Year in Review

The loudest creative intention I had for 2023 was make more pictures! together with this blog to keep me on task.  Behind it all, I’d also hoped to pull together the Ham project (chimpanzee we sent to space in 1961) that has been “in the works” for a while now.

How’d it go?

∎ Blog — one year!  26 posts.  Drawings in every one.

∎ Focus and Perspective — Early in the year, I looked into adjusting my personal productivity system (Getting Things Done, GTD) to support more illustrating and blog writing.   My system was working well generally.  I had projects and next actions clarified, had my Inbox to zero most weeks, and a regular weekly review practice. I was definitely getting things done. But why then, was sitting down to draw and work on the Ham project — things I cared about a great deal — so hard to do consistently?

I reached out to the experts on member forum, GTD Connect.  Out of these initial conversations with John Forrester came a video podcast (Slice of GTD Life with Caroline Clarke) for the Connect community.  I'm on a podcast! We talked about GTD for creative work, and my system — what was working and what still puzzling.  This interview led to meetings with Julie Ireland and Wayne Pepper, two legendary GTD coaches.  They helped me get real, sussed out my “improvement opportunities,” reminded me of Atomic Habits,(James Clear) and sent me on my way. An uptick of doing ensued.

∎ The page as a window — My goal for doing Draw-a-Box, a foundational drawing program with exercise-based lessons, was to train my brain to see my page, not as a flat piece of paper but as a window to a much larger 3-D space. At the same time, to really believe that I'm drawing in that space too.  The exercises were tough! The drawings were ugly!  Nevertheless, by June, 5 of 8 lessons (from the basics to plants and insects) and the 250 Box Challenge were in the books . . . even as I struggled with incorporating equal amounts of play, the other requisite for the program.

Then it happened.  When I reached the lesson on animals — the one I had my eyes on from the beginning;  the one that was going to take my animal drawings to dizzying heights — I seemingly collapsed.  I drew the first animal lesson — birds — but couldn’t draw the rhino, elephant, and chimpanzee that I had queued up.  Uneasiness enveloped me.  Is this it?  Why don’t I just draw the damn chimpanzees?

∎ Life's messy — In all its forms (vine, compressed, sticks, powder) charcoal is messy.  For me, that's rather the point. I get to throw down texture and line, smudge with my fingers, and chisel form with erasers. Find variety, contrast, harmony, dominance and balance.

Charcoal moves. It's moody. It's dark. It's also bright. It's very black and white.

Around the time I finished the draw-a-box lesson on insects, I brought my charcoal experiments to these same subjects. 

The resulting “in translation” drawings excited me. I looked for opportunities to do more. 

∎ Animal Portraits — In August, just such an opportunity presented itself. On a sketching jaunt to my local wildlife shelter, I met Scout, Onyx, Echo, Mariah and Rocky— the wildlife ambassadors. All with such personalities. While chimpanzees were still stressing me out (and drawing them wasn’t happening), these striking birds offered an agreeable way forward. 

A series of 5 portraits followed.   

In October, my ambassador portraits sold at the Shelter’s annual gala and benefit auction. We made money for wildlife protection!  In the process, I learned about each bird, met the interesting people who care for them, and experienced putting drawings to work for a cause I care about.

∎ Travel —  I travel to engage with the wider world out there. To share with friends and follow my curiosities. My sketchbook and charcoal kit come along too.

Last year, there was rambling in DC, hiking in the Canadian Rockies, indulging a dog at Long Beach, climbing a 180' tree on Lopez Island, sailing in Puget Sound, autumn watching in Santa Fe, sister bonding in Orlando, laughing with art friends in Memphis and accompanying family in Grange-over-Sands.

There was also one particular day trip. Tucked away in the Cascade mountains about 3 hours from me is Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest.  CSNW is a sanctuary for chimps who began their lives in entertainment and biomedical research.

The Sanctuary hosted a small educational visit in July.  I couldn’t resist — the history of chimpanzees in research is a fascination of mine.  The visit offered the chance to see sanctuary life up close.  I’d also hoped to draw chimpanzees while there, but they were pretty far from us (as of course they should've been really), so only photographs. Grist for the mill.

∎ Reading —Oh the pull of books!  This snapshot is the collection of “dip-into’s” at my bedside as the year came to a close.  And those wonderful audio books — the voices planted directly into one’s brain — they all add to the creative stew.

Other reading that delivered a jolt of joy this year —

84 Charing Cross Road.  Helene Hanff

The Last Devil to Die: A Thursday Murder Club Mystery, Book 4.  Richard Osman

The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece: A Novel.  Tom Hanks.

Right — that’s enough of 2023.  Thank you for accompanying me this last year.

And a (belated) Happy New Year to all!  Wishing you each good health, peace, and happiness for 2024.