THIS ONE FELT LIKE MAGIC.
I shrank Yu down to the size of an ant and we wandered through the forest-esque grass together, me being sure to take notes on how everything looked from the dirt floor. Ah, it was beautiful.
When I first storyboarded this letter, I had no idea how I was going to pull it off. I felt like it was beyond my current illustration skills and I almost changed the concept entirely so I could avoid the discomfort of pushing myself past my limits.
But I found I couldn’t turn away from the storyboard because I was in love with the idea. I enjoy drawing nature, and I enjoy drawing small, ordinary things, and the possibility of drawing Nature’s small, ordinary things was something I couldn’t not try. It was such a dreamy concept, oof.
So I made myself sit at my desk and draw. Even with the chance of this not turning out the way I was dreaming, I knew if I gave it my best shot, I’d be able to appreciate the end result.
Annnnd I do. It actually is one of my favorite letters I’ve illustrated to date. I’m quite proud of it.
Looking back, though, it’s kind of hilarious. My biggest fear was literally: how the heck am I supposed to draw grass?
I think pushing myself past my creative limits will forever be something that scares me and be something I want to avoid, but this letter was a good reminder that I should still try regardless of how I feel. The projects that help me grow always end up being my favorite.
This week’s letter can be found here
Olivia Forero 