I love automatic drawing. It begins with just moving my hand intuitively and letting it draw without any discernment at all. As the image grows I will exercise immeasurable switches between intuition and intention.The line between what is unconscious and conscious choice is blurred. Each moment is like discovering images in the clouds, deciding to chase them, having them disappear and reform into new images, chasing them again, and so on until I’ve reached the final image- and I’m always surprised. The novelty never runs out. Drawing this way allows me to discover images that I could have never imagined previously. With each image created it expands the edges of my imagination further and further.
The final image isn’t always to my taste, but I see the process as “fishing for images”. One day I may catch nothing but old boots and tin cans but it is guaranteed that I will eventually capture something that is to my taste as long as I keep fishing.
The process itself is not always a pleasant experience either, but it’s one where I don’t have to think or try hard. I often force myself to automatic draw when I’m feeling unwell and I’ll even hate the process and what I see the entire time but in the end, when the final image has revealed itself to me, I feel relieved and excited to see a novel image that surprises me yet again and my perception is soothed for the better for the rest of the evening.
I also see the images like I do dreams. Some of them I can find meaning in that reflects my psyche or current experiences and some are just pure novelty without meaning. The instances of significance are less often but when they do occur I've found them to be extremely helpful for my delusions with schizophrenia and also helps me to see my condition in a gentle light where I can gain confidence to thrive and use my experiences as a muse rather than an affliction.
Besides my own experiences, I am inspired by the drawings of children and particularly anyone who draws when they “don’t normally”. One of my favorite images of all time was created by a friend who rarely draws and doesn’t identify as an artist- and yet they created something that I find unequivocally beautiful that inspires me to this day.
The reason I’m so interested in art made by untrained people is because of how much untapped novelty there is. There’s a gold mine in every person who exists I’ve noticed. No training required. It seems as though everyone- no matter who they are- has art in them that no one else can possibly manifest. So my favorite thing is helping others see their potential and grow confidence in their ability to create beautiful art as they are now. To be able to let go of preconceived notions of what art is or ought to be. To make room for their unique novelty and to help them see how much they can affect others and contribute to the web of inspiration in our world. So if you’re reading this- thank you and please make art and don’t keep yourself to yourself any longer! The world is hungry for a flavor only you can satisfy it with.
