Slice of Life Manifesto

Writing Inspiration

Do you have a hobby, passion, or skill that is a big part of your life? That can be a source of inspiration. And for me, today, it was a prompt with my CLmooc friends who doodle every day.

This week’s prompts from Lisa Bardot’s #makingarteveryday continues the theme of Grow, but focuses on a Sketchbook Journal of Reflection. Today’s prompt is “Art Manifesto.” Above you see my reflection and sketch for the art project.

For me, art is for sharing and learning, making the world better. And it starts with drawing a dot or a line, just in case you think you cannot draw. Take a look and give it a try:

And so I used that simple idea to include in my manifesto, dot and line people, sharing my beliefs about art in a poem.

Manifesto

Writing Process

I thought of the bean people as just a swirl of my brush pen and a pull into a line of my brush pen— on my iPad in Procreate, of course. So that’s why my character heads are a circle from a brush stroke, and the bodies are simply a vertical brush stroke. I tried to show a little growth in my drawings with each new “people” sketch— the first one is plain, the next one has face and hair, and the group of artists are more detailed with different hairstyles and a brush of color behind the vertical stroke. I probably should have made that clearer.

And that is what my first two verses explain: I started my art learning with dots and lines and grew from there. I learned some, grew some— mistakes and not. You can see that and the rhyme as well.

Now I wanted to show how art should flow— it’s not perfect every time, and it represents life in stylized ways. So my background would include a shining sun, the flowing air and land, and lake — which got faded in with the words at the bottom, but that’s OK. And so I continued with short lines that rhyme to give the essence of my thoughts on this passion of mine: art. Let It flow, share it, show it, imperfect as it is as part of a community of artists, learning together.

And lastly— the rest of the purpose, besides “community,” is to make the world better— to make art and not war.

I included a rainbow of brush strokes and two peace signs to add some emphasis to the poem. Since my lettering fonts are colored, I also needed to add the white and bright behind the text to highlight the poem.

I then added the matted frame.

As you can see— writing is more then pen to paper, it may also include media design. I’m still learning. It’s not a great composition, and talented artists would have added more color and energy with larger elements balanced for better effect. But this is where I am, and here it is. We don’t need to be perfect, just persistent as a participant perusing a passion.

Poetry

Art Manifesto
I Wonder If I Draw a Line

Swirl a dot
Pull a line
That’s a start
To make art

Learn some
Grow some
Mistakes: awesome

Let art flow
Share and Show
Perfect? No
Purpose? So…

Art: a community
In unity
Across Earth’s shores
Make art, not wars.

Sheri Edwards @42Sheri
031522 074.365.22
Poetry/Photography

Your Turn

Perhaps you have some hobby or skill so important to you that it is part of your life. What would your manifesto be — your statement of beliefs, hopes, challenges, that would explain your life’s focus in that area of your life. What would you say? Would you make it a poem? A slogan? A piece of art? A dance? A photograph? Give it a try.

Note: Get Lisa Bardot’s free journal here [sign up required; need Procreate app on iPad].