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Streeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetch

Terri Meredith

Blog #14 of 17

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March 15th, 2015 - 08:35 AM

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Streeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetch

...yesterday I decided to pen sketch one of my creative muses. At some point, while sketching, I questioned myself because certainly my time could be better spent, since I had a commissioned piece as well as some conceptualized pieces that I wanted to get to, right? I mean, was I procrastinating? Not making the best use of my day?

Once, when my passion for illustration was re-ignited, a friend hinted at his concern that I was "always" drawing my Muses. Ya damned skippy I was always drawing them. Hell, I wouldn't even be drawing again, not in the dedicated sense, had it not been for them. Every tribute is a "thank you", and they're beautiful and they inspire me. He planted the seed of doubt in my head for a second, until I wised up and dismissed his concern....it really shouldn't matter if I was drawing staplers and thumb drives all day, every day, I WAS DRAWING. I was honoring a vow I made to myself and drawing every day, whether I felt like it or not.

So here I was, at doubt's crossroad, wondering if I should be drawing this, when there's more for me to do. The answer: YES. Forget everyone. Draw whatever you feel like drawing. Every single pen, pencil, or brush stroke is STRETCHING, warming you up to get in the best creative shape you've ever been in. As you sit there and doodle aimlessly, or sketch something that moved you even though you have more pressing items on your production schedule...you.are.stretching. You are getting your mind ready for the workout that is your commissioned projects, the big ones, the ones you're not even sure if you have the skill-set to adequately tackle.

Right after I finished my pen sketch, which came out "not perfect", but "pretty damned good" - I tackled my commission - a conceptualized portrait drawing for a friend's AMAZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZING BAR-B-QUE SAUCE (shameless plug for Lamar Jones' creation "The Jank" - http://www.bbqjank.com/ ), and guess what, it came out PERFECT! Do you know why it came out perfect? BECAUSE I STRETCHED, I gave in to my whim and got my mind and hand ready for the priority project by stretching and warming up on something that had nothing "riding on it"....Because of these small stretching exercises, when it's time to do the big things - I don't "cramp up" with fear/doubt/apprehension the way I normally would as an artist who constantly questions my abilities.

Soooo, why didn't I put up the piece I did for my friend? Because this wasn't about the actual workout, well, not all the way - this was about the stretching, and I wanted you to see that.

Do what you feel and know that ALL OF IT COUNTS. It does.

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