Eating Elephant

My sweet husband encourages me to draw. With this end in mind, he and the kids wrote a script for a graphic novel. Then Alan bought me an iPad and asked me to illustrate it for him. Naturally, I accepted. But the problem was that cartooning isn’t something I know how to do. It’s like trying to eat an elephant.

So, bite by bite, drawing by drawing, I am working on my understanding of this skill. What is the difference between a cartoon and a more realistic rendering? How do I even start to think this way?

When I go to bed and close my eyes, I start to dream, while I am still awake. These images just pop, fully formed and rendered into my sight. Now that I have a glow-in-the-dark sketchbook, it is easier to try drawing these things.

Have you struggled with the difficulty of executing your concept? I find that I can hold an image in my mind longer, and maybe even draw it a little more closely to the original concept than I used to. I hope that by practicing with these gifted images, I can someday receive and then draw the most sublime images of my heart.

I find that my little daily efforts to open the gates of inspiration has resulted in almost a flood of ideas and creative urges. Following them and trying to catch them makes me feel more excited about life, happier and more confident.

I wish everyone could become more confident and strong this way. Being creative just works wonders on your soul and connects you to the Great Creator, whose children we are. No wonder it feels so fulfilling!