I’m not good at doing things just for the hell of it. I struggle to justify doing anything, even things that are supposed to be fun, without some overarching goal. (This is probably why knitting is such a fantastic hobby for me. It is very results-oriented, and the results are supremely practical.) But I don’t really like this about myself. For one thing, philosophically I deeply believe in the value of leisure… in the abstract. For another, there are plenty of things that I am sure are worthwhile, but their worth only manifests in the longer term. Obviously, it’s hard for me to commit to doing something long-term if I’m not really sure what I’m doing it for – so I never reap the benefit.
So I’m trying something new. Well, two somethings, but one new approach. I’ve taken on two new daily things, just to see what happens – I won’t know what I’m getting out of it (or not) until I’ve given it a solid try. One of those things is meditation (inspired by
Rachael’s latest Patreon essay). Another is drawing. I had to go and get
a couple of
books to help me on this one, and I do feel a bit silly about that, because I know that it basically comes down to “just draw, every day”; but I need the handholding. So now I have two books and no more excuses. Let’s see how it goes.