Art Therapy
I took a 31-day drawing challenge
And this is how it helped me gain my mojo and sanity back.
I am not a person who does challenges and not the one who draws every day of the month and then posts the work to the gram.
I procrastinate heavily, even though my head is constantly buzzing with ideas. And with the advent of reels, I altogether gave up on creating at one point.
This year has been pretty heavy already — from starting on a high to dropping to an extreme low in the middle of the year, to now things being slightly stable; it's not been so much fun. There was a long time during those low periods when making art took a back seat. I had zero ideas and zero motivation, and my anxiety and depression levels were off the charts. I couldn't create for my life.
And then, I made an exciting discovery …
Or did the art form discover me? This may be what I needed for my heart and soul to heal. I saw many folks trying their hand at Islamic Geometry and pattern making. The form intrigued me — because it combined geometry and patterns. I primarily drew mandalas, which already have different types of grid construction and pattern designs, but Islamic geometry was a whole new level.
A new sort of excitement soared through me. I followed many YouTube tutorials, referenced blogs, and ordered books off Amazon to get me started. If I were going to go deep into the subject, I would get all the resources to help me learn the form.
Let me tell you.
I was hooked (and still am).
And this was sometime in August. I devoured the tutorials (and continue to do so), books and articles and was ever hungry to keep trying as much as possible and learn everything I could about the subject. It's November, and I have barely scratched the surface of creating these patterns, but it's just starting to get exciting. Sometimes, I want to tear my hair apart if the constructions go for a toss, but the learning is so good! It makes me feel like I am back in school again with the studying and practice!
Relearning everything there is to geometry, the tantalising roots of Islamic geometry to spirituality and nature, and understanding the different shapes and motifs … is exhilarating! And I don't think I am ever going to stop doing so.
And then there was Inktober.
The month of October is known as Inktober to artists. It's a month where you whip out your paints, ink or any medium and draw to prompts released every day of the month. The list comes out a few weeks before the start so artists, designers and illustrators can start planning their sketches.
The last time I did the challenge was in 2018, but I didn't finish it. I wanted to try this challenge again, but with patterns. I wrote down the prompts and matched the words to colours. Each design would follow the colour scheme.
But when the month started closing in, I was again anxious about whether I could do this challenge. Like I was so sure I was going to give up someday. But through a lot of self-motivation and from friends, I decided to start it and go with the flow of creating. I prepared a few patterns beforehand so I could spend time colouring them.
October started, and so did the challenge. The first few days were easy because I had some days off work to spend time drawing these patterns. But once I returned to project work, I took to the nights to finish the designs and photograph them in the morning.
And oh boy! I took myself by surprise by knocking out drawings every day. I spent time constructing patterns that would bear some resemblance to the prompts along with the colouring. I got deeper into the subject and immersed myself in creating slightly complex constructions and patterns. I played with unconventional colour palettes that even took me by shock.
I celebrated every milestone — 5 days, 10 days, 15 days, and more. Yes, there were days I wanted to give up, but seeing my progress spurred me to finish the entire month.
And I did it.
(You can check out my entire Islamic geometry exploration, the 31-day challenge, along with the explanations of each of the drawings on Instagram by following me at my handle @swathik26)
Phew!
Thirty-one days of consistent drawing. I have never done that, and this has almost helped me return to drawing frequently. I still don't post often, but I take some time every day from my schedule to draw something, even if it's just for a few minutes. I record videos and post stories over the weekend, so I have work to post during the week.
There is so much activity going on on the art front that has got me so excited. With this learning, I am creating a calendar inspired by geometric patterns for 2024. (Pre-orders are opening real soon; please drop me a message if you would like one :) ).
I am also gaining confidence in the construction, and yes, there is still a long way to go. Still, for now, I love learning, discovering, making mistakes, exploring colour schemes and trying my best to analyse and draw patterns by myself!
What did I learn (and you can too) from this?
Art requires a lot of learning and unlearning and the willingness to explore and experiment. Yes, patience is needed while learning and trying to have fun with the process. Learning something new can open up so many more avenues to scale your art practice, and what's more, it adds a skill to your cap.
Consistency is also key — but there is also a need not to go overboard. There will be days when your brain will refuse to work — give yourself a break. But as much as possible, set aside 10–15 minutes each day to scribble, draw, doodle, or paint anything. If you have time, learn something new, too — that has so many benefits. It could be a new hobby, art form, medium, or technique to create something.
And art (any form of art) can soothe the troubled, anxiety-ridden soul. It is the much-needed therapy after a long work day or going through something extremely heart-wrenching. Just dropping water and colours onto a sheet of paper and watching them blend can alleviate the pain we carry inside us. Yes, it will not make your problems vanish, but that few minutes when you are creating helps you regain your focus and calm you down enough to relook at your problems and tackle them appropriately.
You don't need to start a 31-day or 100-day drawing challenge immediately. I wouldn't recommend that unless you are ready to do so. All you need to do is take a few minutes out of your schedule to draw, doodle or explore an art form or hobby you have wanted to do.
Believe me, it will work wonders to broaden your horizons, help you look at the world in a much better light, and, yes, help you soothe your soul in the long run.
You can find me on Instagram to talk more about art (or maybe buy any of the original paintings or a print? Drop me a DM, and let's chat! :)
