“When my words are jammed, I like to draw or paint. It’s a relief to let go of language for a few hours and work using light and shade. Drawing always feels more physical than writing—it clears my mind. Many of my blocks come from anxiety about whether I can excel as a writer. Painting calms me because I do it primarily for myself. I become absorbed in how the papery skin of a garlic bulb is streaked with ochre. Stories can seep into that calmer mind. The very best thing is to leave the house with a small box of paints. Outside, I’m jolted from my home’s overly familiar images and objects. Occasionally though, even my visual imagination freezes. In that case, if there’s time, I go to a museum and sketch from one of the paintings. Following the path of another artist’s hand, I start to see differently. I think, Oh, this is where a rabbit’s ears sit on its head. Or, What a tender little foot this saint has. Once I’m done, my vision of the world feels sharper and I am excited to start writing again.”
—Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of Harmless Like You (Norton, 2017)