"Let's draw the sound of rain!"
I was at a summer illustration short course at the local art university, and it was my first time trying to visualise the invisible. All my classmates were either art or design students or graduates, which made me nervous as I hadn't studied art at a university or an art school.
While my classmates began drawing without hesitation, I stared at the white ceiling with its Victorian cornice. My paper remained blank, and I felt pressure in my body, so I moved my hand without knowing what to draw.
Suddenly, the image of Hokusai's Ukiyoe print popped into my mind - a few people walking on a wooden bridge in the rain. As a child, I collected many credit-card-sized Ukiyoe print cards that were enclosed in rice seasoning packets in Japan.
I picked up my pen and drew some lines, water rings, and splashes. I wasn't sure if I had completed the activity as intended, but I enjoyed the experience of thinking about visualising the invisible.
After completing the activity, we saw each other's work - a splash of blue ink, dots, raindrops, etc. The work clearly spoke about our personal experiences and relationships with the rain.
Since then, I have been contemplating visualising the invisible.