Stop Drinking Start Drawing
Here's the thing. I'm an alcoholic, and I have been for about ten years. I've tried to quit drinking before, but it never stuck. The longest I've been without, was a few years when I got hardcore into art--drawing and painting. It saved me for a while, but then life got tough and I relapsed. I'm hoping art can save me this time around for good.
Every time I get a craving, every time I get the urge, every time I hear that voice in my head, encouraging me to "Just have one drink,"...Instead of giving in, I will draw. Something. Anything. It doesn't have to be good, and honestly, if I'm being pulled by a craving, it probably won't be. But that doesn't matter. I will draw. Every time I want to drink, I will draw.
I will stop drinking and start drawing.
You are welcome to join me. Send your sober drawings, plus your name, tumblr link, email, whatever, etc. plus a bit of your story, or background concerning addiction, to:
stopdrinkingstartdrawing@gmail.com
glitterrgirl asked: This is rad. I totally understand addiction, mine is just manifest as bulimia. Good luck!
Thank you! I’ve struggled with EDs in the past as well. Tough stuff. Good luck to you as well!
![Not a proper drawing, but here is my grocery list. I doodled it yesterday and this morning during intermittent, 1-2 minute spurts when I would have rather been drinking.
I think the heatwave out here is getting to some of the produce, because a frustrating amount of the things I wanted to get today were pretty gross-looking. Bummer. Also, I decided that I should go to a different store another day for a few items, or have my SO pick them up on the way home from work instead. Whatevs.
The little thumbnail-sized drawings are graphite and watercolor, and the writing is a sepia micron. The scribbly shit is pencil notes from when I was actually at the grocery store. Do you know how tricky it is to juggle a shopping basket, purse, cellphone/texting, moleskine, and mechanical pencil, while simultaneously bagging produce? Because it is TRICKY.
P.S. If you can’t tell from this (totally typical for me) grocery list, my household follows vegan dietary requirements (with the single exception that I [and only I] also eat eggs). No animal products (except eggs) all up in this shizz! And I have to tell you, even with all this fresh produce, eating healthy and vegan (except eggs) is cheaper than any other way of eating I have ever experienced.
…But also, that’s probably because I spend a significant chunk of my time cooking things from scratch, and we don’t go out to eat often (SO pays for that though, so the cost is the same to me). Eating along vegan lines is only expensive when you go for the faux-meat/dairy products. Otherwise, just eat fresh stuff, plus grains and beans (dried are cheaper, canned are more convenient), with a potato thrown in here and there.
Building up a decent spice rack can get really pricey, really quickly though, so watch out for that. Maybe limit it to one new spice every other time you shop. You’ll get all the good ones eventually, and they last a long time (Indian and Mexican grocers carry bulk spices for cheap too).
Also, it helps if relatives have a Costco membership.
/buying healthy food for cheap PSA](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8vj2zhlat1rzv5q5o1_400.jpg)
Not a proper drawing, but here is my grocery list. I doodled it yesterday and this morning during intermittent, 1-2 minute spurts when I would have rather been drinking.
I think the heatwave out here is getting to some of the produce, because a frustrating amount of the things I wanted to get today were pretty gross-looking. Bummer. Also, I decided that I should go to a different store another day for a few items, or have my SO pick them up on the way home from work instead. Whatevs.
The little thumbnail-sized drawings are graphite and watercolor, and the writing is a sepia micron. The scribbly shit is pencil notes from when I was actually at the grocery store. Do you know how tricky it is to juggle a shopping basket, purse, cellphone/texting, moleskine, and mechanical pencil, while simultaneously bagging produce? Because it is TRICKY.
P.S. If you can’t tell from this (totally typical for me) grocery list, my household follows vegan dietary requirements (with the single exception that I [and only I] also eat eggs). No animal products (except eggs) all up in this shizz! And I have to tell you, even with all this fresh produce, eating healthy and vegan (except eggs) is cheaper than any other way of eating I have ever experienced.
