Map your Days: The act of listening—an art rendezvous

This is the first article from new contributor Sonja Bajic following my recent interview with her. Even though this article was written a year ago, I wanted to republish it because it is a good way to get to know Sonja and the creativity she applies in her workshops, and because this is a relevant place to start following and getting involved with her projects. So please make allowances to references about timing.
Judy MacMahon
Let’s jump in shall we?

The season of celebration is with us and I had the pleasure of reconnecting with many people dear to my heart. It was good to balance the stress of the Sonja versus Technology saga (December 2023) with the friendly faces of my friends. People seem to yearn for gatherings as the weather remains grey and rain stays torrential.

Gold on gold from one of the Christmas parties. I’m on the right.

I am diligently working on my plans for 2024 while also spending a significant amount of time fulfilling orders from my shop. Another addition to the shop is downloadable gift cards that you can print on your home printer! Since it’s the gifting season, YES, I have a little gift for you.

I LOVE GIFTS

One of the plans for next year (2024) was to work on the packaging of the orders. I finally found a sustainable board of great quality that is pH-natural, allowing me to send original art and art prints packed in it. The color is perfect as well—cream with small recycled dots—and the shop that sells it is nearby.

Senat chair in ink and watercolor & that pH-neutral package.

The only problem is that inside the board shop, there are also MANY cool art supplies that I don’t need but wish to have, and every time I go, I need to resist the urge to buy something. This Friday, I successfully resisted buying a sparkly set of watercolors that was calling me. The time before, however, I did give in and bought a Sennelier Indigo Shellac ink.

I promised myself that I would draw more with pen and ink and that finally, I would create prompt #3 for you. It was a great excuse. A really great one!

Map your Days: prompt #3 — the act of listening

So, here we go, if you are here for the art prompt read further!

I always include this exercise in my workshops. If you’ve ever practiced mindfulness, it will sound familiar to you. When done individually, this exercise opens up inspiration and offers a variety of small drawing possibilities for warm-up. Above all, it’s a listening exercise, where you actively listen and find meaning in sometimes just noise.

Last week, I engaged in this exercise on my way to dinner with a friend who invited me to celebrate a successful year in her business. The dinner was held in the charming Bouillon Julien, an Art Nouveau restaurant from the turn of the century. I decided to approach the whole experience from a different perspective, an arty one, yet keeping it simple.

Bouillon Julien interior

Scene 1:

I took the metro there, found a seat, and grabbed my phone. I recorded the sounds around me, capturing just 10 seconds of the ambiance. I heard heels clicking, voices, and people in a hurry.

I recorded the sounds and listened to the recording, then I drew it the day after, in the studio.

Scene 2:

Exiting the metro at Strasbourg Saint-Denis station, a drizzle welcomed me. The bartender of a random bar, in the midst of relocating numerous chairs around a big puddle, kindly asked me to pause. I stopped, allowing him to complete his task, and took out my phone to capture the sounds of the moment.

I recorded the sounds and listened to the recording, then I drew what I heard. Here is one of the chairs in the rain.

Scene 3:

One of my favorite dishes in French restaurants is leeks vinaigrette with hazelnuts. Before savoring the first bite, I paused, took out my phone, and recorded the sounds of the bustling bouillon around me—the clinking of forks and knives, and the joyous hum of people savoring their meals.

I illustrated an experience, approaching it in a different sense.

Instead of focusing on forms or colors. I listened, being present through a different lens.

For this art rendezvous, you don’t need anything special

Materials:

• Any app on your phone for sound recording (I use Easy Voice Recorder on my Android phone). You probs have one already on your phone,
• Paper or an old sketchbook—don’t be precious; perfection kills creativity.
• Pen, pencil, marker—whatever inspires you. For me, it’s currently a new ink, or whatever you find around you.

How it works:

1. Try recording the sounds of your day, any day. This will shift your attention from other senses, and you’ll discover new, mundane sounds. Record them for later. Just because you hear something now doesn’t mean you’ll hear it the same way on your recording. Maybe the voice recording will inspire you in a different direction. That’s the beauty of it!
2. During your art date with yourself, sit and draw it. It can be three sounds (like I did), seven, or just one. Listen carefully.
3. Draw, draw, draw. Don’t aim for perfection; be messy and open to new sounds and shapes. When I did these drawings, my nib pen wasn’t working, but I didn’t care. Inspiration struck, and I drew my blobby drawings. Lots of blobs in these drawings!

Try this mini prompt and share it here by replying or on Instagram by tagging me @sonjabajicstudio. Our senses map our lives and take us to amazing places.

Mapping your life starts by noticing the life around you more than usual. We often think we don’t have time, and that’s why I try to block only 10-15 minutes, no more. Remember, this is your creative journey, you do what you have to do and what you can do. And I truly hope you enjoy it.

Have a great day! I’m glad you’re here with me among all these blobs.

Sonja

One of my studio companions: rosemary, calendula, and nettle tea

Image credits:
All images: drawings and photographs are copyright Sonja Bajic / author

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