Cristina Montejo

I haven’t been as good about working on my stream-of-conscious drawing exercises lately as I’d like to be.

When I was at MICA, the director of my program suggested that over winter break I just sit down with with a pad full of blank sheets of paper and a pen or pencil to “see what happens.” The ultimate goal was to come up with content for my books and ‘zines – I’ve always wanted to illustrate but have never been satisfied with my drawing skills. But, I’d always tried to draw from life and had never just let the pen move on its own to see what might happen. This was exercise in letting go and getting over my fear of ruining precious materials. With over 100 pages of blank paper I didn’t have to worry about messing anything up, a fear that overcomes me a lot in the studio and makes me scared to experiment. 

It was difficult at first because the white page was just so daunting. So, I decided to add a bit of pastel color to form a sort  of background on which I could explore my subconscious. I usually take about 2 hours out for these drawing exercises since it takes me an entire hour just to relax and slip into right brain mode from a full day of left brain-centered activity. I usually come out with around 15-20 pieces and when I’m in the “zone” I really have no idea what I’m doing. It’s the strangest, most wonderful feeling of just BEING and when I look at them when I’m finished it’s as though I’m coming out of a trance and seeing the drawings clearly for the first time.

I can’t explain where my drawings come from exactly but they are definitely a reflection of my subconscious and incredibly helpful in understanding what my deepest concerns, hopes and dreams for my life and the world really are. I need to get back into the habit of drawing every night for a couple of hours now that my tendonitis is FINALLY starting to really heal up!! It’s such a relaxing, therapeutic exercise in self discovery.