Presence + Respect = Love

Crayon Tree on Back of Kid's Menu While Working On A Slow Day

The other day, I was working my little part time job at a restaurant and it was dead slow. I drew this picture of the tree in the courtyard, using the crappy crayons they give the kids to keep them quiet while their parents eat.

I was actually quite surprised how it came out. I haven't really used crayons since I was twelve. I guess I always thought of them as an inferior medium. But you know, they are just a medium. What you do with them depends upon how you work them.

I found them to have an expressive movement, able to make very light lines, or make intense lines with very little pressure. I found that they blended well when a lighter color was used over the top of an underlayer. And using different colors in layers made interesting and lively shades.

Go figure.

I also found that I enjoyed just drawing from life. It was almost meditative, paying attention to the image in front of me, and what came out on the paper.

A suppose this is a lesson to me. Don't count something out because you "think" it isn't fancy enough. Be in the moment you are in, and give respect to the task at hand, whether that is a crayon drawing or a job hosting or taking care of the kids or paying attention to where you are.

And also, maybe I should do some more life drawing. It's pleasant.

Attention is love, I recently read somewhere. What is attention? Presence and respect? Hmm. I don't know, that might be a good recipe for attention... and so for love.