Give 15 precious minutes to your curious wild heart

Courageous wild artists,

I have talked a little previously about how sketching in the margins, in little pockets of time, adds up, and today I thought I might show you a tangible example. 

In the video above are a series of photos taken, one day at a time over 19 days, as I built this two page harpy eagle study. 

Each session was for 15 minutes only (I even used a timer). 

To sit down and do this double page spread would have taken at least the nearly 5 hours that it took over the 19 days, but I can't guarantee I have the time (or energy) to do that very often, certainly not for my sketchbook in any case.

But 15 minutes a day?

Yes. Yes I can find that much time. And I can honour my creativity, and the beings I revere, in that short period of time every day without any stretch to my schedule. I create time by making the time, by showing up and doing it, and not just wishing I had more time. 

That 15 minutes every day adds up. It really does.

Many of you will know that I had a personally excruciatingly difficult year last year, multiple deaths of beings that held my heart, the near death of my sibling, the passing of my grandfather, my own health difficulties, and, well, it all piled on until my mental health was at crisis. I share this because this is what can happen to us outside of the pretty photos and posts on social media, or behind even the best writing, but it is also a part of life that we have to try and wade through when it happens.

We all experience trauma and grief and scarcity and distress at some point - unfortunately - and different things work for each of us as a means to heal and strengthen and recover.

A catalyst in my mental health improvement has been my sketchbooks. But I wanted a way to make it a gentle enough consistent, reliable, daily practice that I could be wrapped in the embrace of sketching daily, without feeling like I might fail if I couldn’t devote an hour (or hours) a day. I always underestimate how long something will take. And I am intensely motivated to finish things quickly.

I want to turn that on it’s head and be much, much more kind to myself. Because small increments snowball into beautiful big happenings while we aren’t watching, and we get so nourished along the way. And that is what I need.

From the beginning of December last year I made an agreement with myself to proritse the self care I so often ask others to take. Adding 15 minutes of sketching to my morning routine of walk, strength training, yoga and meditation turned my routine into a self compassion ritual, and the mental and emotional health benefits grew exponentially. 

I now look forward to the other parts of the ritual knowing that after I have cared for my body, I can care for my wild heart and watch beings fall out of my pencils. 

I had been sketching in my books most days since February last year, but some days it was for an hour, some days for 20 minutes, and always only when I could find the time. Giving this practice a dedicated time each day was such an expansive gift to myself.

And even if I do not have time in my schedule to actually make any other art throughout the day (there is soooo much more to being a full time artist than making art, unfortunately!) I know I have honoured my craft and my heart and strengthened connections to the wild, and intentionally practised to develop my skills. 

I discovered that I actually liked that I didn’t finish a single one of these sketches in one day, but that I got to keep my conversation going, with reverence and quiet respect, one day at a time. Embodying the magic of them manifesting on the page over days. 

And most importantly? I get to just be. To be a human being. To be present. To be completely in my animal body in the here and the now. And that is a gift. To myself, and to this beautiful Earth - because if we could all find presence, if we could all honour our wild hearts, just for 15 minutes a day, with immense loving kindness, ooof, can you imagine how much better we would all feel, how much more hope and compassion there would be globally?

So, do you have 15 minutes a day you can schedule to sketch, to play, to be creative?

I bet you do.

I hope you can love yourself, love your creativity enough to find that 15 minutes every day that is just for you, to protect it fiercely like the strongest of wild beasts, and the wildest of artists hearts, and just be.

Now, what wild being should I work on studying next? Give me your suggestions!

If you would like me to cheer you on in a calm, gentle, consistent practice, you will love Drawn to Wild. Each week you get a new video around an hour long, and a new reference. In a year you will have built a body of work, filled a sketchbook, and unfurled your artist's wings. No having to find a reference, or even choose a colour (I have a little magic spinning wheel to choose a colour for you!), and the best bit? You can pause the video as often as you like. Say, for four different 15 minute sessions? What a grand idea!!

Come join us, if you too are Drawn to the Wild.