Something as simple as a line can be so enticing sometimes. Of course many things are made up of lines, but we tend to look at the forest instead of the trees. Part of the reason I love doing doodles with pen is that it forces you to think about the lines you're making as you place ink on the paper.
Every now and then, I just make a mark and look at it for longer than I'd expect. I mean, it's there, existing, and waiting to be given context. You see, a line is just a line, until it meets other lines and becomes a picture. For a line to have meaning, it often needs to conform and disappear; which is a little weird.
There's something incredible about simple marks that have yet to realise their role in a larger composition. Alone, they are innocent and without form, while producing a flow of their own that was absent prior to their creation. It's a fragile existence to be a solitary line, which is sad and lonely until it has counterparts to compliment.
As more and more markings make their way to the stage, each individual line witnesses their own evolution. They gather in groups and touch each other gently. Sometimes it's hard to tell them apart, as they entwine and intermingle. What started as a singular elegance of promise and potential, soon solidifies into a ballroom of balance and cohesion.
A single line invites you to look closer, but many make you take a step back. The intrigue of ink bleeding out from a single stroke, turns into a fuzzy blend of multiple forms and friction. The picture finds itself in the sum of its parts that attract and repel each other in unison as they fight for the eye's attention.
This is a picture in its purity. This is why I love lines on paper, as they have their individual eccentricities until you take a step back and literally see the bigger picture. Lines need others to become greater than they could ever be on their own, but their solitude is beautiful. Just remember there's a limit to how far you can go.
Too many lines create competition and disharmony. Confusion reigns as scribbles masses jostle and fight for position. They're never allowed to rest and be the lines they were born to be. A lack of restraint can lead to the diminished importance of any line that would otherwise be a precise piece of the entire puzzle.
Restraint brings meaning by keeping it clear, unless your meaning is chaotic and confusion itself. Get too minimal and a picture lacks depth. Take it too far and nothing makes sense at all. This is what lines have taught me, and these lessons are as true in life as they are on the page.