Why pencils? Why? And sketching... why? Why am I so determined to do it? What is this hold it has over me? I am not good at it. What takes most artist 20 minutes, takes me 3 hours! Why do I put myself through it? Day after day, I pick up that pencil, put it to paper, and what do I end up with? I'll tell you! A pile of eraser crumbs, 3 less sticks of lead, and one very battered origami bolder! (AKA, balled up piece of what was never to become a work of art.)

So, why do I do it?

What I need to do is very simple… Break my pencil in half, send the sketch paper through the shredder, and get back to my calligraphy pens and parchment where I belong!!!

My beautiful pens… shiny… reliable… Every day they call to me. “With us, you can make art work!”, is their call. My lovely parchment sits waiting, hoping. They cry, “Why do you ignore us?”

I don’t know why! I just pick up that stupid, good-for-nothing-in-my-hands pencil and the worthless sketch paper and scribble!! Why do I keep lying to myself?!?!

I am a good calligrapher! I’m not a drawer, a painter, a sculptor, a photographer, a film maker, a manga/anime artist, a cartoonist, an architect, an interior/fashion designer or a digital artist! I am a calligrapher! A CALLIGRAPHER!

That is it! I’m done being disappointed with the waste of time and trees that my ‘sketches’ end up being! Time for me to get back to what I am good at! Pens… here I come!!!

Well…

Maybe one more try with the pencil…

Stupid pencil…