For several years, now, I’ve felt like it would be great if I were able to draw more than simple (stick) figures. My father, sister, and wife are all quite talented as artists. Every now and then, I get what I think would be a great idea for a political cartoon, something to get me in trouble with the authorities. I also had a teacher colleague who was also a professional artist, and he used his artistic skills to great effect in his lessons—many students would only attend his classes, refusing any other teacher assigned to teach them English. I’m surrounded by artists, and I’d like to have that sort of charm; it would be useful in a wide variety of situations.

One of the most important motivations to learn to draw is merely for the joy of studying a new hobby. I have way more hobbies than I know what to do with, and I often get sidetracked before I finish any project. I’m a typical Millennial, I think. Despite this, I find great joy in learning new skills, especially one as practical as drawing. At least, until AI becomes so ubiquitous and powerful that artists won’t have to work anymore. Maybe next year.

Furthermore, in terms of hobbies, always learning new things will make me a better role model for my young son, when he’s old enough. For that reason, maybe I should hold off on learning too much about it, for now. He’s still so young that his own feet surprise him from time to time, much less knowing what a hobby is. We could learn about it together.

My wife says I’m too serious, and my writing style might confirm that. So, instead of always being in teaching mode, a more practical reason to learn to draw is that it’s fun and my son will probably greatly enjoy it like most children do. We might have fun making up silly visual stories together.

Lastly, another practical reason to learn to draw is so I can make political cartoons. I’m a fan of a bit of satire every now and then. I think it’s amusing to point out logical inconsistencies and people in the public eye often also take themselves too seriously (as I look in the mirror). Being able to take these ideas and turn them into doodles probably wouldn’t make any difference in today’s fragmented media landscape, but at least I can always say I did something I enjoyed.

Overall, drawing is a skill I’d love to have because of its broad utility. From being an opportunity for family time to having some infinitesimal chance of making a difference in the world (at least for my expected skill level), this skill should be on the list of things to learn. Unfortunately, with the number of things going on in my life right now, I probably won’t get around to it for a while. Maybe I’ll make a little goal to study and practice simple figures for, say, five or ten minutes a day for a week or two and see where that takes me.