2021, 2025

It was 4 years ago now, I was twenty-six-years-old and my heart was racing. I was nervous, almost like I was about to go on a first date or fly across the ocean or start a new job. What was I doing? I was drawing outside for the first time.

It’s funny how anxiety can do that to you — take one of the simplest things and make it feel so much bigger than it is. I think oftentimes we think of this aspect of anxiety negatively, but what if it’s more of a super power than we think? What if the small things in life deserve a little more recognition sometimes?

It was the first time I had driven to Lake Superior by myself for a day trip. I decided to go up to try drawing outside. I stopped at two of the most iconic and well visited state parks in Minnesota — Split Rock Lighthouse and Gooseberry Falls. My hands shook as I drew my first sketch of the lighthouse. I remember feeling so self conscious. There were a lot of people around and I didn’t want them to see what I was drawing. But I also remember feeling alive and refreshed when I finished my first sketch and almost hungry to start another one.

Since this time I have dedicated most of my free time to this endeavor of drawing outside. I don’t make any money from it. In fact, I probably lose money from doing it. That’s not what this is about. The place my mind goes as I draw what I observe, the joy I get from sharing that work with others and sharing outdoor spaces with them all at the same time — it fills my cup and inspires me to keep going in more ways than one.