My enthusiasm for art has never waned and I have embraced the term “perfectly imperfect.” This allows me to let go of restriction and lets the magic happen in whatever creative endeavour I may be working on at the moment. Picasso famously said, “Every child is born an artist; the problem is to remain an artist after we grow up.” Most people don’t.
A few years ago I read about an amazing artist named Wendy MacNaughton who had created a global drawing exercise called Draw Together Strangers. I knew I had to be a part of it, and in the summer of 2024, with the generous support of a CV/Arts grant, I embarked on a transformative journey to introduce Draw Together Strangers to the Comox Valley.
How the drawing exercise works
The concept is simple: two strangers sit for a minute and draw each other’s faces. But what sounds like an easy task has two rules that can throw you off. The first: You can’t look away from your partner. The second: You can’t take your pen off the paper.
These two rules create a profound and deep connection between people who don’t know each other by forcing them to concentrate on the stranger’s face without looking at what they are drawing. This artistic process fosters community engagement and creativity through collaborative art making. It also removes any unconscious bias.
The simple rules that create deep connections
With my grant funding secured, my first steps were to purchase drawing supplies, an easel, two folding stools, a small table, and a wagon to carry it all. Then, after reaching out to local community business owners and CV/Arts, I searched for locations to set up shop and wait for strangers to pass by—hopefully with curiosity about my transient art installation.
To kick off the project, I had support and assistance from my longtime friend Brooke Finlayson. She and I set up the first stop on my Draw Together Strangers tour at Marina Park in Comox. We picked a sunny spot near the water park and set up our gear, including a bulletin board to showcase the portraits that would soon be created.
In the beginning, we witnessed many curious passersby. Some ambled cautiously past us, but many were eager to find out what Draw Together Strangers was all about. Before long, we had a vibrant gathering of people laughing at their silly portraits that filled our space and our hearts. The first day was an absolute success that saw approximately forty participants.
Bringing the drawing exercise to Comox Valley
Over the summer, from Comox to Cumberland, Draw Together Strangers connected participants in parks, near campgrounds and lakes, and at community events such as Pulse on the Plaza and the Foggy Mountain Fall Festival.
Initially, some individuals hesitated to share their artist skills (or lack thereof), but I reassured them that this exercise was not about the art, but about the human connection and empathy experienced when you look a stranger in the eyes. And I did promise them that their art would more than likely be terrible!
The project ended on an incredible note when I witnessed one stranger walk over to another and ask if they wanted to draw together. They shared a brief conversation before beginning to draw. The minute felt longer than normal and I could see the connection building between the two. When they finished, they had a look at their portraits of each other, and, once the laughter subsided, they shared contact information and made plans to get together again. What an amazing way to end Draw Together Strangers.
Results across the community
Looking back at last summer. I’m filled with a sense of pride and hope for future projects aimed at encouraging connections through creativity. I witnessed how impactful it was to be part of this experiment—for myself and for the participants. Politics, religion, and social status can be set aside, making room for vulnerability, humanity, and joy to be shared between strangers, even if only for a brief part of their day.
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