March 2026 "Old Flame" by Anapaula Ochoa

Drawing is one of my favorite hobbies. It’s an activity I used to indulge in often, when my creative spark was alive and burning. I remember how free and excited I would feel to be able to color a drawing that I sketched the day before, using the new Copic markers my dad bought for me. There is so much freedom in the realm of art, which is one of the things I like so much about drawing. In elementary school, I was inspired to create books with my own characters and little graphics. I created about five characters, most inspired by people I knew or was close to at the time. I gave them all names, different from the people they were based on. The main character was a mythical creature I created out of things I liked. It was my favorite animal, with aspects of other things that I enjoyed as a child. These little books were made of notebook paper that I would fold in half and bind with colorful string. I made four of them, with the third one being my favorite. I got into the routine of making them, fascinated with creating an original story with graphics I would draw and color. Often, I miss how creative I used to be, and it feels like that well has dried up. It’s interesting how you put a little bit of yourself in things you create, whether you intend to or not; it just seeps through.

Nowadays, I only really draw things for other people. Sometimes I’ll get inspired by a friend and decide to draw them something they like. I like to capture things that they have told me about and try to capture their essence in an illustration. It's one of the ways I like to show affection, and I find it very rewarding to see their reaction to my gift. Making a gift for someone by hand holds a lot more meaning in my opinion, because taking the time to capture someone is so special and helps them feel seen. Drawing is still one of the things I enjoy doing, but my reasons for drawing have changed since then. Someday, I hope to draw for myself and regain the creativity I once had, but for now, I am okay with reminiscing on the way I felt for art before.

My love for art will always remain within me, I just haven’t been able to get back into it, unfortunately. I have lots of unused art supplies that I’m sure would love to be used. With any luck, I’ll return to what I know because I really do miss putting a pencil to paper and immersing myself. The extent to which I draw is usually just a doodle here and there in my chemistry notes during lecture, which I think needs to change. I think everyone should consider revisiting old hobbies and remember why they liked doing those things in the first place!