My favorite meditation hack. It's a thing. Really.

Join me for figure drawing at The Mill this Saturday!

I remember first learning figure drawing in my 7th grade art class. Immediately I was enamored with the challenge of capturing the human form and the meditation that occurs in doing so. I’ve taken many figure drawing classes since and even consider my anatomy classes in grad school to have played an unexpected part in my practice.

It is just that - a humbling practice - something that continues to evolve day to day, year to year. It’s the basic study that informs so many of my paintings and how I take in the world around me.

There was a time (albeit brief time - come to think of it, pandemic time) pre-children, where I carved out time each day to meditate. I know, I know - meditation is good. Fantastic. The research is undeniable. All the successful CEOs and athletes are doing it. All the successful people period are doing it. Unfortunately, at the moment, I just can’t seem to fit sitting still on a cushion in silence for any period of time into my life. I’ll keep trying, but in the meantime, I’ve found life drawing a really fantastic hack. It forces you to stay present in the best way. They say if you can draw the human body you can draw anything - and that’s because it is so. Dang. Hard. There is no finish line when it comes to perfecting it. For this reason, when life drawing, you focus so intently on your hand-eye coordination, translating what’s in front of you to your paper, that all your competing thoughts just melt away.

I’m sure there are other practices that create a similar effect. Running while listening to music is up there for me, but I still find my mind slipping into auto pilot at times. If you’ve found experiences that work for you, please share!

Now, if any of this interests you, and you happen to find yourself in my neck of the woods this weekend, I invite you to join us at The Mill in Glen Arbor for a three hour *clothed* figure drawing workshop. My dear friend Kelsey Duda and her hospitality team designed the most tranquil escape on the Crystal River. The *chef’s kiss* combination of moody and cozy, I couldn’t dream up a more idyllic setting to practice life drawing.

Your ticket includes a drink of your choice to enjoy while you create, charcoal, a newsprint pad, and brown paper for an 11x14 sketch you can frame. I will have bulldog clips and cardboard to borrow. All you have to do is bring yourself (your Val or Galentine can come too)!

If you can’t join us but still want to enjoy the benefits of sketching meditation, try it on your own and report back! All you need is a pad of paper and your choice of drawing tool. Try sketching the people around you on the subway (a personal fave), your local coffee shop, beach bathers (I guess this is actually my favorite) or your family while watching T.V. at night. If you have older kids, have them join you! If you find yourself solo, draw your feet! I’ve done this at the airport when too nervous to draw people I could potentially be seated next to for hours.

If you need suggestions on supplies, you can shop my favorite tools here.

The reality? Meditation and sketching both take lots of practice. The good news? There’s no right or wrong way to do either.

Two 15 minute poses from a recent figure drawing drop in I attended.

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Alright, that’s all for now. If you have any questions or just want to say hello, liking this post and sharing a comment really help my newsletter! I’m also always available via email.

Thank you for being here,

x

Katherine