I used to draw all of the time when I was younger -- on the back of used printer paper, in the margin of my tests, over cardboard shoeboxes. My homework assignments were covered with disembodied eyes, hands, flowers, abstract swirls, anything I could think of. My pen would wander freely and on it's own accord. Sure, my random sketches were rarely of any sort of quality, but they were nonetheless art, in it's rawest form.
As I've gotten older, however, art (and the reason for drawing) seems to have changed. It has become rigid, formalized, and structured. It's no longer acceptable to doodle on the corner of my math assignment; now, if I draw, it seems as though it has to be on a certain type of paper, with the perfect lighting arrangement, specific "drawing pens", and an engaging subject matter. Gone is the spontaneity of scribbling whatever comes to mind, and with that, gone is some of the artistic freedom that you once had. In this new, more rigid environment, I was scared to explore different styles of drawing, fearful that I would mess something up.
But, looking at this fear, and seeing it written out on paper, makes it seem absolutely ridiculous. Anyway, doesn't the whole idea that you can mess up on something of a creative nature completely fly in the face of a basic tenet of art? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so to say that something is "wrong" or not good enough seems subjective. Even if you're not satisfied with how something looks initially, it's important to remember that art is a process, and that you will improve over time. So don't worry if things don't turn out how you want them to along the way -- go out there, doodle something stupid, make mistakes. But, no matter what you do, keep drawing.
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