For nearly four years, I’ve enjoyed being a stay-at-home dad with my son. Raising a child is a lot like learning to draw: both have unpredictable challenges, as well as moments of effortless bliss during developmental stages of growth.
I’ve found that it takes curiosity, attention, and commitment to achieve a flow state in both parenting and drawing. And it can all start with a scribble on paper.
One of my son’s favorite devices is about the size of a smartphone, but it doesn’t play music or video games. He has access to it anytime, wherever we go. Restaurants are one of his favorite places to use it.
When he opens his sketchbook, his curiosity opens to observe the world around him. As my finger points to a plant on our lunch table, I direct his eyes to find the shapes of its leaves.
“See how the plant grows in this direction,” I say while gesturing slowly across the plant. Focusing on his subject, his scribble lines become more relaxed and attentive, sometimes revealing a mark that resembles a shape. Observation builds understanding. Understanding unlocks imagination.
As a parent and sketcher, I’ve learned the importance of being in the moment. Things happen quickly. An alert hand can catch a spilling water cup or swiftly capture an accurate pose of a sleeping child. I’ve learned to trust my intuition and commit to routines that make parenting flow smoother and provide consistency for my impulse to draw.
Being nearly 70 years old now, I reflect on how my childhood was vastly different from the world being shaped for my son by digital technology. My partner and I have chosen to raise our little Renaissance Kid with routines that prioritize reading and sketchbooks over screens, as well as analog creative experiences over digital devices. We regularly sketch on paper with crayons, graphite, ink, and watercolor while learning to draw from observation and imagination.
Time is precious, whether spending quality time with family or grabbing five minutes to fill a sketchbook page. And now that my son has started preschool, I once again have time to help new students explore, experiment, and express themselves through the practice of drawing.
My workshops and Premium Membership private sessions begin just like I do with my son. We return to the childhood thrill of making simple marks, slowing down, learning to see before learning to draw. Parents, children, and educators can all share in this process.
This August, I’ll be opening my studio in Pacific Grove, and I’m excited to share my new drawing life with this wonderful community. We’ll have small, focused sessions to help you build a meaningful and consistent drawing practice.
Want to draw with me? Let’s get started!
Growing and Learning With My Renaissance Kid
