My friend Dee recently asked me to draw her a faerie picture of her own. I said I’d be happy to; it seemed like a good little project to ease me back into the artwork thing.
Two weeks later I have gotten absolutely nowhere on this picture. Not even a single basic sketch that has any aesthetic merit. I pick up a pencil and stare at my blank sheet of paper and nothing. happens.
It’s like the whole art center of my brain has simply packed up and gone out of business. No no, my brain tells me. We are A Writer now. We are No Longer An Artist. My hand agrees, scrawling listless and unappealing lines when forced to operate a pencil instead of a keyboard.
This is kind of a big deal for me…and also not. Since I was a tiny wee thing I have thought of myself as An Artist, and I think I used to be a pretty decent one. Before I had kids I always just assumed that my fortune lay somewhere down that road. It was who I was.
But now it just doesn’t seem…I don’t know…like something I would enjoy doing. I feel no creative impulse in that direction whatsoever. Nearly everything I love and find beautiful can be captured in a photograph, and for the rare exceptions I’d rather just go with the thousand words.
I’m still trying to do that faerie pic for Dee. I figure if I can accomplish one finished piece of art, it will either wake up that slumbering part of my brain or confirm that it’s shut down for good. I’m okay either way, I just want to know.
Going to go stare at a blank piece of paper some more. It MOCKS me, but I will prevail. Probably.
An Invincible Summer 
It’s still there. It will always be there. I think we are forced to label ourselves too often. We all have a bit of the artist in ourselves. It’s like you said…wether of not you enjoy to draw at this moment or not. Don’t tie this exercize into money down the road thoughts. Just do it for the joy of scribbling something that makes someone smile. It should come easier then.
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I keep trying, but it’s just not there at the moment.
The subject matter may be part of the problem; my faerie-drawing phase was relatively brief even in my artist days. But that was the request, so that’s what I’m working on. The inspiration is still eluding me though….
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Just do an Elfquest style bit. They were what you had done the most of. Trot one out…re-style her and wrap her up!
Thought about trimming one out in autumnal splendor? Do a study of perhaps the pomagranets and slip one in?
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I like the pomegranate idea. I’d been toying with a poinsettia faerie (’tis the season) but it wasn’t getting anywhere.
I like pomegranates better anyway. Also the new kittens are SHREDDING my poinsettias this year so I’m running out of models….
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ROFL they do that… Had a great chenille plant. Cat ate it… still haven’t found a new one to replace it.
GL with the fairy…toss her up here once she is finally down on paper š
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