Becoming a bus guy

or, finding the good in my busted battery

I look at my watch.

4:09 pm

I have 41 minutes to get home in time to take my son to violin lessons. It’s no problem— electric bike is the fastest way to travel across the city, and I usually make the journey in under 20 minutes.

I reach down to turn it on.

The switch clicks, but the LED stays unlit.

The bike is heavy and high-geared. The hill between here and home is big. With no battery assistance, it’s a slog, but I make it.

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A busted bike battery is not a good problem. The guy at the shop said it could cost $48 or $1200. He didn’t laugh when I said I would prefer the lower-priced option. He also didn’t (or couldn’t) tell me when it might be zooming again.

In the meantime, I’ve been taking the bus.

The bus is different from the bike. There are bad things: it’s a bit slower, and I can’t leave exactly when I want. But there are also good things: I don’t get wet in the rain, and I can draw on the bus (I’m yet to master drawing on the bike)

Each morning, I’ve been drawing on the way to work. Commuters packed in like sardines make it hard - hard to capture everything, hard to avoid the gaze of strangers, and the swaying of the bus leads to some interesting lines. I feel a bit shy about drawing attention to myself.

It’s not easy, but it’s a really nice way to start my day. The bus ride is an in-between time to fill. Staring into space or at a phone seems to be the pastime of choice. I wonder what the bus was like 30 years ago.

Filling the in-between with drawing has become a practice for this little bikeless season. And when you practice things, you get better at them. I’m generally pretty good at the second skill of drawing, but having the bus drawing ritual in my life is making me even better at it.

Yesterday, in the rush to make the bus, I forgot to take any lunch with me. I ended up grabbing a quick kebab. There wasn’t really enough time or space for a drawing, but while Ben was making my lunch, I decided I was gonna draw anyway.

I don’t think I would’ve done it if I hadn’t been in the mode of drawing on the bus.

Newton’s laws apply to creativity—when you’re in artistic motion, you tend to stay in motion.

Artistic fitness is a thing, too, and being “in shape” from drawing makes other drawing easier. It’s not that long until I go to Europe for another big drawing trip, and this kind of thing keeps me in shape.

Being on the bus gave me an in-between moment. What are the in-between times in your daily life—those times where you’re waiting for something to happen? They’re a good chance to do a little drawing.

Happy drawing,
Andrew.

PS. Sketchbook club is this weekend. Upgrade your subscription and let’s draw trees together.