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Time To Restitch #1: What Do I Have To Do With It?

(Original invitation to be part of the Restitch project, in it it's laid out the name of the project in Spanish: "Zurcir", the author of the idea, place, dates and times, as well as the logos of the different entities who supported this project)*


"Would you like to be part of a collective mural?" asked my mother on an evening during mid-September 2018.

The first question to rush through my mind was: "What do I have to do with it?"

After all, I'm not a painter, muralist, illustrator, cartoonist, graphic designer or anything that had to do with drawing.

"My area is photography. If I don't know how to draw, how can I collaborate on a mural?" was my second thought.

Despite how popular it has become in recent times the idea of hiring a plumber to do brain surgery instead of a neurosurgeon because "my aunt says he knows about it", "I watched a tutorial on YouTube about how it's done and it isn't that difficult", "the plumber is cheaper" and other "reasons" lacking any sense of logic, I still believe it is best to leave things to professionals in an area in which you don't have enough knowledge or skill to do it yourself.

You have to be humble enough and be able to say "I don't know" when it's the case. Pretending to know what you don't is like wearing a Halloween costume three sizes too small: it's ridiculous and unnecessary.

(Unless of course that the actual intent is to indeed look like a badly wrapped tamale. If that's the case, I respect the individual right to make a fool of oneself)

"But I don't know how to draw, what would I do at the mural?" I replied.

"The artist making the project is including people that have nothing to do with painting, Gustavo Montes is inviting me to participate and they are looking for people interested in collaborating, whether they know how to draw or not" she replied, most likely anticipating my answer.

Ahhh, that changes everything...

But now I was thinking: "Won't it look weird if it's done by people who know how to draw and those who don't?"

"Next week there will be a briefing to explain the details of it" said my mother. "It will be at the Alliance Française".

That increased my interest. If it was an event hosted by the Alliance Française chapter in this city, it meant it should be something interesting.

Now, I don't want to sound like I was reluctant to participate, au contraire, I was interested in the idea but I couldn't grasp exactly what role would I play or how could I help to make the mural, because I don't know how to draw.

Despite that, I was interested due to the following reasons:

  • It was something new for me. As part of an internal changing process I've been doing for the last year, I decided to stop shutting myself out from things that are new and different to me than the usual activities I do on a regular basis. I had to avoid not experimenting new possibilities.
  • I would learn something new; what would that be? I had no idea but it was a logical consequence of being part of something new to me. A day on which you learn something new, is a day worth it.
  • The idea didn't seem to be something conventional or cliché. That piqued my interest.
  • I would have an opportunity of watching an art project from a different perspective. I would be able to see a new way to approach and execute an idea. I could learn something from that.
  • Why not?
So taking in account that my lack of drawing skills wouldn't be a problem for this project and summing all the personal advantages there would be if I accepted, I said yes.

"What do I have to do with it?" I asked myself again.

"I don't know, but I will soon find out" was my answer along with the thrill of something new to discover.

I would have my answers soon.

Well, that's what I thought at the time...





*: The invitation's design authorship is not mine, it is only included for illustrative purposes.
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