getting better in their artwork.
artobercnc is a month-long drawing challenge for October that Craft N canvas has created and me and mytime is participating or the first time in this year 2019. I first decided to try it on a whim… I just wanted to try it for fun. I never expected how it would change my life.
1. REGULAR DRAWING HABIT.
I wasn’t used to drawing regularly, and my struggle was always, “what should I draw??” . While I don’t draw every single day otherwise, it definitely kickstarted a habit, and I draw way more often than I did before.
I’ve done other 30 day challenges before but none have created a consistent habit or left an impact in the way that artobercnc did.
2. CREATIVITY BECAME MORE OF A PRIORITY.
I’ve always loved being creative but was never quite able to find a way to make it a part of my life more often. artobercnc reminded me how much I love drawing and how easy it can be once you let go of the fear of not drawing something perfect. When you have to draw every day, you get over that fear and just get it done.
As Elizabeth Gilbert says, “Done is better than good.” When you hold yourself back from creating because you need for it to be good or perfect, you never get anything done… so it’ll never even have a chance to be good!
3. ADDED MEANING TO MY DAYS.
Some times I felt like an idiot. Having too much time spent in just procrastination was my biggest problem. Too many ideas to draw but nothing was coming out on paper.
At the end of September, I wandered down the school supplies aisle at Wal-Mart, and I found this generic sketchbook with brown paper that changed everything (who knew dreams were born at Wal-Mart??). Doing my sketch drawing each day gave me something to look forward to. It was challenging, but it gave meaning to my days. It felt like I wasn’t completely wasting my time. I didn’t feel like such a failure. Not just mine my team mate as well has been sketching with me toe to toe. She is the one who is motivating me to draw each day and then carries the load of running our page. Some days she is the one who is drawing and creating videos to motivate others while i am helping her supporting in our page activities. This Journey is really fun and meaningful !
4. DISCOVERED PRICELESS FRIENDSHIPS.
This one reason was the most powerful and least expected. I was so inspired and excited seeing everyone’s drawings that I started leaving comments and reaching out to people I admired and felt drawn to. I learned that when you put yourself out there and do what you really love, you naturally gravitate towards and attract like-minded people. I’m so grateful for the support and friendship I’ve received from people I’ve met through Instagram, both artistically and personally.
5. CONFIDENCE BOOST IN MY ART.
One of my colleague shared his art picture with me and he was not comfortable posting that on social media. On my little encouragement he posted that withing 5 mins that was the moment i realized that this continouse habbit of creativity and imagination has boosted his confidence level a lot. he is very comfortable now drawing and shading and i can already see the improvements in his art.
I also got more comfortable just being myself. In a way, I practiced that too. I was proud of myself for sticking with the challenge and I was proud of the body of work I had to show for it. I proved to myself I was capable and I had the potential for so much more.
6. SENSE OF BELONGING
I was surrounded by a bunch of passionate action-takers who don’t give a flying french fry! In all seriousness, these people truly care, and they aren’t afraid to MAKE ART! Talk to anyone in the artist community on Instagram and they’ll tell you how awesome and encouraging everyone is. They won’t even need to tell you because you’ll see it for yourself.
7. UNRAVELED MY STYLE.
Not only did I find my people, but I found my style! I definitely didn’t think that would ever happen! I didn’t even really try… I just happened to get a new sketchbook, tried out some new pens, and realized I loved this way of making art.
artobercnc gave me the opportunity to explore and not hold back which led to more experiments, and that’s the only way to find a style and technique you really enjoy. If I hadn’t tried out that kraft paper sketchbook, Sepia Design probably wouldn’t exist.
8. BAD DAYS ARE NOT FAILURES.
Artobercnc is a drawing challenge, but it sure challenges you in other ways too. Life doesn’t stop happening because you have a drawing challenge. Some days are just kinda sucky. On the days I just REALLY didn’t want to draw, I had a choice: either express myself through the drawing, or just not draw at all.
9. COMPASSION .
Building off the last point, the best way to get through any challenge is to have compassion for yourself. The only way I could stick it out and not resent the whole process was to gently remind myself that it’s okay to have some struggles. It’s okay to take a break. I learned to respect my limits and encourage others to do the same.
10. I FELL IN LOVE…
…with pencil. 😉 No but for real, I love pencils , specially charcoal. There is just something about the graphite and charaocal that has stolen my heart. As cheesy as it sounds, now everything I create is made with love.
The whole experience changed me. I grew in so many ways, as an artist and as a person. Pursuing creativity has opened my heart. If there’s anything that has that kind of an effect on a person, it’s love. And nothing is more important than love.
When you listen to those quiet nudges in your soul, it guides you straight to the people and opportunities that will most fulfill you. I’m forever grateful for the direction my life has taken from picking up a pencil.
