I started non-dominant hand drawing after I took a fall on January 4. My left hand was in a splint for three weeks while we figured out the damage. It turned out to be only a deep sprain— no broken bones! While waiting for the verdict on my left hand, I started drawing with my right hand. It started as a wild experiment without any real goal attached to it, but pretty soon I was doing half-hour livestreams every day on Instagram. It was a great way to keep the positive energy flowing and the creative momentum going. The more consistent I have been, the more improvements I’ve made, through the process.
Non-dominant hand drawing is not easy, nor does it feel natural. But, over a month in, I am sold on it being a mental, physical and creative exercise that’s totally worth keeping up. I have not been doing it every single day or even every other day consistently. But, I am making the effort to keep it in the rotation. I even started a sketchbook that I plan to fill completely with one left and one right-handed drawing per spread from the same photo reference! these tigers are from a spread. (The one with the orange in it, is the non-dominant one.) While it’s never gotten easy so far, does get a little easier and more familiar-feeling the more I do it. But at this point, it’s really about so much more than that anyway. I’m not expecting it to ever feel easy or comfortable! In fact, it’s kind of all about that discomfort, and about finding your way through that discomfort. Well, that’s one of the things it’s about. Anyway, it has been SO rewarding to keep up this practice/study. I find I forgive myself often, and I also surprise myself often, too! All around win-win.
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See my non-dominant art videos here on You Tube
See all my non-dominant posts/videos on Instagram
