"I just really want to learn how to draw, and now that I have a lot of free time, I realized there's no age limit to learning drawing."

 

Sometimes the most transformative discoveries happen when we finally permit ourselves to try something we've always wanted to do. For Marissa, that permission came at 58, during what she initially thought would be the quietest chapter of her life. What started as a simple desire to fill empty afternoons turned into a journey that awakened a creativity she never knew she possessed.

At Lay It Flat, we believe the right book can unlock potential at any stage of life. Marissa's experience with Jordan DeWilde's "30-Minute Drawing for Beginners" perfectly embodies this philosophy. Her story demonstrates how accessible, well-designed resources can transform a long-time dream into a daily practice and, eventually, a genuine skill.

The Woman Who Always Wanted to Draw

Marissa had spent three decades as a high school administrator, managing schedules, budgets, and the constant demands of educational bureaucracy. Her days were structured, purposeful, and consumed by the needs of others. Art was something that happened in the hallways of her school. Beautiful student work lined the walls, but she walked past it every day thinking, "I could never do that."

Throughout her career, she'd collected art supplies with good intentions. A sketchbook here, a set of pencils there. Each purchase represented a small promise to herself: "Someday, when I have time, I'll learn to draw." The supplies accumulated in a drawer, unused but not forgotten.

"I've always been drawn to beautiful things," Marissa explained. "I could spend hours in art museums or admiring illustrations in books. But I convinced myself that being able to appreciate art and being able to create it were completely different talents."

This belief kept her in the role of admirer rather than creator for years.

The Gift of Time and Uncertainty

When Marissa retired, she expected to feel a sense of relief. Instead, she felt unmoored. The structure that had defined her adult life was gone, leaving behind days that stretched endlessly ahead of her. The projects she'd planned for retirement (organizing old photos, finally reading classic novels) felt less appealing than they had in theory.

"The first few weeks were wonderful," she recalls. "I slept in, gardened, and caught up with friends. But then I realized I had all this time and no idea what I really wanted to do with it."

During a conversation with her daughter about finding new hobbies, Marissa mentioned her old dream of learning to draw.

"Mom, you've been saying that for years," her daughter said gently. "What's stopping you now?"

The question hit harder than expected. What was stopping her? She had time, a quiet home office, and all those supplies she'd been collecting. The only thing standing in her way was her own assumption that she'd missed her chance to learn.

Breaking Down the Barriers

Marissa's research into learning materials revealed her biggest fear: jumping into something too advanced and becoming discouraged. She'd heard horror stories from friends who'd started art classes only to feel overwhelmed by complex techniques and competitive classmates.

"I wasn't looking for a masterclass. I just wanted to understand the basics without feeling stupid," she said.

The promise of "30-Minute Drawing for Beginners" immediately appealed to her practical nature. She could learn a new drawing technique "in the time it takes to fold the laundry or grab a coffee." This wasn't about becoming an artist. It was about carving out manageable moments of learning.

When she discovered that author Jordan DeWilde "has taught art for more than nine years and was awarded the Illinois Elementary Art Educator of the Year award in 2018," she felt more confident about his teaching approach. This wasn't just someone who could draw. This was someone who understood how to teach drawing to beginners.

The Spiral-Bound Solution

The spiral binding caught Marissa's attention for purely practical reasons. Her desk space was limited, and she'd struggled with other books that wouldn't stay open while she worked.

"I wanted actually to use the book, not fight with it," she explained. "I'd tried following along with regular books before, and they always wanted to snap shut or I'd lose my place. The spiral binding meant I could focus on drawing instead of book wrestling."

This small design detail would prove more important than she initially realized.

The First Breakthrough: Simple Success

Marissa started with the book's basic exercises, beginning with simple shapes and line work. The approach was "built upon drawing fundamentals using a step-by-step process that all beginners can understand." Each lesson was built methodically on the previous one, never assuming knowledge she didn't have.

Her first real success came during Week 2, when she completed a basic landscape exercise. It wasn't museum-worthy, but it looked like what she'd intended to draw. The trees resembled trees. The horizon line was straight. The shading gave the drawing depth.

