I started to draw and noticed quickly how effectively it helps me to focus and empty my mind. Aside from this beneficial side effect, it also helps me a lot to accept imperfection and handle self-criticism. I realized how much pleasure I experience while drawing, holding up a patient attitude. As usual when starting something new, I wanted to gain in knowledge about it and thus, I bought a book called the "Keys to drawing". The first thing I noticed when I read, it refers more to the mindset and attitude to drawing than concrete techniques. The latter I was expecting at first place.
The book suggests to "draw what you see and not what you think you see". Our mind is full of symbols of objects that we know. A bottle of water, eyes, birds, fruits, you name it. This list will go on and on. If we draw an apple out of our mind and then comparing it to an apple drawn while looking at one in front of us. We realize how much information the first one is missing compared to the one we looked at. Missing finesse, contours, shades, and character.
Try it by yourself. Don't care about perfection. You will see the difference even being a total bloody beginner to draw like I am.
It perfectly describes how we pass by "experiencing the present moment". We have encountered so much situations and objects in our lives, stored in our minds. Every time we encounter a known situation or looking at a known subject, we do re-experience what we already captured with our mind in the past instead of paying attention, being present and aware enough to experience it as it is in this present moment. That's why we often feel bored, indifferent, since we believe we already know. We close ourselves to what actually is.
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