Lynda Barry Animal Ad Lib

 I've posted about my Lynda Barry drawing and writing (mostly drawing) exercises on here before. I thought this latest one was fun, called "Animal Ad Lib." You write a diary entry for 5 minutes each day, and then spend 15 minutes drawing a wild or exotic animal (the more unfamiliar the animal, the better). Then, after six days or so, you draw each animal again for only five minutes, with the animals speaking the first line of your diary entry for that day. (The exercise comes from this awesome book.) 

So, here's what I created: 

I find it kind of amusing that my only "angry" animal (that's supposed to be a baboon, lol) is saying the only "angry" line of a diary -- totally a subconscious connection.

Unexpected Parallels

 It dawned on me yesterday that my life right now has some unexpected parallels to my life when in Indonesia as an English Language Fellow in 2012-2013. Namely, during my time in Surabaya, I dressed in whatever comfortable clothes covered my body (I taught at a Muslim university). The outfits were generally loose, long-sleeved shirts with maxi skirts or flowy palazzo-style pants. I didn't really think that much about matching because no one else really cared that much it!

These days, I obviously don't have to dress quite as conservatively, but the I have spent the past five months basically wearing whatever feels comfortable to me, as opposed to dressing "for" people or trying to be fashionable or chic. And...this ends up being loose pants and skirts with a t-shirt or tank top (I can reveal more of my arms in Los Angeles, thank goodness!). 

I think once we get "out" of this pandemic, I will not be uncertain about my own sense of style, much as I felt when I returned to the U.S. after living in Indonesia for 10 months. I used to love getting dressed and dressing creatively, but after spending so many months of putting whatever shirt doesn't smell too bad--I'm not sure what I'll want to wear.