-Ish
How finding three letters changed my creative life (and the rest of life, too)
Creative Possibilities/Issue #16
I had no idea what was going to happen to my creative life (and my life-life) the day my kids brought home papers from their art class over fifteen years ago.
“Look, mommy we made ‘Ish’ drawings!”
”Ish drawings?” I asked. Most likely I was busy feeding their baby brother or figuring out dinner or falling asleep on the couch.
With persistence they got my attention and showed me the drawings they’d made. Then they told me all about their art lesson based on a book called Ish by Peter H. Reynolds. I requested the book from the library that night.
In the book, a young boy named Ramon loves to draw “anytime, anything, anywhere” until one day his brother laughs at one of his sketches. Ramon’s creative spirit is crushed and he eventually stops drawing, paralyzed by the fear of failing again.
When I read the book I connected immediately to the emotions Ramon felt at that moment, when he learned to look at his art with criticism instead of joy. At that time I rarely created a scrapbook page (this was the early 2000’s, mind you) or attempted a drawing without leaving my desk angry. I would start with an image in my mind but there was a deep chasm between the image in my head and what showed up on the paper.
The following is a scene from a stage adaptation I wrote of the book. In the adaptation, Ramon’s sketches are alive and he can interact with them whenever his sketchbook is open. This is a scene that takes place after the crushing moment with his brother.
ART 3: You’re holding the pencil too tightly, these lines are very uncomfortable.
RAMON: Sorry.
ART 3: Maybe if you tell me what you’re trying to do, I’ll have a better sense of where we’re headed.
RAMON: I don’t know what I’m trying to do! I’ve never had to have a plan before. Why don’t you loosen up a bit?
ART 3: I don’t think it’s me who needs to loosen up.
RAMON: Well, it’s definitely not my fault! (Pause.) I should just start over.
Ramon turns the page. Art 3 leaves and Art 2 appears.
ART 2: Maybe you just need to relax a little? Drink a little tea? Try to have fun?
RAMON, through gritted teeth, trying to hang on: No, I don’t need any tea. I’m trying to get it right, not have fun.
///
I knew all about trying to get it right. In my creative life and in my life-life.
One day Ramon’s little sister, Marisol, runs off with one of his crumpled drawings. He ends up discovering the gallery of his discarded drawings displayed on her bedroom wall.
”This is one of my favorites,” Marisol said, pointing.
”That was supposed to be a vase of flowers,” Ramon said, “but it doesn’t look like one.”
Well, it looks vase-ISH!” she exclaimed.
It’s a mic drop moment for Ramon’s creative life.
“Vase-ISH?”
Ramon looked closer. Then he studied all the drawings on Marisol’s walls and began to see them in a whole new way.
“They do look…ish,” he said.
Three letters and suddenly the black cloud of his brother’s comment was lifted and he found the courage to return to his drawings with even more enthusiasm than before.
Here’s another moment from the adaptation I wrote. This takes place after the scene with Ramon and Marisol.
Ramon flips his sketchbook page and Art 2 moves into another frame on the stage and Art 3 appears, he is reading his manual on how to be an artist.
ART 3, looking at his book: Don’t worry, Ramon, I think I have it all figured out. I know how to help you.
RAMON: So do I.
ART 3, looks up: You do?
RAMON: You don’t need that book anymore.
ART 3: But it has everything we need to know to help you be an artist.
RAMON: Step away from the book. (ART 3 puts the book down.) Now, hang on, this is going to be fun!
Ramon draws energetically, he is doing wild lines, and stars, and swirls, his paint brush making large strokes, as ART 3 tries to keep up with him. The end result is an explosive, colorful, abstract composition. Art 3 is out of breath.
RAMON, declares: Excited-ish.
My First “Ish” Drawings
After the girls showed me their drawings on that day long, long ago, we sat down with Sharpies and watercolors and made “Ish” drawings at the kitchen table. Tectonic-plate sized shifts were happening inside of me that would forever change my creative life.
If it seemed impossible to draw a realistic portrait of my husband, it seemed absolutely possible to draw something that was “Husband-ish”. Or plant-ISH, or bird-ISH, etc. In fact, it actually seemed almost impossible to fail at drawing something-ISH.
I have found over the years that introducing this book to adults is often even more powerful than reading it to kids. Young kids don’t need to learn how to draw “ishfully”, it’s the older kids and adults who need help learning how to create without apologizing before they even start.
An Ishful Life
This book will always hold a special place in my life. I went from bumping into walls to finding open doors with my paintbrush.
Revisiting the book and the sketches this week has been a lot of fun and I’ve been reminded of what a difference those three letters can make. I decided to try adding them to other words related to my life right now.
Summer-ISH
We’re in a weird stage of life currently, with two kids out of the house, one home from college who is working all the time, and one on summer break from high school. Summer is no longer trips to the pool and all day play dates with friends (not that is every was quite that). But what we’re doing is Summer-ISH. My husband is growing a miniature garden and this week we spotted one zucchini and a handful of cherry tomatoes. We’ve started a weekly summer tradition of “make your own pizza night”. And this past week we loaded up a picnic in the convertible and went to the drive-in theater to watch The Goonies.
Brave-ISH
How about Brave-ISH? It seems like most of my posts this month have been about courage from one angle or another. Does it mean it’s not scary to teach a teenager how to drive a car? Or have our daughter go through another heart procedure? As Anne Lamott said, “Courage is fear that has said its prayers.”
There’s healthy-ish, mommy-ish, happy-ish. It goes on and on. What “Ish” word helps you see how you are showing up in the world right now, instead of how you’re not?
From the Sketchbook
My daughter and I made Ish drawings together last night as we listened to an audio book. She wasn’t around yet at the time our family first discovered ISH. (You can find my tips on making Ish drawings at the end this post.)
Continue the Journey
Check out all three books in Peter H. Reynold’s Creatrilogy: The Dot, Ish, and Sky Color.
Here’s a video I found of a teacher reading Ish and then demonstrating “Ish” drawings.
Blessings from the Guest Nest,
Aimee
P.S.—Thanks so much for reading! You can support the writing and art I share each week by donating to my art supply fund.
Holy ISH!! I can tell you, confidently, right now, in THIS moment, as an illustrator that is going on their 4th year of hiatus because they just can't "get it right", reading this post has just CHANGED MY LIFE. I feel enlightened. THAT'S IT. ISH. I don't have to get it right. I can get it right-ish, okay-ish.
This is EXACTLY what I needed to hear. I'm gonna go RIGHT NOW and draw something. Whatever it is, even if it's just okay-ish. Thank you, you have no idea what you've just done for me. Thanks for sharing!
What beautiful thoughts on creativity and courage. I haven’t read this book but now I want to read it to my children (especially the ones who tell me they “can’t draw people.” People-ish here we come!