Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Is it something, or is it nothing?

Sometimes an image comes into my head, and it seems like a brilliant idea for a piece of art or design. Sometimes this happens in the middle of the night, or while I am brushing my teeth or driving my car. I keep thinking about it and I'm not sure—is it something? Or is it nothing? Mostly, I have to confess, it is nothing. But I usually don't know until I draw it. Here is one such idea from yesterday.

My sketchbooks are full of little things like this. Like I said, most of them never go beyond the sketchbook. They are nothing. Or maybe they could be something, but I need to think some more. Or maybe they are something! And I end up using the idea somehow. This is why my sketchbooks are not beautiful. They are not for public consumption. They have a lot of nothing in them. But I couldn't function without them or without drawing. I can't imagine painting this or, more likely, sewing this altogether without ever drawing this little sketch to get a sense of what it might look like or how it might work.

So what do you think? Is this something or is it nothing? I think it might be something.