…But also, that’s probably because I spend a significant chunk of my time cooking things from scratch, and we don’t go out to eat often (SO pays for that though, so the cost is the same to me). Eating along vegan lines is only expensive when you go for the faux-meat/dairy products. Otherwise, just eat fresh stuff, plus grains and beans (dried are cheaper, canned are more convenient), with a potato thrown in here and there.
Building up a decent spice rack can get really pricey, really quickly though, so watch out for that. Maybe limit it to one new spice every other time you shop. You’ll get all the good ones eventually, and they last a long time (Indian and Mexican grocers carry bulk spices for cheap too).
Also, it helps if relatives have a Costco membership.
/buying healthy food for cheap PSA
Submissions
Hey people!
So far, I have only posted my things on this tumblr, but I would very much like for this to become a sort of community-type project.
Are you struggling with addiction/SI/ED/etc.? Does art help you? Art is my lifeline for SURE, and I bet it helps out many of you as well.
Send your sober drawings, plus your [user]name, tumblr link, email, website, whatever, etc., plus a bit of your story or background concerning addiction, to:
stopdrinkingstartdrawing@gmail.com
Being an addict is not a shameful thing, so long as we are attempting to make positive changes.
Skill level does not matter, and I won’t reject drawings based on whether or not I like them, or think they are good/bad, so don’t be shy! All I care about in regards to submissions is that you are honest, and determined and/or hopeful for your future/continuing progress/recovery.
<3
Herpaderp….Amongst my ridiculous, endless mess of art supplies, I found a bunch of gray Prismacolor markers in varying values, that were given to me by a friend a few years back. I have never gotten into markers, and I just can’t really handle them. I’m way better with older media, like ink, watercolor, oil…About the most modern I go is graphite. Anyways, I found them, and wanted to give them another go.
I tried sketching my goat skull again. Yeah, lol. Major fail. You know what will help fix it? Reader’s Digest Dr. Drew interview clippings about relationship stuff! (I had to edit some of the gendered bits to make it less misogynistic.) Totally fixed that right up, huh!
Oh well, no worries. Kind of shitty though for my LAST spread in this moleskine. Hahaha. Super disappointing finale! Yay!
On to a new moleskine, new drawings, new experiences! That’s something to celebrate, eh?
Found an unfinished pocket Moleskine sketchbook that was to be filled exclusively with squiggles. Old squiggs on the right, new squiggs (from last night) on the left. It’s weird to see how the doodling has evolved over the years. These kinds of doodles will probably start showing up here often.
Soda can in the cupholder of SO’s car. We were on the freeway on the way to the grocery store this weekend, and all I could think about was wine. Fortunately, that grocery store we went to doesn’t sell any alcohol at all, and we ran into some friends and chatted for a long while, so that helped to keep my chin up.
Today’s a little different, however.
ballpoint in mini comp notebook
Plumerias. Watercolor, colored pencil. A friend’s mother asked me to sketch up some ideas for a future tattoo design. I think my style doesn’t lend itself all that well to flash (too wobbly), but whatever.
Ink (microns in size 08 and 02) on the back of a 6x9” clip board.
I can’t decide if I’d like to fill the whole thing, or just keep it like this. Thoughts, gang?
animadvertistine asked: Isn't it terrible? I was so excited when I got it but it's terrible lighting.
FOR REAL. I still have supercrappy lighting all over my house, but at my drawing table, I have one of those magnifying glass lights on the robot arm thing that old ladies use for cross-stitch. IT IS FANTASTIC. You should get you one. I had a hell of a time trying to find one at a good price, but somehow, my dad cast some magic or something and found mine for me at office max for like $30 about 5 or 6 years ago. Definitely shop around. I bet you could find one on the internetz for cheaper. Believe me, they are just the best lamps ever (+magnification! YAY!)
My koi doodles have garnered some buyer interest, so today is all about turning the sketches into actual polished paintings (that still hold the fluid sketchy vibe). Yay!
P.S. I will start offering future StopDrinkingStartDrawing pieces for sale at affordable prices ($20-50) after I finish my current moleskine (only about 3 pages left). I’ll sell to anyone who wants to buy.
Koi. Watercolor, ink in moleskine sketchbook.
I really need to stop being lazy, and set up my scanner. :(
