Analog vs. Digital

It's so easy for me to waste a day on the computer.  I'll log onto Facebook, check a few of my favorite blogs, read the headlines in our local paper and then shuffle into the kitchen to make breakfast for the boy.  My phone rests on the butcher block and I'll check instagram and perhaps snap a few photos - like a dozen times in the span of 15 minutes.  It's embarrassing.  It's the truth.  It's a problem.  And it's usually only 6:30 am when all this starts.

Line drawings from class with Lisa Congdon

In an effort to find my inner-artist, I committed to doing a drawing-a-day in a dedicated art journal for this purpose.  Okay, I just typed that and realized how freaking rigid that sounds - but exactly like me.  See, I want to be loosey-goosey and just create art, but that's not really me.  You see, it's hard for a Virgo to just wing it.  I need a plan, a list, a mission.  I'm going to try to own this and bend my own rules from time to time.  We'll see how it goes.

I picked up the book Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon after reading about it here.  What a treasure trove of good advice!  It's a quick, fun read and really inspiring.  It's almost like this book gives you permission to just give it a go with writing, drawing, painting or anything else that strikes your fancy.

Watercolors at my dining room table

After reading Austin Kleon's book, I decided to paint or draw what I love and what brings me peace.  And as silly as it sounds, circles are my thang.  I am immensely pleased when I use this little sphere as inspiration and I'm never disappointed with the results.  I just needed the permission to keep at it.

Grady's words + Eye screen print from class at ohhappyday!

Children are natural artists.  They are free and have no edit button.  They just go for it.  I need a little bit of that going on in my head.  I'm trying to embrace the act of just trying.  It doesn't have to be good or perfect or sellable.  It just has to please me.

Art Studio (aka - The Catch All)

A few years ago we turned our former well house into an art studio for Grady and myself.  Grady likes to hole up out there and listen to books on tape, play Legos, make origami and draw or paint when the mood strikes.  The studio holds my art printer and an embarrassing amount of art supplies.

One the first day of G's spring break, I asked him to read Steal Like an Artist.  I'd been asking him for weeks, but he sloughed it off and had little interest.  I knew he would appreciate this book, so I nudged him again.  I'm so glad I did.

Grady's analog desk and a few of his favorite pieces of art on the wall

He devoured the book in a sitting.  Walking straight to my desk, he asked for some sticky notes to mark the pages that were his favorite.  Marking 16 out of the 140 little 5" x 5" pages that he wanted to discuss with me.  His words, not mine.  

His favorite idea in the book was the concept to create an analog and digital desk/workspace.

Our little pink studio was a hot mess of supplies and it lacked order.  He asked me if we could go out to the studio and clean it up and work on an analog and digital desk for him.  Be still my mama heart.

Tackling the studio has long been on my to-do list, but always seems to fall down to the bottom and never quite gets done.  Well, I was motivated because he was motivated.  We spent two hours sorting through Legos, Pokemon cards, mountains of paper airplanes & Star Wars-inspired origami.  We purged dead pens, crumpled up papers, broken telescopes, dead flies and toys from inside those four little walls.

In the end, we labeled drawers, created shelves with easy access to cardboard, watercolor paper and empty journals.  The Legos found a home (all one billion of them, ahem).  The desktops were cleared, pencils sharpened, scissors, hole-punches & rulers corralled into a handy, within reach container.

His analog desk held his log book, watercolors, pencil case and a few other things.

Grady's Analog Desktop

His digital desk held his iPad.

When we were done he said it just feels so good in here.  It did.

I love the chance to clean up and reimagine a space.  I'm addicted to rearranging furniture and art because it does make me feel good.  The space gets refreshed and, usually, so do I.

G enjoying his new, clean studio

I'm going to work on an analog and digital desk for myself.  I like the separation and my mind seems to settle down when I'm away from my computer.

And while I love all the conveniences and information I have access to on a daily basis on my devices, I feel like I really need to disconnect a bit more and dive into making and reading the printed word.  Both give me an incredible amount of peace.

This is my digital entry for the day.

Now I'm off to go make something with my hands.

Happy Friday, friends.