I was at a writing workshop in an art gallery and I was drawing more than writing. It felt good to be drawing outside of my familiar surroundings. It is something I would like to get into the habit of doing more often. I was drawing from life, making quick sketches of the people around me, mostly fellow participants in the writing workshop. But also I was drawing bits of the artwork – the bulbous abstract sculpture, the banknotes pegged to a washing line – and I was wondering if this was drawing from life too.

Later, I was drawing over the top of what I had drawn from observation. Doodling between the lines, extending the pencil marks, pushing the shapes in different directions, finding new interpretations. A kind of redrafting. It’s good when reality and fantasy can feed into each other.

The exhibition-based writing workshops are called Drawn to the Page and I can recommend them – more info here