Sketching Memories
Today we all have thousands of photos stored on our phones. I look at them every now and then, but since I started drawing, I have realized that sketches bring back memories in a much more intense way. When I draw, I am not just recording an image: I observe, I pause, I notice details, and I feel what’s happening around me. The weather shifts, the light changes, conversations flow, and all of that gets captured on the paper.
For two weeks we traveled through Germany’s Black Forest, walking and camping along the way. I set myself the goal of drawing something every day in a folded sketchbook I made. The idea was to create something easy to carry but that could also give me an overall view or a complete memory of the journey.
It is interesting that now, when I look back at it, I can recall so many things from those moments, things I had never experienced just by looking at photos.
During this trip, the forest taught us to go with the flow. Rain, cold, and heat often made us change our routes. But giving space to the unexpected and staying flexible also opened doors to new experiences, things we never would have lived if everything had been carefully planned.
And those emerging experiences became the material for my daily drawings. Of course, it was always a challenge to decide what to draw. Sometimes it was simply whatever I had in front of me when I sat down. Other times, I drew at the end of the day something that stayed in my mind, something I had noticed again and again, or something that caught my attention in a special way. In the end, drawing is also about learning to choose… or accepting what the moment offers.
These images also tell different stories…
We saw giant sequoias, the largest trees in the world, with their soft, reddish bark. They are not native to Germany, and they were planted in the 19th century by a king. But it is also interesting to think about the spruces, which are trees everywhere in the Black Forest and which actually give the forest its name, because their dense presence darkens the landscape. However, they too are not originally from there. In the Middle Ages, much of the original forest was cut down and replaced with spruce because it grew faster.
We witnessed the birth of a calf, and it was beautiful to see how many cows helped the little baby stand up, showing just how social and supportive they are.
We visited Donaueschingen, where the Danube River begins. There is a turquoise font of water, the Donauquelle, where underground water from the forest emerges, bubbling up from beneath the earth.
And of course, we tried Black Forest cake, saw the world’s largest cuckoo clock, and the famous red pom-pom hats.
Our camping experience was very peaceful. In the park there are campsites you can reserve, but they are hidden, hard to reach, and allow only a maximum of three tents per night. Precisely because of that, I really liked the experience. You are immersed in nature, while at the same time avoiding the kind of impact that wild camping can have.
One last thing I want to share about this trip is that I decided not to use social media and limited my phone to just taking photos. Knowing that our attention is limited and we can only truly focus on one thing at a time, it made perfect sense to give my full attention to the surroundings, to reading, and drawing. What surprised me afterwards was that when I shared this with others, many people told me they feel anxious or dependent on social media, and that they struggle to find time for hobbies because they lose so much of it on their phones. That’s why I think it is worth mentioning here as well, as an invitation to maybe leave your phone at home next time you go out? and to give space to what nature wants to show you.
Drawing has been my way of remembering, of observing, of opening space for the small and the invisible. Today that sketchbook holds not only landscapes, but also emotions, encounters, and learnings. A handmade memory that I also bring into other moments of my life in my sketchbooks. I like revisiting those drawings and reconnecting with the experiences; but even more, I enjoy sharing them and listening to the stories others recall when they see them. In those conversations I discover how something so personal can also resonate with others and their own stories.
Is there something this blog has reminded you of, that you’d like to share with me?
