In My Sketchbook, Online.

Suzzallo Library window and lamp.

I went to my first Sketch Crawl with the Seattle Urban Sketchers today. Just sitting down to make a drawing doesn't normally seem like an earth-shattering act, but being part of an international organization with a manifesto made it feel like I was part of a subversive movement. Perhaps we are resisting the suggestion that globalism lessens people's connection to the place we live.

The Urban Sketchers Manifesto:

1. We draw on location, indoors or out, capturing what we see from direct observation.
2. Our drawings tell the story of our surroundings, the places we live and where we travel.
3. Our drawings are a record of time and place.
4. We are truthful to the scenes we witness.
5. We use any kind of media and cherish our individual styles.
6. We support each other and draw together.
7. We share our drawings online.
8. We show the world, one drawing at a time.

The Urban Sketchers are simultaneously recording specific times and places in the real world with real pencils and paper, and sharing it with the international community on the Internet. Another example of the old expression, "Think Global Act Local."