YOU, IN ART:

The original inspiration for this prompt was the classic kindergarten activity where kids draw themselves on the first day of school. It's always so cute how they see themselves, and there's no judgment in their drawing skills. It's just a simple interpretation of what they think they look like. I think if you ask any kid to do this, it's a no-brainer—they just happily draw themselves.

The first time I opened this page to think about how to respond, I instantly critiqued my own drawing "skills." I knew I couldn't draw myself based on what's in my head, but I could stare at myself in the mirror, and it would be an awesome experience to see what my "first self-portrait" would look like. And it would be hilarious.

When I finally opened it up to draw, I wasn’t feeling hilarious. I was feeling a bit melancholy and a little exhausted from the already hectic holidays. I was at the hair salon waiting for the fam to get their haircuts. I started to feel too self-conscious whipping out my phone camera to start the self-portrait. I figured maybe pulling up a picture of myself would be less awkward to draw.

So instead of staring at myself in the camera or mirror, I found a photo that captured how I saw myself in that moment. The picture was taken and shared by one of my wonderful sisters. It's just me, looking out across the street into the mountains in Palm Springs. When I first saw this picture, I was like, Yeah… this is my vibe right now. I have this pretty amazing life. I get to travel. I get to see that people live and thrive in the desert. I wonder what drives humans to build homes, bring water and electricity into this hot desert land, and I wonder why they decide to stay. And there’s me, in the hot desert, contemplating it all. So deep.

Later, as I got ready to post my feelings about this prompt, I took another look at the picture that inspired my "You, In Art" prompt. I looked closely at the cup to the left of me and realized—it’s an ice cream cup. Then I remembered that right behind where I was sitting was a specialty Toffee ice cream store that probably had its AC blasting. The rest of my family, in said store enjoying their tasty frozen treats, and there I am… this tiny human, sitting out in the hot, hot desert heat, eating said ice cream. I do believe I was trying to enjoy my cold ice cream more in the hot weather. So. Not. Deep. The picture I drew, and the photo itself make me laugh now.

Which made me realize:

This is art, guys… it’s whatever we want it to be. It can mean anything, at any time, for anyone. It’s who you are when you want to sit down and fill out this prompt.

I would love to see your "You, In Art"! Click the 'Share a Moment' button below to upload your own response. Did it make you feel a certain way while filling this out? Was it an easy or hard prompt for you? Does my story make you change the way you look at my art or your own art?

You can find shared journal responses under "Moments."

Thanks for the read!

H