Good morning friends
My son Satyajit is always encouraging me to use the new gadgets for various tasks. Some of them are, no doubt, extremely useful and time saving. A few days ago, I had drawn my daily Mandala on iPad. Once he realised that I am comfortable with using the iPad, he introduced me to photoshop. Now, photoshop has so many features that it is impossible to utilise it to its maximum capacity with just a few hours’ practice. I loved the way I could use brushes of different sizes and a wide range of colours that were available. I also liked the option of using various layers which allows you to make changes in only one particular layer. I could also correct my mistakes easily, there was no danger of a particular coloured pen getting over, there was no smudging. So, all in all, it looks like the ideal method for drawing and painting. And yet….
And yet, I prefer the age old method of using a pen and paper to create a Mandala. No doubt that the photoshop is exciting and interesting, but it doesn’t have the same feel as holding a real pen in your hands and converting a plain paper into a masterpiece. While using a digital medium, I miss the feel of the pen on the paper, I miss the almost inaudible sound of the pen scratching the paper, I miss the wonderful feeling of creating something unique, something personal. I prefer the stains of colours on my fingers while using actual pens rather than having clean fingers while using a digital medium.
The photoshop gives me the option of erasing every mistake and drawing a perfect picture. But at times, to me, imperfection is preferred to absolute perfection. I have been drawing Mandalas for more than 4 years now and I have drawn almost 200 Mandalas so far. But I have never rejected or torn a Mandala because something was not quite up to the mark. Whenever I make a mistake, I always try to rectify it by making changes in the design or the shape. And in fact, that makes me happier. I think this is because If something is very easy to accomplish, it doesn’t give the same kind of satisfaction as overcoming a challenge. Anything that you achieve after going through difficulties is more precious to you. When you meet a challenge, and excel, it is more satisfying. So, I have decided to stick to paper and pen and reserve the use of the iPad for travel. It’s more challenging and more satisfying !
I do hope that each of us can experience the Joy of creation in some way or the other, and also enjoy overcoming challenges,
Love,
Anjali Bhatawdekar
