When I was introduced to drawing resources and tools such as manga, Copic markers, and tutorial videos around middle school, I never thought drawing could be taken so seriously, nor did I imagine the depth of it in practice. I borrowed my first “How to Draw Manga” tutorial book from my local library and learned about the concept of proportions, where you deconstruct and reassemble the human body into basic shapes first and then draw whatever you want over the “skeleton”, including facial features, hair, clothes, and if you want, wings. It not only felt like it was extra work to erase the lines after fleshing out the character. It was extra work. But the amazement that rushed through me seeing my first attempt at drawing an original character with structure and presence, compared to my previous drawings of people whose limbs were floppy and barely had dots for nostrils, was unforgettable. Speaking of nostrils, when I was avoiding drawing noses from the side, I chose to act on impulse one day and watched as my hand swiftly drew a line that made up a forehead, nose, and chin. It looked somewhat like a quarter rest, if you know music, but I did what my younger self felt was not yet possible for her, and she took to new heights from then on!

At present, I stand by using whatever I have at my disposal to create art. If I could not invest in high-quality pens or markers, I would be content with my office pens and have used them to fill pages of some of my favorite sketches on record. The longer I went without high-quality tools, the more I realized that the tools did not matter as much as the skills learned, proven by immensely talented artists who shared their processes live with traditional mediums, such as chalk and blackboard. Once I felt confident enough in my potential, I began to dip my toes in unfamiliar territory, including macarame weaving, a current hobby acquired from quarantine days, and claymation, a specialty I admired from watching stop motion films and am experimenting with.

As much as I desire to keep my art to myself, I cannot be too selfish with it, especially in times where art and technology are merging closer together to the point of testing our sense, and recognition of, authenticity. I have much respect and appreciation for the digital art industry that enables artists to enhance their work without compromising their originality. However, I intend to honor the practice of utilizing organic materials and sources because they are not only parts of our roots in art, but the art we see that is produced by the technology we have now simply cannot compare. One philosophy that I live by, and one that I invite others to apply in their own lives when they see my art, is using what we already have and finding that needing more is not always necessary to create something we love.