New Eyes For A New Year

From my sketchbook.

Sharpie and Prismacolor Markers

Everyday I am drawing something familiar that is around me.

I am finding that even if it is something I usually see everyday, when I really take the time to look at it, it looks so much different than I thought it did. So much more interesting and beautiful.

Drawing it with a Sharpie means I don't spend a lot of time erasing and redrawing to try to make it look perfect.

And I am finding the imperfections give it so much character.

Sort of like us.

I picture that I want to be so perfect.

A perfect body, a perfect face, perfect hair, etc.

But if you see too much perfection, how boring is that?

Now, don't get me wrong.

If my fairy godmother said she could wave a wand and I would look perfect I would say

HECK YEAH!!

But if something looks perfect, after a while there's no mystery, nothing more to discover.

I believe that is one of the reasons the mixed media art world has had so much popularity.

The work is not about perfection, but about design, essence, and character.

The work is not "classically" beautiful, but beautiful in its own way, which makes it all the more interesting.

Like us.

If you happen to be "classically" beautiful, then more power to you (and can I have the name of your fairy godmother?)

But for those of us who have our imperfections, we need to take another look at ourselves, our work, all we are, and all we do with different eyes. We need to see the beauty of our unique design and essence and character.

We need to sigh at the beauty that is ours and ours alone.

Not simply to toot our own horn (although we should, TOOT TOOT!)

But in accepting our own imperfections as beautiful and unique, we can more readily accept the imperfections of others, which can help give us all so much more balance and peace.

Which is Day 2 of a much more powerful New Year.

Peace to you,

Carol B.