A year of difference

As I was getting in my car to drive home after drawing last night, I was reminded that it was actually a year ago this very week that I dropped in to do some figure drawing for the first time in... about 13 years (had it really been that long!? yes). My drawings that night were pretty bad... maybe I'll post one at the end of this if I can find them ;) 

A year ago I was just coming out of a long period of postpartum depression, which let's just say feels about like living in a mishmash of all of your worst nightmares come true (and more), but I'll spare you the details :P

While in the thick of all that mental garbage, there were a couple of phrases that, if I repeated in my mind, somewhat helped to carry me through whatever was plaguing my stream of consciousness (I even wrote them up on little cards and taped them around the house). One of those thoughts was, "A thing of beauty is a joy forever" (thank you, Mr. Keats! click here for the first stanza of the full poem :)

I wasn't thinking much about the significance of that phrase at the time--only that it helped to keep some of the negativity at bay. But now I can see why this phrase gave me hope. It doesn't matter if it's good, bad, or whatever (though I'd rather it be good :), creating art (beauty) is an essential part of my existence. I don't know how I ignored it for so long.

And hey, I found them! Here are my almost exactly one-year-old drawings. It will be fun to see what they're like in another year :)