#9 Chill out drawing for a stressed out time

01/07/22 • 8 min

Happy new year, friends.

Despite being a stressful time with the uncertainties around Covid, so many people getting sick, the constant calculations we’re doing to keep ourselves and others safe, and the roller coaster with schools, I’m still planting a flag in the ground that reads: there is so much to be grateful for, and so much to feel hopeful about. That includes this wonderful DrawTogether family. You know what you all did?? You raised over 70k to send 2,000 DT kids vital art supplies. YOU DID THAT. You know what else you did? You opened this email, and we are going to DrawTogether right now. YES WE ARE.

Why? Because in the middle of mayhem inside and/or out, we can always find a some peace and a moment of calm using just a piece of paper and a pencil.

Today’s podcast is a short and sweet drawing exercise based on neurologist Dr. Jud Brewer’s Five Finger Breathing technique, which a 6 year old taught me. Let’s call him Rafael. PBS Newshour was recently here shooting a feature on DrawTogether (!) and we visited a DrawTogether Classroom in at Cesar Chavez Elementary in SF’s Mission District. I was speaking with the first graders about drawing and managing big feelings. Rafael got so excited by the mention of deep breathing that he jumped up, ran to the front of the class and taught us all how to focus our breath using this awesome technique. Turns out it was the practice popularized by Dr. Brewer. I’ve modified it slightly to become a drawing exercise: Five Finger Drawing.

Grab a pencil, piece of paper and maybe some colors and press play. Can’t wait to hear how it works for you.

xo,

If you value this podcast, please subscribe to support! A few bucks a month goes a long way. Thank you. <3

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe

Happy new year, friends.

Why? Because in the middle of mayhem inside and/or out, we can always find a some peace and a moment of calm using just a piece of paper and a pencil.

Grab a pencil, piece of paper and maybe some colors and press play. Can’t wait to hear how it works for you.

xo,

If you value this podcast, please subscribe to support! A few bucks a month goes a long way. Thank you. <3

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe

Previous Episode

#8 Out the Window

Helllllooo. New Friday, new DT Podcast episode!

We’re trying something new. Today we take a kid request (thanks DT Kid Rosa!) and then head out on an art adventure together... to our windows! We learn about perspective and scale and a bit about composition. And most of all, we slow down, look closely and see/draw at all the magical things we often overlook.

This episode is a fun, easy little drawing meditation with some learning tucked inside. It’s about 10 minutes, and is fun to do alone or with a family member. So grab a pencil or pen, paper, and maybe a book if you need a surface to draw on, and press play above.

I’d love to see DT peeps window views from around the world and I bet everyone else would, too - so if you want, you can post your drawing on Instagram and tag @drawtogether.studio and we’ll share it out. And if YOU have a kid who has a drawing request, you can send a voice memo (ask them to include first name, age, and request) to [email protected] and maybe we’ll draw your kid’s request!

If you like the DT podcast and want to support more audio art adventures in the new year, please share this newsletter with a friend, and consider becoming a paid subscriber or giving the gift of a subscription to a friend this holiday. We are because of you!

Keep drawing, looking, and loving.

xo,w

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe

Next Episode

#10 Thanks, Don't Mondrian if I Do!

Hey, friends. A new DrawTogether Podcast episode is here!!

And! A twist: in some upcoming episodes we’ll look to artists working in different mediums to inspire our drawing. We’ll learn a little about their artwork, how they make it and why, and then we’ll explore their work through drawing. Cool? Cool. Let’s go.

First up: Dutch painter Piet Mondrian. Like most artists, Mondrian’s work changed drastically over his lifetime. He explored different styles and for a long time he actually made a living by painting copies of other artists artworks. After decades of effort and experimentation, he arrived at the signature abstract style he is most known for (seen above.) In today’s episode we learn a little about why Mondrian painted like he did and the basic elements involved, then we use these elements to make a drawing of our own.

All you need is a piece of paper, a pen or pencil and three colors. (No worries if you don’t have colors, all good.) I’d **love** to see the composition you create. If you and your kids would like to share your drawings with the DT Community you can take a photo and post it on instagram and tag @DrawTogether.Studio. I’ll see it and share it out!

And! Let me know what you think of this direction in the comments. As always, if you/your kids/classrooms/families are digging this drawing podcast, please support by subscribing (just $60/year is a huge support!) and sharing this post and newsletter with your friends. It makes a giant difference. Thank you.

And as we say at the end of, well, everything: Everything is better when we DrawTogether.

xo,w

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit club.drawtogether.studio/subscribe