Thanks Sami from Flickr!

Snow is falling, acting as prelude to the bitter cold that is arriving in a few days. I’m tired of cold weather, and sometimes, I’m tired of the snow even though it’s so pretty. I’m not a fan of winter; it’s depressing and drags on too long. All the bleakness makes it hard for me to feel fervent, which, if you think about it, fervent sounds the opposite of what it truly means. Anymore, I just feel so down and hopeless and it’s hard to find that silver lining or little glimmer of joy. Click to read more …

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I have had many ups-and-downs in my life, and recently, I have had more downs than ups. I had to give my Border Collie, Micah, back to the I Wanna Go Home Dog Rescue, which completely and totally ripped my heart clear from my chest. Then, I had other drama, which I do not want to disclose, and I almost lost the greatest love I have ever known because our situation just totally sucks. One of the events caused me to want not to survive any longer, but I made it through the event, even though I still have my down moments concerning that event. However, even though I escaped some of my heartache via homework and some really great movies– Hirokazu Kore’s After Life, Kim Yong-hwa’s 200 Pound Beauty, both of which I HIGHLY recommend—but it just was not enough. How do I fully escape my painful reality? I escape by writing and drawing, of course.

I love writing; I think it is one of my favorite art forms. Words are so beautiful to me, whether it be poetry or prose, fiction or nonfiction; I have always been drawn to the words of others or creating words of my own to express my feelings. I wrote a piece of prose for my boyfriend this week in celebration of our commitment ceremony anniversary, and I poured my heart over the page. If I mattered, I am not sure, but being able to express my true feelings for him felt great. Additionally, I have also been “working” on a “novel” I am writing called All the Things They Gave; no, I will not give any details other than I am having writer’s block. But reading and writing helps me through anything. Reading and writing, like drawing, provides wonderful escapism because with all mediums mentioned, I get a chance to become someone else for a while, which is the best medicine for me, really. I have been reading Banana Yoshimoto’s NP and I absolutely love it! The story is so haunting and the characters are so mysterious. I love being in Kazami’s shoes as she tries to unravel the mysterious circumstances of NP, or North Point. If you are into Asian fiction, pick this and other books up by Banana Yoshimoto—she is a fantastic writer!

But I regress.

Reading and writing is a special art form because, like art, it requires IMAGINATION. Reading and writing is just painting with words, so pick up a good book today!

Drawing, however, allows me to visually vent my frustrations or express my emotions. I draw many things, but all my drawings are based on a particular emotion at a given time. When I am feeling empowered, warrior girls are in order. Sad? Meditative and sad girls and scenery fit the bill. Romantic? A kissing couple or an image of a warm embrace may be the most prominent image for me to create. If I am feeling scattered, soft pastels and random strokes or words across a page make me feel a helluva lot better. Mostly, however, I sit down with my Wacom Intuos3 and fool around with different drawing styles and manipulations. Whatever I am doing, I draw to escape and to have fun. Nothing makes me feel better more than drawing or writing… well, maybe a trip to the mall or to Starbucks, one of greatest addiction! I cannot wait for Gingerbread Latte time—the countdown begins!!!

So here’s your assignment: sit down, write or draw something! Afterwards, email your work to sketchinghouseonline@gmail.com. We will post your work in our online gallery! Have fun!

Marisol Dominguez

Tags: artist, draw, drawing, emotions, expression, novel, reading, write, Writing