Many people believe they can’t draw, because at some point in life they realize what they draw doesn’t look like the real thing. While learning to draw realistically is a skill that everyone can learn with some time and effort, I would like to focus on the process of drawing rather than the outcome. And from that regard I feel like drawing would benefit everyone, regardless of skill level. When you draw, you get into a focused, meditative state of mind that few other activities provide. While I need to make an extra effort to be present on doing many other tasks, drawing just demands that full presence of attention. And there is so much to be said for doing something with your hands, in a time when most of what we do is related to sitting semi-passively in front of screens.
Not unlike meditation, drawing also puts you in a special state of mind long after you’re done with it. I have noticed how on the days I draw I feel far less anxiety, feel in control of my thoughts and generally way more relaxed than I usually am. That’s why I would really love for everyone, especially people who don’t consider themselves “creatives” just to draw a bit every day, just for the exercise of it.
Besides that huge mental benefit, there’s not enough I can say for the feeling of joy and satisfaction you have when you look at something you’ve created with your own hands, something that wasn’t there just a short time ago. I wish for everyone, not just artists to have that feeling.
Of course when you do it professionally, that feeling very quickly changes into sort of a despair, when you start evaluating your work and seeing all the mistakes. But that’s a different story, one I hope hobby artists will be spared.