On seeing things differently

The London Diary: No. 2

Where: London
When: July and August

I fix several sheets of A2-sized paper to the easel and the drawing teacher shares instructions for sketching still life.

“And don’t be afraid to go big,” they say. “Why contain yourself when you have the large page—for that matter, why ever contain yourself?”

It’s the first class in an eight-week Monday Mix class where we will try drawing, painting, sculpture and printmaking. 

I’d enrolled as part of my effort to do new things, or what my friend Bethany coined “Try July”. I’ve been wobbling since moving to London, coming up against blocks in various aspects of my life. Connecting with new people, finding new work, opening to new dating experiences—it’s all proven somewhat elusive. During such wobbles, I tend to panic and contract. I begin to limit myself to things I’m not sure I even like doing. I told Bethany over the phone, and she could tell I was in contracting mode—making life smaller, as if that brings more certainty. “Instead of turning to backup…