What Sparks Joy?
I thought I’d share one of the benefits of Marie Kondo’s method of tiding.
Having gone through a tidying festival myself, I’m now surrounded by things that spark joy for me. One of which is my art supplies!
The Joy of Sketching
Over Mother’s Day weekend my mom and I took a sketching class with a traveling sketch artist from Australia. She scheduled a class in Savannah where my parents live, and I thought, “Why not?” So my mom and I signed up!
Sketching in Savannah, GA
We spent two days with the sketch artist and our classmates. It was fun seeing Savannah, where I grew up, through the eyes of being an artist. We sketched in a coffee shop, outdoors, in a sandwich shop, in a store with lots of Parisian-inspired items. And enjoyed croissants and hot chocolate!
My mom and I displaying our work at our sketching class!
After the Sketching Class
I’d love to say that after the class I was inspired to sketch daily. But... life got in the way. OK, and my expectations for what my sketches should look like. How good they should be, what would other people think. The exact opposite from what the instructor told us! Sketching is just for you, the artist, and no one else.
Travel Sketching
I decided that I could at least do some sketching when my mom and I traveled. We went to Santa Fe, NM and took our sketching materials. We sat outside at the gorgeous Airbnb where we stayed. Our hosts were so tickled they even invited us into their private backyard to find more inspiration.
When I visited my parents in Savannah again, my mom and I took our kits to a beautiful lake nearby and did some fun nature sketches.
My mom visited me in Atlanta, GA recently (where I live), and we did some sketching in Ponce City Market. I had so much fun sketching some folks sitting in front of a sushi bar.
Sketch of patrons sitting on high top chairs at a sushi bar
It’s intriguing how sketching allows me to turn off my brain, once I get into it. Sure, at first, there’s some anxiety about how the sketch is going to turn out. But once I take the plunge and get going, a funny thing happens and my head clears. And it feels freeing and joyful.
How About You?
Have you got something like this in your life that sparks joy? Are you like me and looking for excuses not to do it? Try looking for excuses to do the thing that delights you. Even if it’s only once a month or every couple of months. The act of sketching sparks joy for me, and it’s just for me. I’m only sharing it with you in the hopes that there’s something there for you too!
Until next time,
Monica
