To the sketcher in me.

“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.” – Henry Ward Beecher.

I always liked doodling. I was never known to be “good at it”. I recall in my elementary school days. During art class, I doodled for a class assignment. Filled with hopes and dreams from the activity, my dreams were shattered by the grading I received. “C”. That scarred my hope in being a creative. I was branded as a child good in mathematics and science subjects. Not art. Art was for the “elite” and those who received a stamp of approval by the authorities (teachers).

Looking back, I am glad to not conform to the events defined by one teacher. I finally took courage to try my hand with urban sketching. This desire did not grow overnight. It was nurtured from the early days of "painting by numbers” which then evolved into art jamming. And today, I have found the confidence to pick up urban sketching after all these years.

Art is meant to be an expression of one’s soul. One ought not to put a price on creativity in the world of exploring hobbies. It can. Only if one is able to withstand the pressures of being valued by one’s doodles and expression.

To the sketcher in me, sketch/paint/doodle from the depths of your soul, saying no to naysayers and critics who only caught a glimpse of who you are from 1 of a 1,000,000 angles of you. Say no to that. Say yes to sketching, exploring and resting in the reflection of your soul through urban sketching.