Begin by drawing a shape in the middle of the page. It will be your illustration space. You can make it circle, a square, an amorphous blob, whatever size you like. The draw two lines running from opposite sides of the shape to the edge of the page so that your page is roughly divided in half. On one side of the page, write about what's unlikely to change in your … [Read more...] about Temporary and Permanent
Observation
What You’re Good At
Fill a page by writing about something--or many things--that you are good at. Are you skilled somehow in the use of your hands? Your feet? Your body? Your mind? Some skills we seem to be born with. Others must be acquired. What kinds of things do people ask for your help with? Which of your skills are they appreciating? Is there something you are really good at but … [Read more...] about What You’re Good At
Inanimate Pals
How would you define that special kind of friendship that makes you call someone your pal? What are some of the things that pals do together? What kind of understandings can pass between pals? Think about the qualities of a pal, and think about your stuff, the inanimate objects in the orbit of your life. Write about one of those objects by describing it in terms of … [Read more...] about Inanimate Pals
People and Places
We swim in rivers of people. In person, on the screen, in books, in reputation, and in memory. Everybody has to be somewhere. We have experienced so many places, public and personal, from couches to mountaintops. Think about the names of places and people you have known. Write the letters of the alphabet (A-Z) down the left-hand side of the page. For each letter, … [Read more...] about People and Places
What’s Open?
What does the word open mean? Think about the many ways we use it: You can open a present, an app, a spigot or a conversation. There are open letters, open minds, open houses and open seating. Sometimes you need a key to open something, and some things open whether you want them to or not. Does anything open when you heal or grow? What about when time … [Read more...] about What’s Open?