Taking time to feel lost and just experiment

 

2026 came and I didn't quite feel ready for it. End of 2025, there was the family vacation trip to japan, two people I knew passed away which made me sad, I'd just done another year of Youtube videos and wasn't sure what else I want to show (or why), I've been playing around with a camera and learning to take pictures. I was just trying not to solve things for while. Turn the switch off. Take a break. Then 2026 appeared and I don't quite feel ready to turn everything on yet. So these are my sketches in my sketchbook these past few weeks. They are a little skittish as I was just dabbling and trying things here and there, not very sure where I want to head toward yet.

I'm rather pleased with this page above. I'm liking taking photos with the Lumix S5ii for the past half year, but there is a problem I'm still trying to solve. What do I do with all the photos? How do I present them to others? And why? How do I create more meaning or add more story to them (like I can do with comic and illustrations)? So printed out 6 of my photos into a sheet of paper and then pasted it into my sketch book. Then I wrote and drew over it. Yes, it's like a comic page, isn't it? I liked how it allowed me to have more connection with the pictures. I especially liked the parts where the handwriting went over into the pictures. I also like how imperfect the photo become when printed on a textured paper. On the next page (below), I drew from each of the photos, elaborating more on some of the details I was interested in.

Random sketches, combining different drawing tools. Sometimes, I'd draw from imagination and other times, from direct observation or from a photo I'd shot.

So these are mostly relaxed random experiments. Feeling a little lost on where to go next. The year is getting started (well, almost a month in now). But I think it's fine to take time and allow myself to feel lost and just experiment for awhile.