You may wonder why a cartoonist and caricature artist is talking about passions? In fact many times I get people asking me what I do to relax since my career is what most people would consider a hobby. Often I tell people that I enjoy photography as my hobby. I do enjoy taking pictures but at the end of the day, it’s enjoyable but not a passion. Many of my cartoon friends will continue to draw cartoons as their relaxation and I have to admit that is fun, but for me relaxation is all about connecting with nature.

You don’t have to be an artist to enjoy relaxing with a passion you love. We often believe that we have to do something totally different from what we do for work or we are considered to be over worked. If you are a dog walker and tell people that you like to go for long relaxing walks with your dog they will think you’re crazy. Can you hear them? “You walk dogs all day how can you relax going for a walk with your dog?” What many don’t see are the benefits of that single walk. You are connecting with your dog, which is truly a family member. You are connecting with nature, family, and your thoughts and that can be the most relaxing time at all.

What about the author that writes non-fiction books, but likes to write children’s books in their spare time. They are still writing but because the topic and subject matter is different it makes the process relaxing. They are still writing but they may not feel overworked because the children’s book is a passion.

Did you know that if your passion was a hobby and has now changed into your vocation it still can be the heart of your passion. Here is how it worked for me. I started as a cartoonist as a kid. When I decided to start my art business in 2003 I was focused on landscapes. I enjoyed drawing and painting the world around us. In fact my first solo show in 2004 was all black and white landscapes and building images. I had another landscape show in 2007 but Caribbean landscapes are too bold for our local market. I may not have entered into cartooning if I hadn’t created my comic book series in 2008. Why do I tell you all this? Even though my cartooning is my main income producer I still love drawing and painting landscapes. It may still be drawing but I get to connect with nature, slow time down, and enjoy the beautiful parts of the world around us.

So whether you write, draw, walk, or have some other hobby that you enjoy don’t try to mask it. Don’t try to explain to others as to why you find it relaxing, that’s for you to know! It could be just a little something different from what you do on a daily basis. Since this is a beautiful time of year with the changing of the leaves I thought I would share the beautiful scenery and relaxation of a Fall Sketch Walk. I hope it inspires to you to enjoy what you do as I show you how I relax.

About the Artist

Bruce Outridge is an artist, author, and instructor from Burlington Ontario Canada. You can view more Sketch Walks on Bruce’s website at www.bruceoutridgeproductions.com