How and why I made Postcards from Chip Bee
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| Postcards from Chip Bee Available here |
Building my consistency muscle
Do you have trouble being consistent? I am very good at starting things but have to work hard to complete them. For example, I love gardening - arranging plants in pots, working out where they will be happiest, how they will look best on my balcony. But I am not good at watering them everyday.
My drawing and painting suffer from the same malaise - I don't set aside regular time to work on them. So I haven't built up a consistent body of work and I end up with random drawings and paintings.
That's why I committed to drawing one postcard of my neighbourhood a week in 2018. What better way to make myself draw regularly than to draw something in the neighbourhood and post it on the Chip Bee Facebook Group every week?
For the most part, I was able to do the drawings regularly. I began in March and apart from 5 weeks when I was unwell, I posted a drawing of my neighbourhood just about every week. I started with drawings in my sketchbook and then decided to use postcard-sized paper in June as it was smaller and easier to make quick drawings. And voila, Postcards from Chip Bee was born.
Between June and October, I created more than 20 postcard drawings and organised my first Postcard Prowl. But what I realise is that these tangible outcomes are outweighed by the invisible benefits of
As it turned out, my neighbours were enthusiastic and encouraging. And it is such a pleasure to share the everyday charm of my neighbourhood with the people who know it best. I found that our shared experience of the neighbourhood made the drawings meaningful; they sparked conversations about the things we love about our little corner of the world.
Now, I make it a point to attend neighbourhood events such as Halloween and the open air cinema so that I can draw them and join in on the fun. It is also a great opportunity to chat with neighbours and get to know them better.
My drawing and painting suffer from the same malaise - I don't set aside regular time to work on them. So I haven't built up a consistent body of work and I end up with random drawings and paintings.
That's why I committed to drawing one postcard of my neighbourhood a week in 2018. What better way to make myself draw regularly than to draw something in the neighbourhood and post it on the Chip Bee Facebook Group every week?
For the most part, I was able to do the drawings regularly. I began in March and apart from 5 weeks when I was unwell, I posted a drawing of my neighbourhood just about every week. I started with drawings in my sketchbook and then decided to use postcard-sized paper in June as it was smaller and easier to make quick drawings. And voila, Postcards from Chip Bee was born.
- connecting with my neighbours
- becoming more mindful of the charms of my neighbourhood, and
- improving my drawing skills.
Drawing connections
The first time I shared a drawing of my neighbourhood with the Chip Bee Facebook group, I was filled with trepidation. Would people tell me to take down the post for inappropriate content? Would they be unhappy with my drawings?
Gripped by these fears, I hit publish on my Facebook post anyway and waited.
As it turned out, my neighbours were enthusiastic and encouraging. And it is such a pleasure to share the everyday charm of my neighbourhood with the people who know it best. I found that our shared experience of the neighbourhood made the drawings meaningful; they sparked conversations about the things we love about our little corner of the world.
Now, I make it a point to attend neighbourhood events such as Halloween and the open air cinema so that I can draw them and join in on the fun. It is also a great opportunity to chat with neighbours and get to know them better.
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| Halloween in Chip Bee |
Practising mindfulness
I am now more mindful of the nooks and crannies of my neighbourhood. Instead of staring at the ground when I am out and about, I'm actively looking at the cats, the ornaments and pets in front gardens, the restaurants, the shortcuts, all things that I used to ignore in my hurry to get somewhere and to get things done.
I am now more mindful of the nooks and crannies of my neighbourhood. Instead of staring at the ground when I am out and about, I'm actively looking at the cats, the ornaments and pets in front gardens, the restaurants, the shortcuts, all things that I used to ignore in my hurry to get somewhere and to get things done.
Because of that, I now know that a black bunny lives down the street, that a terracotta soldier stands guard in one of the gardens and that there are bonsai trees in one of the cafes.
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| Grumpy Cat sat on the wall |
Improving my drawing skills
Drawing is just like any other skill. It requires constant practice. And committing to drawing something a week ensured that I practised at least once a week.
In particular, I wanted to practise drawing perspective. Drawing buildings does not come naturally to me. First, figuring out the perspective has always been a challenge. Parts of a building appear bigger than other parts, but how to ensure that windows, doors and balconies line up?
Second, I've always been overwhelmed by the complexity of cityscapes - so many windows and corners and decorative elements - which ones to draw and which ones to leave out?
Drawing almost 30 postcards on the same subject was a perfect opportunity to practise drawing rows of houses, shops and restaurants. I am delighted that my drawing skills have improved considerably. I am no longer daunted by buildings and urban scenes. I make decisions about what to put in and what to leave out without agonising over them. I am also quicker at working out a good composition for the scene.
My collection of postcards has grown over the year and I get such a thrill when I spread them out and look at them. The fact that they make up a set thematically and stylistically makes me feel like I have accomplished something big.
The Takeaway
Drawing scenes in my neighbourhood began as a way to get myself to draw more regularly. What I got out of it was much more.
Building connections
Sharing my drawings and thoughts about the neighbourhood was a lovely way to build connections with my neighbours and to get to know them better. The shared knowledge and experience of our streets and community gave me a sense of belonging and kinship.
A sense of value
Although one tangible outcome of this drawing challenge was a set of 20 postcards, the value that I received outstripped the monetary value of the sale of these postcards.
It was exhilarating and edifying to know that my drawings and thoughts have value and can make a contribution, albeit small, to other people's lived experience.
Just take the first step
I did not anticipate that I'd create a set of postcards for sale from the drawings. The first step was to commit to making a drawing and posting weekly.
I discovered that it's a lovely thing to begin and let the path emerge as I amble. After having taken those steps, I look back and marvel at how far I have come and how enjoyable the walk was.
Here are the 20 drawings that became Postcards from Chip Bee, which you can buy for SGD$20 here.
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