Tuesday, July 6, 2010

bleeding it out in ink

Sometimes, I get anxiety (sometimes I get depressed). During a particularly trying evening full of tension I found myself drawing line after line in my book and was surprised at how successful it was at drawing out the toxins. (...the violent creative act of sharp object marring pristine blank surface...).

It's good to be reminded of this very easy and accessible coping mechanism. In my mind, I see a tiny similarity to the ritual nature of the sand mandalas created by Buddhist monks (that link is to a fascinating video, you really should watch it) but that's mostly my ignorance showing about said mandalas and monks. An atheist, I think that art making is one of the only forms of ritual or worship I currently practice. And, I guess, it's also frequently my therapy.

So, on a recent weekend, during an extended family gathering for the holidays, as the emotional wear and tear took it's toll, I retreated quite a bit into my book. And it worked. (Well, I survived anyhow).

Here's a glimpse at some of what I scratched out:

158 of draw365

159 of draw365

6 comments:

  1. That last image, the woman suspended, was just amazing. I really want to write something from it!

    You are now officially my muse!

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  2. aw wendy, thanks :D
    (it is possible for us to simultaneously muse each other? I think that's what's happening :P )

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  3. .

    Very cool.

    (btw, like the site's redesign; not sure if i've said that before)

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  4. oh g, good job on the redesign.

    i am tempted to go back to blogger to have good design options.

    nice work.

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  5. that nice work is for the art.

    i like the lady suspended by strings.

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