How the Sparks kept me going through 2024

Hello friends, I hope your summer is going well. Things are moving along on my side of the world. I just wanted to highlight a team that has been helping my mental state this year. I had been open these past few years about the effects that COVID-19 had with my work, professional, and personal relationships. Avoiding crowds, and trying to keep my family safe has been difficult. I discovered that going back, and emulating my artistic influences helped me reconnect with the things I loved. I was feeling a little creatively drained spring of this year. That was when I started writing about my love of basketball, and streetball art. I decided to give myself a creative challenge. I decided to draw the Los Angeles Sparks, our local WNBA team.

I knew that this challenge wouldn’t burn me out as the team had 12 members. It would be easy for me to illustrate the lineup. The last time I challenged myself in a similar fashion I went overboard. In the heart of the lockdown I discovered that drawing bikes helped my mental well being. When I wrote the blog I said I had drawn around 50 F1 BMX bikes. A few weeks later that number had grown to over 100 bikes. As much fun as I had drawing them all it also drained me creatively.

Granted there were over 140 players in the league, and I could probably crank them all out in the summer, but then I’d be back to square one. So this time around I set myself a cut off. Draw only one team of players, and leave it at that. I’ve been a fan of the league, and team since it was founded in 1997. I’d make sure to draw female basketball, and streetball characters in my sketchbook because the sport belonged to everyone. I didn’t want to be known as the guy that only drew guy players.

I might do more detailed illustrations in the future if the mood strikes me. For now I’m happy with how the team turned out. Are there any sport teams you follow? Or are there ways you can express your creativity that helps recharge your mental, and emotional batteries? I’d like to read about them in the comments section. As always if you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!