Know Your Lines

As a professional doodler, I spend a lot of time with lines. They give shape to my thoughts, allow me to play “artist,” and empower me to express myself in ways beyond mere words. I’m grateful I can draw them, and strive to give them purpose.

So it doesn’t surprise me that I woke up thinking about lines the other day, and went down to my studio to draw a collection of them on the white board.

Here’s what came up.

Dividing Line

This is the first line I drew. It feels like the primary line of our times. The way many of us see the world. I would argue this line causes problems instead of bringing solutions. I would also argue it too often leads to the last example on this page.

Continuum Line

Most of the time, things aren’t “black and white,” “us vs. them,” but a continuum between one extreme and the other. And there are a lot of continuums, with plot points all over the place.

Connection Line

This line bring things — and people — together. Without them, forms don’t take shape, things don’t get done, and we’re left in isolation. You might say that connection lines are the foundation of life. Need convincing? Read this book by Lawrence Kushner.

Growth Line

I sometimes wonder if we’re too obsessed with this line (especially here in the U.S.). I worry it’s an addiction we can’t drop, evidenced by our pursuit of growth at the expense of the planet. (Have you read Sapiens?)

Map Line

Most of us pull up a map almost every day. Between Waze, Google and Apple, I doubt we’d make it to our destinations without them. But if you’re like me, you don’t actually use the map; you just follow directions. We may be getting from point A to point B, but are we learning much about the journey itself?

Line of Sight

An important line for goal setting. If you can’t see it, how are you going to know what to aim for?

Timeline

When I think about timelines I pause to wonder: What am I actually doing with my time? How much of it is spent on other people’s priorities instead of my own?

Fold Line

This is the stuff of paper. Airplanes, Origami, a string of snowflakes. When was the last time you used a sheet of paper for anything but work? Maybe it’s time to take a break and be a kid for a minute.

Plumb Line

For those who don’t know, a plumb line uses the earth’s gravity to drop a perfect vertical line by means of a weight and string. They’re used to determine if your structures are vertically “true.” Plumb lines are quick, simple, and always dead accurate. Metaphorically, I want more plumb lines in my life.

Guidelines

Well-established guidelines are so helpful, aren’t they? And so much better than “rules.” Don’t tell me what to do, just give me a goal and useful guidance on what’s important to think about. I’ll take it from there.

Fishing Lines

Question: What do you want to capture in the world, and what kind of bait is on your hook?

Waiting Lines

Good things may come to those who wait, but I’ll admit it: I hate waiting.

Line in the Sand

I don’t spend much time with this line. It’s threatening, divisive and just bad juju. This is the stuff of bullies, and we all know that bullies and sand don’t mix.

Last Line

I believe it’s worth time thinking about the lines in our lives and being more intentional about them. Maybe then we’d see a lot less of this next one.

Thanks for reading.