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The Special Dimension of the Left Hand Within the Magic of Drawing

Aktualisiert: 16. Jan.

Often, when I begin my creative practice, I reach for my brush pen, a blank page, and a photo reference — usually a fashion look or style that inspires me.


And often times I draw with my left hand, my non-dominant hand.

This is a practice I’ve returned to for the past six years, and over time I’ve noticed that drawing this way shifts something inside me:


I experience a unique sense of lightness, presence, and play.

When I draw with my left hand, I am immediately present.

I am thinking less, feeling more.

I feel joy, curiosity, excitement — a little childlike wonder returning with every line.

The lines flow freely, surprising me with their aliveness and vitality.


Even though the left hand is less experienced, the illustrations often please me aesthetically, and at times they even capture precision I did not anticipate. More than the technical result, these lines connect me to a part of myself that is entirely free from expectation, judgment, or self-criticism.


The left hand, connected primarily to the right side of the brain, naturally shifts me out of habitual patterns. From a neuroscience perspective, my right hand draws from deeply trained motor maps in the left motor cortex — pathways strengthened by a lifetime of writing, drawing, and daily action. These circuits know exactly how to form a line. They are efficient, automatic, and refined. My left hand has none of that certainty. Its pathways are less rehearsed, less conditioned, almost untouched. So the right motor cortex must engage differently — slower, more attentively, more responsively. The brain cannot rely on habit; it must stay curious, alert, present. And that change pulls me directly into the moment. I am no longer performing what I already know. I am discovering the line as it forms, through gesture, rhythm, and observation.

For these drawings, I usually choose a brush pen — a soft brush pen. There is something about the softness and responsiveness of the brush tip that feels nourishing and supportive. It provides just enough structure while remaining malleable, allowing the lines to move freely and reflect the playful, exploratory quality of the left hand. The aliveness in these strokes reminds me of a child learning to walk — tentative, curious, and full of wonder. The brush pen amplifies that sense of discovery, tiptoeing, and joyful exploration that is unique to this practice.




The healing quality of this practice is profound. There have been moments when my mind feels heavy or overwhelmed, and the act of placing the brush pen on paper begins a subtle shift. I feel myself returning to the awareness of self that is pure and unburdened. The lines remind me who I am beneath layers of expectation, protection, or stories handed down by others. They are not mine; they do not define me. Through these illustrations, I reconnect with curiosity, joy, values, and sensibilities that feel deeply alive and true.


Drawing with my left hand has become a ritual of reconnection. It reminds me that creativity is not just about making something visually pleasing. It is about meeting myself without interference, shedding distortions, and discovering my own voice. This practice teaches patience, playful openness, and presence. Life, like drawing, is inherently alive, transforming, and evolving — and engaging with it this way evokes a sense of discovery and freedom that is quietly joyous.


fashion illustration inspired by imagery from a clothing catalogue / 2025


These illustrations somehow mirror the authentic self, its curiosity, aliveness & creative essence.

From this place I am purely in tune with what feels joyful, what belongs unmistakably to me.

In this way, drawing with my left hand is more than a practice;

it is a gentle reminder of who I am and what I love.


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→If you’d like to explore another side of this illustration — the observational side — I dive into that in my next post. There I share how drawing helps me understand fabric, silhouette, proportion, and the subtle character of a fashion look.



→And if you’d like to see more of my left hand in motion, below is a short video of me creating another left-handed fashion illustration. It’s filmed with my right hand while I draw, so the camera moves a little — but it captures the immediacy, presence, and flow of the process beautifully.



 
 
 

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