If you See Something, Draw Something

Insider #123 with originals for sale and some good ideas.

Dear Insider,

(and others!)

Many readers have asked if I offer original drawings for sale. I always promise to do it soon. And I always forget about it. Or I procrastinate. Because I hesitate. Just a little something seems to always get in the way - a voice in my head like a bug in the wiring, and the wheels stop turning. I lose confidence, I should say. I talk myself out of it. And I step away from the edge.

Because it does feel like standing on the edge. Even though it is just business. At one time, a few years ago, even drawing felt like this. Then I got over it. Posting on social media felt like this. Then I got over it. So I hope that by offering originals for sale enough number of times, I will get over this too. This is the first good idea of today’s post.

Continue reading for information about the originals I am putting up for sale, and another good idea.

The SneakyArt (Insider) Post is written for paid subscribers and supporters of Sneaky Art. Every Sunday, I offer a behind-the-scenes look at ongoing projects and share deeper thoughts from my journey as an artist and writer.

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Originals for Sale

Because most of my drawings are inside sketchbooks, it is not possible to sell them. Last year I started drawing in Legion Paper sketchpads to make it easier to give away and/or sell drawings. Today, I am offering 4 pieces from last year, each one drawn in Vancouver but at different times of the year.

Learn more about each piece and grab yours before it is claimed!

If you See Something, Draw Something

I meet a lot of people who say they do not draw because they are not good at it. My answer is - So what?

What if the business of drawing is not about being good at it? What if the product of your drawing is completely irrelevant? What if drawing is actually about the act of drawing?

Going out with a sketchbook and pen (or pencil) is a declaration of intent, but not simply to make art. It is the intention to observe deeply and find something extraordinary even in the ordinary events of everyday life.

Because the act of drawing is so much more than lines drawn on a page. Drawing is a way to give time.

The decision to stop at a location, to mentally frame a scene on your page, is the deliberate act of reducing your complex reality to simple lines and shapes. It is a way of seeing the world without the jaded cynicisms of public life, where everyone must stare into their screens, and drown their thoughts between loud headphones full of the voices of other people. It is a call to renew your world by rejecting its labels, preconceptions, and narrow ideas.

Your art is your filter, entirely unique to you.

It is designed consciously by your skill and efforts, and subconsciously by the unseen forces that make up your personality - your irritations, your joys, your idiosyncrasies, your impatience. The act of drawing is the act of using and refining that filter to understand your world and, by extension, yourself.

For those who still hesitate, I recommend starting with a pocket-sized sketchbook. A little sketchbook can be a magical device. I prefer the smaller ones over the larger for special psychological reasons -