Evolution of a Mood

11/18/2010 02:31:00 PM Posted In , , Edit This 20 Comments »
When I sat down with my sketchbook I was not in the best of moods.   Nothing was wrong except that I was out of sorts..... restless .... unfocused .... thinking negatively.  I couldn't think of a single thing I wanted to do - I mean not one single thing.  So, I sat with my sketchbook and stared at the blank page.  Finally I drew a rectangle with pencil, drew a single looped line from one edge to the other, and started  with my trusty Micron 01 pen to make marks.  You may be able to tell by looking at it where I began making marks, but just in case you can't guess, I'll tell you.  I started filling in the loop.  I looked at what I had done and felt even worse.   It was dark and cramped - in other words, it looked just like I felt.  I kept going - another line, more shapes.  Little by little the drawing doodle began to change.  I didn't notice it at first, but then I got interrupted by a phone call, and when I came back to it, I realized that not only had the drawing changed, but so had my mood.  I was feeling better.  I decided to start adding a bit of color to it.  The color I started with was blue .... surprised?  After awhile other colors began to show up until, in the end, both the drawing and I were appearing quite cheery.

There's a definite lesson here for me.  It's not a new one, mind you, but it is one that I seem to have great difficulty remembering.  Maybe I should take out this page, frame it, and hang it where I can see it each and every time I come into my studio ..... what do you think?

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

YES! Frame it ... then send it to me, lol. Made my mood better by seeing it.

Vicki Holdwick said...

What a very interesting doodle; I especially like the narrative that shows the "evolution" and it does end up a very upbeat pretty thing.

Hope the eye surgery went fine and that you have doodled yourself out of a bit of a funk.

xoxo

winna said...

I liked reading about how the trip your doodle took was hitched to your emotions!

Judy Hartman said...

Lovely!!
Yes, your change in mood is evident, because this is very cheerful!! Maybe the process of creating is just the motivation we need - a single line -where will it lead?!
And thanks for visiting my blog today!:)

Unknown said...

Definitely see the change! It looks so light and happy now. Well done!

Sarah said...

Great story and oh so true. Drawing of any kind always makes me feel better.frame it and put it where you'll see it!

Cathy Holtom said...

I can identify with you Nancy, that happens a lot.
I read this week of how an illustrator puts on music in the morning and has a really good/wild dance befor starting to work, apparently this gets you in the mood...we could try that?

Tahirih Goffic said...

Yes! It's very cool, and I'm going to think about this whenever I get crusty and don't feel like being creative, or anything.
Your "doodle" almost shows how your mood "bloomed".
Beautiful:)

Anonymous said...

It's gorgeous! You should hang it to remind you that things aren't always as bad as they seem. And good can come out of a bad mood.

Lynn said...

Here's to the power of drawing! Glad you're feeling better, and that drawing is lovely.

Ann said...

I love the way this expands outward to embrace the space. Certainly echoes your shift in mood as you drew. Beautiful!

jill said...

This is great and shows you should persevere through the mood as everything changes and if we want it to get better we can make it.

Natasha said...

Yes, I think you should frame it because the day you sat down and drew this was really showing the power and influence of being creative. I think when we sit and draw it makes us center ourselves and focus. When you were in a bad mood it worked for you. Look how great it turned out too! x

Kat W said...

"Evolution of a Mood" - what a fantastic title and a beautiful piece not least because of the story that goes with its creation.

Thanks for visiting my blog - its great to discover you & your creative work. As you may have gathered I am exploring how creative activity can affect our wellbeing. Posts like this are a perfect illustration of how it can.

Kat :-)

Anonymous said...

Your post today is so interesting - and the doodle is perfect for framing. (Perhaps you could write the narrative on the back before you frame it?)
I have been thinking about titles for paintings. I never use one, except something very basic to identify the piece. Yet good titles add so much, as you have shown. I must make more effort to name my sketches - and you have given me a bit of a push in the right direction!

Anonymous said...

Definitely, hang it where you'll see it! Doodling is such a valuable, personal way of sorting things out...hum, need to do one myself! Wonderful!

Alex said...

Couldn't agree more. It's always bring you back whenever you look at it. =)
I haven't got time for any art and I feel back. Transition period is always hard for me and I have to prioritize. In my perfect world, I'd be doing art everyday, not engineering :(

Dragana Savkov - Bajić said...

Great! I couldn't agree with you more! Art is a cure! :)))

jenna said...

Looks like the evolution of my morning so far :)

Anonymous said...

I love this - and I know exactly how you feel! It's amazing how drawing can lift your moodd - it's a very meditative thing to me too. So DID you stick it up on your wall?