Letters to Myself

Not dead, just in hiding. Back later.

Posted by jon at 03:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Thanks for all your birthday wishes, everyone. You are far too kind, and it makes my slow descent in decrepitude much easier to bear.

* * *

So, yes, as I mentioned recently, I've been reading a lot of drawing books. Interlibrary loan has been very good to me. Now, as to why I'm reading this books, it's a bit difficult to explain--

Well, no. It's not difficult to explain: I want to learn how to draw. Well, actually, I can draw. It's just that what I produce looks like it was done by a fourth grader. Not surprising, really; I draw like a fourth grader because that was about the point when I stopped drawing. Drawing is one of those things that everyone does when they're little kids, and at some point in childhood a lot of them stop.

It's one of those things. You get dissatisfied with your inability to make the scribblings on the page look realistic, get frustrated and give up. We don't have sufficient inborn talent. We are not that kid who, armed with a #2 pencil and a piece of notebook paper, could crank out a picture of Batman that makes him look just like the way he does in the comics. For us, if we wanted to learn how to draw, we would have to work at it. We would have to practice. When you're ten, unless you've got the drive to do that (which is what that Batman-sketching kid had, really), if you can't do something well, you stop. So I stopped, and went on to other things.

And now? Now, some twenty-odd years later, I want to learn how to draw. Realistically, or semi-realistically, or even just doodle with style. Why, well, it's because I can't.

Most adults who don't draw (and some who do but are too hard on themselves) say they can't draw and it's too late for them to learn how. "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." Fine. But remember, you are not a dog.

Posted by jon at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Yes, I'm old. Don't make me get my cane.

Posted by jon at 09:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Posted by jon at 08:41 PM | Permalink

Okay, okay. Perhaps I was a little harsh in my earlier remarks on the 11th month. November did have one thing going for it: the arrival of my nephew, Jack, on November 5th. Congratulations to my brother Paul, Joy, and my nephew Chris, who has now been promoted to Big Brother. Jack can be seen below, rockin' out:

Although it's kind of hard to tell from this picture, he's definitely got that whole chronmage samurai haircut thing going on.

Are you happy, November? I said something nice about you. Now call off your pumpkin warriors. And don't look so smug, December. For one thing, you're having me turn 40 in just a week, and that's not making me look all that favorably on you...

Posted by jon at 09:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Posted by jon at 09:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)