When I was experiencing pain in my right hand, and was worried about how it would affect my drawings, my friend, Peg, suggested I practice drawing with my left hand. My first attempts made me realize that i had poor control of the pencil, and might have to re-learn everything about controlled drawing. With a bit of practice, however, I see that the actual substance of my drawings changes with my left hand: My drawings take on an unexpected life of their own, with unanticipated curves and loops. I find that the shapes that happen on the page determine what I’ll draw, rather than my right-handed method of deciding what to draw before the pen hits the paper. One of the things I’ve learned from left-handed dawing is how to let go of control of what happens on the paper.

     When my right hand swelled up last night (possibly tendonitis?) I resorted to left-handed drawings to rest my right hand. These are a few of the results I thought I’d share.

     If you’re an artist, try working with a different part of your body (like switching hands), and see what happens. You might find surprising and interesting results.