The Art of the Wheel

On mental health and art

Today has been one of those days where I have tons of things to do, but getting anything done is like trying to push a greased rhino up a mountain. Some days are just Like That I suppose, and all you can do is make more tea and accept that anything you do manage to achieve is essentially a miracle. So.

While we were in the middle of the whole lockdown debacle, I coincidentally had a series of appointments with a counsellor to help me get through some fairly traumatic stuff that was going on at the time. Because of covid we could only talk over the phone (I had nixxed the idea of zoom chats because I find them agonisingly awkward) and it would be one chat every couple of months or so. We were a vulnerable household and so essentially under house arrest, and my anxiety was, unsurprisingly worse than usual. She asked me about hobbies, things I could do to take my mind off things, and drawing came up. Draw more, she told me. Make time for it, even. But I’m busy, I would protest. I have way too much to do. But she was right - drawing was my first big love, and it gets my brain to switch off in ways nothing else can.

We’re beyond that particular period of shitshow, thankfully, but I’ve kept up the habit of drawing when I feel stressed, or sometimes even when I don’t - it’s a great way to let my mind have a breather and just enjoy something for its own sake, rather than trying to crowbar every activity into some form of hustle.

Last week I decided to take up the colour wheel challenge, where you draw a number of characters inspired by eight different colours. I did a little bit each evening, usually just before bed. And I had a great time. Personal highlights: Spider-punk’s t-shirt, Calcifer making a cameo appearance, getting to do a ‘BAMF!’ bubble.

And I might do another one! If you have any ideas for characters for me to draw, drop them in the comments.