 Today, we will be taking a quiet moment to create a tiny yet powerful drawing. Through this mindfulness exercise, we will use repeating lines and simple shapes to help us focus and relax. Hello, Makers! My name is Courtney, and I am a studio guide from the Long Beach Public Library. Today, I will be leading you through a guided mindful drawing exercise inspired by meditative art practices. We will use the basic building blocks of drawing, line, and shape. A line is a point moving through space. It can be different sizes and length, and go in any direction. When combined with other lines, a shape is created. A shape can be geometric and precise, free-flowing and organic, or something in between. Working together, arranged, and repeated, beautiful patterns are formed in a drawing. When focused on a clear challenge, such as a drawing, our minds are able to reach flow, or focused mental state. When we slow down and openly accept the present moment, we practice mindfulness. It is my intention that through this practice, you are able to bring awareness to your body and mind as you create and feel the benefits of mindful drawing. Ready to get started? The materials you will need are a drawing surface. This can be any type of blank paper, watercolor paper, or even cardboard. You can cut or tear your paper down to a smaller size. You will also need a pencil. Any kind will do. In a dark pen or marker, something like a thin, sharpie, drawing pen, or ballpoint pen. Other optional supplies are something to blend with, like a q-tip or your finger, and any other drawing or coloring tools you have on hand, such as gel pens, markers, crayons, even try watercolor. I want to encourage you to start with an expression of gratitude. You are grateful to be using your favorite pen and sitting in your favorite chair. I am grateful to share with you today this secret that anyone can be an artist. Let's begin our drawings with pencil. Notice my pencil does not have an eraser. Sometimes we get caught up in erasing. I want to encourage you to not use your eraser and instead work slowly and with purpose to make each mark on your paper with acceptance and confidence. Lightly press your pencil to create a dot about a quarter inch from each corner of your drawing surface to create four corner dots. You can turn your paper to bring each corner to your pencil. Now connect each dot to create a frame. Again, you can rotate your paper to help pull these lines along your paper. These lines do not need to be perfectly straight. In fact, they can have a wave or a bend or even a loop. Your lines will be unlike anyone else's. Only your hand can create what you've made. We now have a frame or a border to hold our drawing. Continuing with our pencil, we will draw a line to break up our drawing space. This line can be any kind of line, straight, curve, loop, wavy, zigzag. The line can touch the frame and bounce back or bend in any direction. There can be one, two, or more lines. There are no real rules to follow, just do what feels right. These lines will create spaces within our frame to hold our drawing. Pick up your drawing. Turn it this way and that. Observe the shapes you have created in pencil. Choose a space to begin and grab your dark ink pen or marker. Begin with a single line or shape inside of that space. Trust yourself, there is no wrong answer. Repeat your line or shape or add other lines or other shapes in any way that you see fit. Maybe you drew a line so you draw more lines weaving under. Maybe you surround your shapes with more shapes that are growing or shrinking. There are no wrong ways to work. Just focus on each mark your pen makes as you move your arm one line at a time. Continue to breathe. Take a pause and observe your efforts by admiring and rotating your drawing. Lines and shapes together will form a pattern that will result in a drawing. When your first space is filled, move on to the next empty space and repeat this method. Take your time and pause the video if needed. Focus on one line, one shape at a time. Accepting your drawing as it forms. Slowly and deliberately add one line at a time. Really pay attention to how the pen feels as you pull it across your paper. We are not concerned with the end product. Just focusing on one shape, one line at a time. Remember to pause and observe your efforts. Admire what you've created so far. Turn your paper for inspiration and filling in the next space. Maybe try drawing a shape you've never drawn before. Take your time to fill the spaces as you wish, even pausing the video if you need. Once your drawing space is filled with lines and shapes to your liking, it's time to add some depth. Using a pencil, add some shading or darken areas. Help emphasize overlapping with shadows or darken the background or in between spaces. You can use a blending tool or your finger to create a smooth blend. Shading with tones of gray will give a sense of depth and realism to the drawing. It's interesting to see what a little gray line does underneath a shape. Suddenly it's floating above the paper. This step is optional, but I encourage you to try it. Take your time adding shading to your liking, even pausing the video if you need. When you feel you are done, admire what you've created. Give yourself a pat on the back, you've done something amazing. I encourage you to repeat this process or create your own mindfulness drawing practice at your own pace and utilize the benefits of mindfulness in your life. Try it as a part of your morning meditation with music or before working on a task as a way to settle your mind and find inspiration. Here are some mindful drawings from my friends at the library. Each one is different and unique just like the folks who made them. Thank you so much for joining me today and making time to watch Make Time. Look out for more videos and creative projects you can make from home. Now it's your turn to create. Until next time!