Drawing at Night

There is just no time in the day.

Like many people, I work (more than) full time, manage a home, and care for kids. With all that on my plate, a lot of “me” got squeezed out somewhere along the way. A few years ago, I made a conscious decision to try to connect with myself more. Art and nature have always been “me”. Although my current life and responsibility level won’t let me dive headfirst into that, I try fit in what I can here and there.

One of the ways I sometimes do this is in the quiet of the night. I keep a set of Faber-Castell artist pencils, a kneaded eraser, and drawing paper in my nightstand. With everything close at hand, I sit in my bed listening to music and select something beautiful to focus on. Within a short while of starting a drawing, I stop ruminating about the day and what’s coming tomorrow. My mind clears and my focus shifts completely to my subject.

Most of the time, I draw from the natural world: birds, fish, moths, dragonflies, branches, moons, etc. Whenever I look back at these drawings, they remind me of something meditative - a quiet, soothing night and a more grounded and peaceful me. I find it amazing that creativity can still be found without perfect circumstances or time that never comes.

My nighttime drawings help me to remember that, even when my life feels full beyond belief, there is still a little bit of space to reconnect with myself and keep developing as an artist.