PAPER AND PENCIL
When I was a boy I grew fond in drawing. Everywhere I went I got a pencil and paper. I was drawing at home and in school during break time. And I became good at it. Almost every time that I was with my paper and pencil doodling in the classroom some of my classmates were peeping over my shoulder to see what progress I made. I liked drawing old school superheroes like Batman, Superman, Spiderman, Tarzan, Korak – son of Tarzan (I never heard of him in decades). This has led me to my obsession to superhero comics. I saved up to buy them. And because of my fondness in comics, I made my own comics with superhero characters I created. One school holiday, my cousin connived with me to rent my comics to our other cousins. He would do marketing and I would keep on drawing comics. I made it a point that every comics was open ended so they would look forward for the next one. It was in the two series of my comics when my aunt found out that we were trying to con our other cousins and she got upset. And that was the end of our business.
I brought this fondness of drawing in high school and even in college when I was studying in engineering. I found my way to have an outlet in drawing when I became art editor of an engineering magazine. Before I ventured the mad world of engineering, my first job is an artist/illustrator of children’s magazine where I did layout and illustrated children’s stories which required me sometimes to have one-on-one visioning with the authors. I had wished that I had stories to write and illustrate which I also investigated but that’s another story.
I never stop having fondness in drawing when I was working as a licensed engineer. I found myself doodling in my desk during break time with colleagues peeping over my shoulders to see what progress I made. The tales of my expertise had spread around the office. Some of my colleagues became regulars in asking favours to do drawings as part of the home works of their children. These kids are grown-ups now and some of them perhaps married as I have seen in their Facebook pages. I never asked for money in return for these favours but every now and then I had hamburgers, pies and cakes being placed on my desk.
I must admit that I had dreamt to make it big as an artist/illustrator. But I had another dream and that was the road I took. But this does not mean that I shall put aside the pencil and paper aside. Somehow it has its personal purpose in me and that is to nurture what I was made of from the very start. Hence I should not deny my fondness in it. From where I started is where my home is.
I also believe that our purpose is based on what we are good at. And in order to be in harmony with the universe is to do your part where you are best at. In some cases we don’t know yet where your gift fits in the universe. And the only way to discover it is to never put your gift aside and never deny your fondness in it and keep on exercising it.
Where am I with my gift? I don’t know. The road has not ended yet. I only know that I got responsibilities.
Then I look at my son.
Every time I arrive home from work, I see JC in one corner with paper and pencil.
I brought this fondness of drawing in high school and even in college when I was studying in engineering. I found my way to have an outlet in drawing when I became art editor of an engineering magazine. Before I ventured the mad world of engineering, my first job is an artist/illustrator of children’s magazine where I did layout and illustrated children’s stories which required me sometimes to have one-on-one visioning with the authors. I had wished that I had stories to write and illustrate which I also investigated but that’s another story.
I never stop having fondness in drawing when I was working as a licensed engineer. I found myself doodling in my desk during break time with colleagues peeping over my shoulders to see what progress I made. The tales of my expertise had spread around the office. Some of my colleagues became regulars in asking favours to do drawings as part of the home works of their children. These kids are grown-ups now and some of them perhaps married as I have seen in their Facebook pages. I never asked for money in return for these favours but every now and then I had hamburgers, pies and cakes being placed on my desk.
I must admit that I had dreamt to make it big as an artist/illustrator. But I had another dream and that was the road I took. But this does not mean that I shall put aside the pencil and paper aside. Somehow it has its personal purpose in me and that is to nurture what I was made of from the very start. Hence I should not deny my fondness in it. From where I started is where my home is.
I also believe that our purpose is based on what we are good at. And in order to be in harmony with the universe is to do your part where you are best at. In some cases we don’t know yet where your gift fits in the universe. And the only way to discover it is to never put your gift aside and never deny your fondness in it and keep on exercising it.
Where am I with my gift? I don’t know. The road has not ended yet. I only know that I got responsibilities.
Then I look at my son.
Every time I arrive home from work, I see JC in one corner with paper and pencil.
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