A blank paper sits right in front of me. It practically beckons to be drawn on, so that is what I do. I draw whatever I can think of initially, things like simple shapes or animals fill the paper slowly but surely. Yeah there are a few mistakes I make along the way, but it is barely noticeable and can be fixed using an eraser. Eventually some people come along my drawings, and begin to give me comments on how to improve them or even just adding some of their own style onto the paper. As time goes on, the paper and its drawings start to become more elaborate and complicated with many different types being seen through experimentation or other people. It’s starting to differentiate myself from others, but at the same time find others who are artistically very similar. And inevitably when a sheet has run out of space, I grab a new blank sheet and continue the process.
Then comes a time every person experiences eventually in a creative process, a block. I simply can’t imagine anything to draw anymore and everything that I do end up drawing just looks like crap. My paper is just a mess of scribbles and colors with no rhyme or reason, and my frustrations lead me to end up ripping and creasing the paper unintentionally. At this point, I’m just ready to crumble the paper up and attempt to start anew. But everytime I’m ready to drop the pencil I’ve been drawing with, someone always comes to sharpen it further and hand it back. They often see things in my scribbles that I hadn’t even considered, and offer to help me start from my mess by adding certain colors or lines to it. Their personal touches have made their impression onto my drawing, which I then can continue from the inspiration that they have left me. I try to repay their gesture whenever I can, trying to leave my own mark on their work to make it look better or give a new perspective.
Many different sheets of paper have been used throughout this time, all filled with drawings in different styles. They all have progressively gotten more colorful and advanced to show the skills I have developed, but each one has been a result of me. And while they may not be some big, impressive mural or painting that I often see others have, my drawings are the only copy in the world. I do wish one day to be able to create a mural for the public to see, but I am content to only show my creations to my friends. I still continue to learn different styles and ways to improve my art, while continuing to come across many others who add some spice to my work. These drawings are my mark on the world, and hopefully one day people will look back on my work and take inspiration from my own drawings.
I use writing as a way to analyze complex ideas or topics that are often too difficult to properly express through words. For my piece, I tried to convey how the way that people decided to express or change develops over time from the experience and people that you meet. I took inspiration from the literal definition of the theme, by using drawing to symbolize expression and how style changes as you grow older and meet new people.