Exeter Connects: Draw a Flatter Curve

By Amy Lum

As many Exonians grapple with spare time, lower Emma Chen, senior Gloria Sun and uppers Scarlett Lin and Ailla Crossman have created a way to keep people connected while doing what they love. The Instagram page @drawaflattercurve encourages people to stay indoors while also developing their drawing skills and having fun.

Chen brainstormed the project several months ago, long before COVID-19 became a household phrase. After hearing from her friends overseas, Chen realized people were having trouble keeping themselves occupied in their homes while trying to stay safe. Inspired by Inktober, an Instagram challenge that has one prompt for each day of October, Chen came up with pieces of a project that would eventually become @drawaflattercurve.

Each day since March 29, a unique prompt has been posted on @drawaflattercurve. Sun explained that one of the goals was to make sure everyone could participate. “We tried to incorporate some easier prompts because we know there are people of a range of different artistic skills following our account. So we sometimes do simple prompts such as ‘draw a smile’ or like today’s prompt, ‘draw some clouds.’”

Sun also incorporated some prompts that are Exeter-specific, such as a favorite memory on the Exeter campus.

However, the prompts are not meant to restrict or limit in any way. “People can generally start out with the prompts and then discover in the drawing process what they really hope to create,” Sun said.

Upper Audrey Yin was one of the many artists who participated in @drawaflattercurve. For prompt three, “draw someone you’re grateful for,” Yin drew her close friend Morgan Lee. “Art is a really cool [and a] different way to make people feel appreciated. The fact that someone would put in the time to like draw something or like write a song for you… shows appreciation in a really unique way.”

Crossman believes that this account will foster more connections between Exonians. Though it cannot replace in-person interactions, “seeing how we each interpret a prompt can start a conversation or simply give us a look into each other’s lives, like a casual conversation at school might.”

Yin noted the flexibility of drawing as an artistic medium. “Especially with things like social media… drawing is one of the few things right now that are tangibly connecting all of us,” Yin said. “You can make art anywhere.”

Although commonly portrayed as an individual activity, according to Chen, art can also be very collaborative. “[For example], if someone’s drawing a bird, and I [also] drew a bird, [it’s helpful because] I was trying to get the wings right, and I can see how they got them right. You can see what they were thinking about through how they chose the colors and shapes and all that. It feels like a very personal connection.”

Drawing has not only brought people together—@drawaflattercurve has also connected owners with their pets. Sun contributed a few drawings to the account, one being of her corgi. Though her corgi is back in China, Sun sees him through a video camera. “I ​am just really moved ​and inspired by how even though he has to stay home now and he hasn't seen us, he’s still really happy and content,” Sun said.

Lin expressed her joy in the success of the account. “Looking back at when this all first started, I am really proud of how far we have come. We would feature one and other’s work and send positive thoughts to each other. Art… unites us from around the world.”

Upper Daniel Cui encouraged others to participate in the challenge. “Art is such a potent medium for relaxation and entertainment,” she said. “You don’t need to be ‘good’ at art or have professional tools to have fun with it, so don’t be scared to put yourself out there. Pencils, crayons, whatever you have works!”

Art can also provide a ray of light in an uncertain time, Chen observed. Early on when the account was first created, Chen posted a drawing of herself, sitting on a plane with the window facing the sun. When recalling the moment, Chen said: “It [was] a really scary feeling because it's [a] confined space and everyone’s wearing masks, [and there’s] people all around you...But I just remember when we were flying it was near sunset or sunrise. I was messed up by jet lag, but the light shining in just seemed really hopeful. It was such a beautiful scene.”