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The Arts Beat is a weekly deep-dive into Memphis arts, music, dance, theater, fashion, film and events. Keep scrolling for a roundup of the best arts and culture stories from the week. Have a story idea? Send it to eperry@dailymemphian.com.
What’s old is new often when it comes to hobbies.
 Speed Portrait Swap facilitator Justin Williams. (Elle Perry/The Daily Memphian)
I’ve been spending less time on social media and looking for ways to occupy my idle time. I enjoy TV and movies, but I am often watching them with the idea of creating something of my own.
So not an unengaged watch.
Same with reading. It’s a way to relax, but at the same time, I’m analyzing the text and the prose.
I have gone to Stage & Sketch events at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens. I have gone to Junk Journal Jams and Collage Parties thrown by Like Really Creative.
I have also unknowingly followed a hobby trend: carrying a so-called analog bag. My analog bag has an X-Acto knife, in case I spontaneously want to create a collage; a small sketch book; graphite pencils; and any number of notebooks to jot down thoughts, assorted musings and random screeds.
With equal amounts of delight and trepidation, I signed up for Like Really Creative’s Speed Portrait Swap. For the low price of $10, attendees would leave after two hours with hastily drawn portraits of themselves.
What really sold me was creator Zack Orsborn’s guidance that the worse you are, the more fun the process is. It sold out, so other people apparently liked the idea, too.
 A favorite sketch of myself. (Elle Perry/The Daily Memphian)
At Bar DKDC on Monday, I was handed a name tag with an “S.” Those with an “S” were statues, meaning they would remain in the same seat throughout the evening. Others had name tags with a “W.” Those with a “W” were wanderers and switched seats to sit in front of a new person each sketch session.
Crayons, Sharpies, pencils and markers were provided, as well as paper.
Musician and painter Justin Williams instructed us in the exercise. Each person would draw their companion during a one-minute session, switch and draw someone else. At the end of the night, the sessions grew to be five minutes long.
I knew a handful of people in the room, but most were strangers.
This made it exceptionally awkward during the blind drawing. For one minute, we had to look at each other and not at our paper and draw. During the first couple of sessions, we also could not lift our drawing apparatus.
The back of my head got hot from embarrassment.
 A “wanderer” that I drew. (Elle Perry/The Daily Memphian)
I have some hilarious and terrible drawings of myself. I drew some hilarious and terrible drawings of other people.
Thankfully, we eventually were allowed to look away from our companion — and also lift our pencils.
I started with markers, tried Sharpies (black and gold), and decided at the end that crayons felt the best.
I drew a few decent sketches. Many bad ones.
I have an afro, which was interpreted via sketchers in a variety of ways; some full-fledged ringlets, some a hint of a curl pattern. Many of the subjects, including myself, had glasses. Each person used their minute and generally interpreted both items differently.
Then there was the spectrum of prints and outfits. I was grateful for hair fashioned in buns and clips, denim jackets, striped glasses, argyle sweaters and plaid shirts. It made it more challenging to draw, but also more visually interesting.
I ended up with two lovely sketched portraits of myself and good memories from a fun evening.
On social media, Orsborn wrote that we created 352 portraits total.
I hope that at least one of mine was among someone’s favorites.
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