It takes years to draw like an ant, having first tried out the idea in 2009. Last weekend, I was dimly aware that I had gained (at least in the moment) a mindless attentiveness that allowed me to meander around the drawing and take it all in while putting it all back out there. It was also an absolute head twister to utilize mark making as a vocabulary tool while hanging on by my fingernails to making the drawing itself. The experience reminded me of learning to write an essay or a poem, and since I have learned how to write, I know that I can progress even more with drawing. It’s never a done deal.

In a nutshell: the three-day life drawing marathon with Fran O’Neill was nerve wracking, challenging, agonizing and sublime.