Earlier this year, I rediscovered my love for drawing as a 34-year-old adult, and I am so glad to have taken it up as a hobby.
Although deep down, I want to believe that I can still make it as a professional artist one day, I do feel content in the fact that even if I don’t, the time I spend sketching and drawing will be worth every moment because of how much it adds to my life.
In this post, I discuss seven ways in which drawing consistently for about one year has positively impacted my life and why I consider it a great hobby for anyone.
Why is drawing or sketching a good hobby?
1. Drawing satisfies our primal instinct to create something.
2. Drawing is an excellent way of documenting our observations, thoughts, experiences, and inspirations.
3. Sketching helps us to explore ideas and feed our curiosity.
4. Drawing helps us to find interest in the mundane.
5. Creating and sharing your drawings is a great way to connect with others.
6. The process of learning and creating drawings can teach us critical life skills.
7. Anyone can start drawing with almost zero investment.
1. Drawing satisfies our primal instinct to create something.
Humans have had the natural instinct to create and express something with their own hands for as long as there has been a civilization.
Personally, I love the tactile process of drawing, and I think it is a great way to channel our creativity and satisfy our natural desire to make something with our hands. And even after drawing so many times, I still find it quite exhilarating to see my (better) drawings come to life, knowing that I created them with my own hands, starting from a blank page.
2. Drawing is an excellent way of documenting our observations, thoughts, experiences, and anything that inspires us.
Keeping a sketchbook is a bit like owning a visual diary to record our observations, thoughts, interests, experiences, and anything that inspired us at that moment in time.
I love flipping through my old sketchbooks from time to time as it gives me a glimpse into my past self and helps me to relive those moments again.
3. Sketching helps us to explore ideas and feed our curiosity.
I find drawing and sketching to be a creative way to think and explore new ideas and a way of analyzing, observing, and deconstructing anything I am curious about.
4. Drawing helps us to find interest in the mundane.
Ever since I got back to drawing, I have felt more observant and present as I go about my daily life. Even when I’m not drawing, it’s like I am constantly expanding my visual library, noticing the little nuances of everyday life, like the perspective of a building I see across the street or how a stranger’s face compares to the average proportions of the head.
Overall I think drawing regularly helps you to be more mindful of your surroundings and be present in the moment to sink in what makes each moment special.
5. Creating and sharing your drawings and art progress is a great way to connect with others.
One aspect of drawing that I love is how you’re able to connect with other art students and artists from diverse backgrounds in local art meetups as well as online art communities, such as r/learntodraw.
As someone who is really shy, I have so far found the art community as generally quite accepting, supportive and encouraging, and participating in them by sharing your art progress and also giving feedback to others helps to make learning drawing really fun and is also a great way to make new friends.
6. The process of learning and creating drawings can teach us critical life skills.
I believe drawing consistently can teach us some critical life skills that transcend our art journey. Overall, my return to drawing earlier this year has been a very humbling experience, and I think for me the biggest takeaways from drawing regularly have been:
- Improving creative problem-solving skills by finding ways of breaking down complex problems into small doable tasks;
- Slowing down the pace of life and being more present in the moment to sense and find happiness in the small things we too often take for granted; and
- Learning to be patient.
I also think drawing is a truly universal language that circumvents geographical and language barriers, and studying art exposes you to different cultures and gives you a new perspective to learn about the history of human civilization.
7. Anyone can start drawing with almost zero investment.
Drawing has one the lowest barriers of entry for anyone interested in learning arts because almost everyone already has a pencil and a piece of paper which is basically all you need to get started.
Of course, once you get started, you might want to upgrade your drawing tools and get a sketchbook, some nicer pencils, or paints. Still, unless you want to start drawing digitally, the investment is likely to be under $50, and the supplies will probably last you at least a few months or maybe a year, depending on how much you draw, which is quite cheaper than many, if not most, hobbies.
And with so many great resources about learning to draw on Youtube, it is really easy for anyone to learn fundamental drawing skills from the comfort of their homes.
So if you’re still unsure if you want to start drawing as a hobby, just grab a piece of paper (preferably blank) and a pencil (or a pen) and follow me along in this video and have a go at drawing a cat!