Drawing for Fun: Rediscover Your Creativity Without the Pressure

1. Drawing for fun: Life's a bit of a balancing act, isn't it? Deadlines, errands, and the occasional curveball can make finding time for art difficult. Add the pressure to create "perfect" art, and creativity goes out the window. But what if we flipped the script? In this class, we're shedding the expectations of perfection and rediscovering the joy of creating for the sake of creating. We'll talk about getting in the right headspace, letting go of control, creating the right conditions to enter flow state, that magical place where things just happen. We'll then continue with a simple exercise to loosen up, get out of our heads, and continue with a simple illustration. The beauty of creativity is that you can work with whatever you have on hand, whether that's pen and paper, paint, clay or a digital tablet. This is about the process, not the tools or the result. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just holding a pencil for the first time, you'll find something in this class. Grab whatever medium speaks to you and let's have fun. 2. Class Project: Your class assignment will be in three easy parts. First, set time in your calendar when you not be interrupted by other tasks or people. You can plan ahead and set the next three to four sessions. Now, I know this can be a challenge, especially if you're a parent, but even a few quiet moments in the early morning or late at night is enough to start. Next, choose your medium. I'll demonstrate using Procreate. But like I said earlier, any medium is absolutely more than okay. Use what you have and what makes you happy. And the third and final part of your task is to show up when the alarm goes off. If you can paint, craft or sculpt along with me, that's absolutely fantastic. And I'll be honored if you decide to share your final results in the class project. But if not, that's okay. As we're doing art for ourselves, and I'm well aware that posting online is associated with a certain level of expectations. In any case, if you can share your experience and if and how this class has helped you, that would be more than enough. 3. Getting Started - Warm Up: Warm ups aren't meant to look good. Like stretching before workout isn't the actual workout. It's about loosening up and shaking off the stiffness of performing other tasks with their hands. No pressure or expectations. This is your permission to make a big mess. Here are a couple of warm up ideas you can try. Start by drawing straight lines and the basic forms, Cubes, cylinders, spheres, pyramids. Or practice brushstrokes and values. Or play around with curved lines and fill in the blanks with more scribbles and doodles. The goal here is to loosen up, get comfortable, warm up your hand eye coordination and find your rhythm. So take a breath, pick up your tool of choice, and let's begin. 4. Let's talk flow: Have you ever been so focused on something that time just disappeared? That's what we call the flow state. It's that magical zone where you're fully immersed, creativity spikes, everything feels natural and you just know what to do. Honestly, it's one of the best feelings when we're creating. We get lost in the process and let our hands work without overthinking. The pressure to create something perfect simply doesn't exist. Judgment doesn't exist. You're there in a timeless moment being pulled forward by an invisible force. You're able to connect dots and bring forward ideas unlike anything in your usual aware state. How do we get there? Well, it starts with creating the right conditions. First and foremost, adjust the task difficulty to match your skill level. It should be neither easy, otherwise you'll get bored, nor hard as you'll be stressing yourself out. It needs to be just right. Find the space and time when you can work uninterrupted. And keep in mind that flow isn't always instant, and that's okay. You don't have to force anything. Put on a playlist that helps you focus. For me, that's piano, or work in silence - whatever makes you feel at ease. Plan ahead and ensure physical comfort in your environment and on your body, it should be easy to start, so do the necessary adjustments to lower the bar of entry. Create a ritual that is unique to when you want to start creating, whether it's a piece of clothing, a specific phrase, a specific spot, a set of stretches or a token. Clear all distractions, turn off the notifications, and know that the more you employ these set of rules and conditions, the easier it will be to start creating and eventually entering flow. 5. Let go of control: Alright, let's talk about something that holds a lot of us back - fear. Whether it's fear of judgment, fear of making mistakes or fear that our work doesn't measure up, we've all faced it. Especially when we're just starting out. It can be daunting to pick up a pencil or even to try something new because we're worried how it will be perceived. In the end, we all want people to like what we do. But here's the thing. What other people think doesn't define your creativity. There's no wrong way to create. The process is all about discovering, experimenting, and about letting go of control. The truth is, creativity is a beautiful mess. Imperfections? They're part of the process. Those "flaws"? 9.5 times out of 10, you're the only one noticing them. You see, our best work often comes from those unexpected moments. When we let go of the control and the fear and the expectations, that's when creativity thrives. If something doesn't turn out the way you envisioned, don't be discouraged. Instead, ask yourself, "What can I learn from this"? And then, make peace with it. So I want you to focus less on the outcome and more on the process. This is a judgment free space. Stop worrying about whether it's perfect. It's perfect. Let yourself explore, experiment, and try new things. Trust yourself, embrace the mess, embrace the beautiful chaos of creativity, and most of all, have fun. 6. Paint Along: And this wouldn't be an art class without some paint along. I'll be using Procreate for this, but you can use your software of choice or grab your watercolors, gouache, acrylics, oil, pastel, pencils, or you can sculpt with clay, with paper mache, you can carve in wood. You can get your papers and scissors. And remember, adjust the task to your level of comfort. I'll be fully honest with you, while making this class, I've had some not so successful attempts. And I know I spoke about letting go control, but you probably wouldn't watch a class unless you liked the project in it, right? So I did enter the task with no expectations, and I immersed myself in the process, but chose one of the better outcomes to show you. You can find the reference in the project files, download it, and let's begin. 7. Your Turn: Congratulations. You made it to the end of the class, and more importantly, you took time for your creativity. Whether you created a draft or finished piece, as long as you've enjoyed the process, that's worth celebrating. Remember, perfection is a thief of joy, and art isn't about making a masterpiece every time. It's about showing up, playing around as much as you can, and seeing where the process takes you. Now it's your turn. Set a time in your calendar, pick up your tools and show up. If you've decided to share your project, thank you. If you don't want to share a visual piece, that's absolutely fine. There are other ways you can join the discussion. You can share with us your personal experience with this class in the class discussion or in the class feedback. You can check what others have shared and spread some love and positivity. If you've enjoyed the class, click Follow so you don't miss any future classes on the topics of drawing and illustrating. Have all the creative fun and happy making. See you.