I don't know about you, but I have had a hard time focusing. After my book launch for A Small Thing to Want: stories—for which I had spent weeks gulping for air in my efforts to get everything done on time—I was ready to be creative again, back to writing, but writing eluded me.

I decided to take an online writing class through SkillShare to kick my brain into gear, but after two classes, I was still stuck. I switched gears, opting to try something out of my wheelhouse: drawing. (And when I say out of my wheelhouse, I mean stick-figure outside of my wheelhouse.) I've never been able to draw. Thus, I skipped toward Mari Andrews' "Drawing as Self-Discovery: 5 Ways to Start."

Turns out, I love it. I follow directions really well (yay, me), trying to emulate what she does (like copy how she draws people since the alternative is my usual stick figure!), and I remind myself I'm not aiming for an art show. The teacher's goal is for us to bring art into our daily life, for fun and—as the class title says—for self-discovery, not for fame. 

The directions for the drawing you see here were for us to draw a picture of our heart or our brain. I decided to focus on what was on my mind on that particular day during this strange time. Will it win awards? No. Will it sell for a million dollars? Not a chance. But did the class work? Yes, I am writing again. And drawing. 

Tell me, what is on your mind during this pandemic? What would your brain show if I asked you to draw it today?

May this find all of you safe and well.