What 2021 Taught Me
Spinelli and I went on a walk yesterday, both of us wearing our yellow raincoats. Jack got COVID after celebrating Christmas with family, so we’re isolating again. Walks are necessarily, no matter the weather.
THE CRAYON COUSIN I'VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR
I've written about crayons for the New York Times and been sponsored by Crayola. I say this mainly to brag but also to remind you that I'm an experienced and qualified crayon connoisseur, and you should listen to me when I tell you: paint pens are fancy crayons for grown ups!
There seem to be quite a few brands to choose from, mostly found in graffiti supply shops. So far, I like the Sakura Paint Pen, pictured above. Unlike crayons, which require you to push down hard to get color on the page, paint pens easily release pigment. You don’t have to press hard and you get this chunky, painty, gritty line. Similar to a pastel, but less smeary. The colors are totally opaque. These pens can be used on "wet surfaces as well as concrete, wood, metal, glass, canvas and more." I would not recommend these for children, as they are permanent.
WHAT 2021 TAUGHT ME
From my piece "The Art of Posture," published by Hyperallergic in 2014.
When I got COVID in July, my existing back problems (10 years of illustrating will give you those) worsened greatly. Long after my fatigue and nausea lifted, back pain stuck around. It became a chronic, recurring thing and has forced me to reevaluate how I approach my work.
I’ve always been a speedy, prolific artist, and mostly loved that about myself. My strength, I thought, came from my ferocious approach – from the way I’d think of an idea and run to my room and stay up all night working on it, when another artist might just jot it down and go to sleep.
Now, after spending all this time sitting in bed, hurting, wanting to make art and not being able to, I have a newfound respect for the artist who can jot the idea down and go to bed. In fact, I’m trying to become that person. In that spirit, I asked my dear poet friend Jacqueline Suskin to write me a poem on the subject of slowness. She sent me this:
Jacqueline’s talent never ceases to captivate and delight me. In this poem, she gave me some beautiful breadcrumbs to follow as I move toward slowness. With unhurried care, we continue to create the world.
IN THE NEW YORKER
I have a new piece up on the New Yorker this week. It definitely connects with the slowness stuff I’m thinking about!