Lessons From Four Weeks in a Drawing Class
I can tell you all the things that are wrong with this drawing.
The torso that isn’t even close to an anatomical human, the facelessness of the man, the missed creases in each piece of fabric...
But I keep this on the wall in my office not because of what’s wrong, but because of what’s right.
It was right that….
I made time for a 4 week class
I spent 100% of that time off screens and in the presence of incredible art
I met other artists who are so passionate about their work it just bubbles out of them like a leaking faucet of joy
I experimented with new media, without judgement, just for the fun of it
And… I did it all in person
I’m a huge fan of remote work, not because it’s isolating, but because it affords me time and space and energy (social energy and creative energy) to do things like this.
To show up, be nervous, introduce myself to strangers and show my work to the group immediately after creating it (no time for editing, hiding or hemming and hawing).
And this in turn helps me show up for daily work as a graphic designer in the B2B SaaS world. I show up a little looser, more refreshed, excited to dive into the creative possibilities of visualizing a data lake, because I’ve just spent the evening with Degas and a fabulous art teacher from our local high school.
Get out there, friends. It’s good for you and your work.
Ready for the CTA?
If this got you thinking, let’s keep the conversation going. I share more on design for B2B SaaS over on LinkedIn, and I’d love to hear your perspective. Follow me there and let’s swap ideas on what’s really driving revenue.