"I held it up and thought, 'I made this,'" she remembers. "It sounds silly, but I felt proud in a way I hadn't experienced in years.”

The 30-minute time limit proved crucial to her success. It felt achievable rather than overwhelming, and she could fit sessions into her day without major schedule disruptions.

Building Confidence Through Consistency

As weeks passed, Marissa's daily drawing sessions became the highlight of her mornings. She'd set up at her kitchen table with coffee, open the book flat, and spend exactly 30 minutes following that day's lesson.

The spiral binding made this routine seamless. "I could set the book down, refer to it while drawing, and it stayed exactly where I needed it. No bookmarks, no fighting with pages. It just worked."

Her skills developed gradually but noticeably. Still-life exercises taught her to observe the interplay of light and shadow. Figure drawing lessons helped her understand proportions. Landscape tutorials showed her how to create depth and perspective.

"Each lesson felt like solving a small puzzle," she said. "Jordan would break down something that looked complicated into steps I could actually follow. A face became a composition of circles, lines, and shadows. A tree became shapes and textures I could recreate."

The Unexpected Social Benefits

As Marissa's confidence grew, she began sharing her drawings with friends and family. The response was overwhelmingly encouraging, but more importantly, it connected her with others who had similar interests.

Her neighbor, who'd been painting watercolors for years, invited Marissa to join an informal art group that met weekly at the community center. "I was nervous about joining because everyone else seemed so advanced," Marissa admits. "But they welcomed me, and I realized we all started somewhere."

The group became a source of friendship and motivation. Other members were impressed by her steady improvement and the solid foundation she'd built through consistent practice.

The Joy of Progress

One review of the book noted: "One of the best books with simple drawing exercises that I've read. Jordan gives lots of simple beginner examples of things to draw that will definitely improve your drawing skills quickly." Marissa's experience perfectly matched this assessment.

Nine months after starting, she could complete drawings that amazed her former self. Her sketch pad was filled with landscapes, still lifes, and figure studies that showed clear improvement from her early attempts.

"The book doesn't promise you'll become Picasso in 30 days," she laughs. "But it does exactly what it claims: it teaches you drawing fundamentals in manageable, confidence-building steps. I can look at my early drawings and my recent ones and see real progress."

Advice for Fellow Beginners

"This book is a big help for me. The quality of the book itself is really nice."

When asked what she'd tell other adults considering learning to draw, Marissa's advice is both practical and encouraging:

"First, don't overthink it. I spent years planning to learn someday instead of just starting. Second, find resources designed for actual beginners. This book never made me feel stupid or overwhelmed. Every lesson was achievable."

Her most practical recommendation? "Get the spiral-bound version if you can. It sounds like a small thing, but when you're trying to follow instructions while drawing, having a book that stays open and flat makes everything easier."

Looking Forward: The Artist She's Becoming

Marissa's relationship with drawing continues to evolve. She's moved beyond the book's exercises to working on original compositions, but she still returns to her favorite lessons when she wants to practice specific techniques.

"The book gave me the foundation I needed to explore on my own," she explains. "Now I can look at something and think about how I might draw it instead of assuming I never could."

Her home office, once filled with administrative supplies, now displays her artwork. Friends and family have requested drawings as gifts. Most importantly, she's discovered a creative outlet that brings her genuine joy.

"I wake up looking forward to my drawing time," she says. "At 58, I found something that makes me feel like I'm still learning and growing. There really is no age limit on developing new skills."

Ready to Start Your Own Creative Journey?

Marissa's transformation from longtime admirer to confident creator shows what's possible when you permit yourself to be a beginner. Her story reminds us that the best time to start learning something new isn't someday in the future. It's right now.

If you've been carrying a secret dream of learning to draw, it's time to stop planning and start practicing. The spiral-bound format that supported Marissa's daily sessions makes it easy to integrate learning into your routine, whether you have 30 minutes or just a few quiet moments.

Ready to discover what you can create in 30 minutes a day? Explore "30-Minute Drawing for Beginners" and other books designed to lay flat, stay open, and support your journey from beginner to confident creator.