Week thirty-three

I came across this creative visual interpretation of Ira Glass’s well-known quote about “The Gap.” The audio in it is taken from a TV interview where Glass describes the reason why folks often quit their creative endeavors not long after getting started (and why you should keep going). I recommend giving it a watch. And here’s another excellent explanation of why you might always feel like your work’s not “good enough.”

On a related/unrelated note: I met Ira Glass one time (cue fangirl-ing)! Seven years ago, I was pregnant with my first child, and my husband and I were taking a road trip from Sacramento, CA to Victoria, Canada for our anniversary. On the way, we decided to stop to see a cool, kitschy roadside attraction I visited a few times in my childhood, the Trees of Mystery. There is a giant Paul Bunyan statue with his loyal companion, Babe the Blue Ox. Mr. Bunyan is equipped with a speaker and talks, delivering personalized messages to the people down on the ground. When we arrived, Ira Glass was there recording an episode of This American Life called “Secret Identity“. 

Long story short, one of the most bizarre and amazing moments of my life was hearing the voice of Ira Glass booming from a 50-foot-tall lumberjack.

What to Do

  • Just in case you need to hear it: you are doing an amazing job. It’s so easy to downplay our own accomplishments, and only focus on the things that we want to improve. You get gold stars just for reading this, and for showing up to make everyday that you can.
  • Reach out to another MAE participant this week and be their cheerleader! 

August Prompts

Time Capsule

I hope you’ll join in as we document what is going on in our lives this week! For each prompt, you can draw something you did that day or pull from your experiences from the entire week. Just try to keep it timely! Remember, even if you don’t have time to finish a complete drawing each day, a quick sketch to get the idea out of your brain and on to paper is better than skipping completely. 

To give you some example’s here are some explanations and examples of what I might draw for each of the prompts this week: 

  • Morning ritual: (draw something from your morning routine, an action or object, etc.) a cup of black tea in my favorite mug 

  • Your outfit: (draw what you are wearing today!) black yoga pants, a pink nursing top, and a thin, blue flowy cardigan. 

  • Today’s meal: (choose one meal to draw or draw them all!) Avocado toast with a poached egg and salsa 

  • What does work look like?: (draw your workplace, workspace, or a tool you use for work, etc.) My laptop or an iPad. Sitting on the sofa, experimenting with new brushes! 

  • Something from the news: (Draw something that recently happened. What is going on in the world around you, locally or beyond) A firefighter saving a tortoise (this really happened in my state – poor guy was struck by a vehicle) 

  • What are you watching?: (movies, tv shows, online videos, etc.) King George III from Hamilton on Disney+ 

  • Bedtime Routine: (something you do before bed – draw an action, an object, etc.) Me nursing the baby

Week 33 | aug 10-16

week in the life

Mon: morning ritual
Tue: your outfit
Wed: today’s meal(s)
Thu: what does work look like?
Fri: something from the news
Sat: what are you watching?
Sun: bedtime routine

You can access each week’s prompts, with links to reference photos, at makingarteveryday.com

We’ve got a Facebook group just for participants of Making Art Everyday and all things Bardot Brush! Come join our group of supportive artists of all skill levels, share your work, ask questions, and be a part of the community!