Shift Your Gaze

Drawing to Recalibrate What’s Real

Shift Your Gaze is currently on hiatus.
Get advance notice of the next session by adding your name to the waitlist.

What if you could shift how you’ve been programmed to perceive beauty?

With consistent looking and drawing, you’ll learn to appreciate beauty beyond what the media feeds us.

Begin to shift your gaze in just one session!

A collection of devices showing some of the images used in, and made during, Shift Your Gaze: Drawing to Recalibrate What's Real.

Are you tired of the unrealistic beauty standards mainstream media feeds us?

Do you struggle with that critical, judgy voice in your head?

Do you wish you could be kinder and more appreciative to yourself?

What if there was a way to pay attention to, admire, and appreciate a diverse range of human bodies?

What if, in the process, you could shift what you consider normal and beautiful?

What if you could practice this regularly?

This is exactly why I created Shift Your Gaze!

I want to help you recalibrate your view of beauty, and practice your skills at the same time.

You can begin shifting your gaze in just one session!

Join me for 4 sessions of drawing, via Zoom. Each 2 hour session is on Wed. evenings at 7pm EST. We will work from photos of people with a variety of bodies and facial features. As you look closely and draw what you see, you can’t help but appreciate the inherent beauty of humans. This combination of observation and representation is what shifts your perception of what’s normal, and expands your recognition of beauty.

Does this sound familiar?

You’re tired of seeing limited bodies in media and art.

You’re disappointed that you don’t see bodies like yours represented.

You wish you could see many kinds of bodies and skin colour celebrated.

Imagine if you could make that happen?
Imagine if YOU were drawing and painting the diversity of beauty we see in our everyday lives!

You can begin in our next drawing session!

Hi, I’m Alisa Singh!

I’m an artist and facilitator who values deep empathy and community-building. In pre-pandemic days, I drew people on my subway commute using my phone. All humans have inherent beauty, and drawing is a wonderful way to appreciate it.

I’m also a woman of colour who has arrived in middle age still struggling with body image, and feeling rather irate at the lack of diverse bodies in media and art.

I created Shift Your Gaze to solve two of my own problems: 1) to practice drawing, and 2) to recalibrate my own view of what is normal and beautiful.

I know I’m not alone in the desire to reprogram my judgements, so I want to help you recalibrate your views and practice your skills too!

When you sign up for Shift Your Gaze you’ll be invited to join me for weekly, live drawing sessions.

We will be drawing from photos and stills of people with a variety of bodies and faces, not the cookie-cutter kinds we’re used to seeing.

Each drawing session is two hours long, on Wednesdays from 7pm-9pm EST.
Here’s a timezone calculator if it’s helpful.

We begin with 5min and 10min warmups. Then we proceed into longer poses. This info will be posted in the Zoom chat at the beginning of the session.

There is a formal 15min break an hour in, but really, you can take a break whenever you need to.

What they’re saying about Shift Your Gaze

Liz Butler, Illustrator
@liz_lagomorph

“I’ve added more body types and shapes to my sketchbook and my skill set!”

I’ve always thought I appreciated diverse bodies, but when I flipped through my sketchbook I realized that I tend towards the same type of body and face. Alisa’s unique view point means she chooses subjects through her particular filter, and specifically for Shift Your Gaze. Drawing with her has added more body types and shapes to my sketchbook and my skill set.

And as a freelancer I spend a lot of time working on my own. Drawing in live, online sessions with Alisa and other participants feels like practicing in community, while being in the comfort and convenience of my own home. 

Faye Dirmeyer, Artist
@teatime.with.faye

“Shift Your Gaze has been an extremely positive experience for me.”

I love drawing and really want to draw more often. I probably wouldn’t have tried figure drawing on my own, and I wouldn’t have used timed poses. Shift Your Gaze gave me a reason to draw regularly, and gave me subjects that challenged my skills and my assumptions. Doing the warm ups and progression into longer poses was a new experience for me, and was really satisfying!

It can be so hard to figure out what’s real and what’s not in the media. Paying attention to, and drawing, different types of bodies means I’m now familiar with what real larger bodies look like. This knowledge helps me identify fake images where so-called plus size models are wearing padding. I know they’re not real, and therefore I don’t feel like something’s wrong with me. Shift Your Gaze has been an extremely positive experience for me.

Why it works

Spending time closely observing and drawing something, in this case a variety of bodies and faces, deepens your familiarity and appreciation of it. You don’t need fancy materials to do this work. A regular pencil and some paper from your printer will serve you well.

As we draw, we have the opportunity to discuss what we see. Doing so in a curious, kind, and appreciative way is how we re-program the critical voice in our heads. When we practice being kind and appreciative to other people, we come closer to doing it for ourselves.

FAQs

I would be thrilled to have you!

You do not need to be an “artist” to join us. Anyone who wants to, can draw.
You do not need to be skilled at drawing to observe and appreciate your subject. The act of drawing hones your observation skills, and you’re coming to observe and to practice. 

All people, even formally trained artists, need practice to improve their skills. If you don’t have much practice or training, this is a great opportunity.
You can draw in the privacy of your home, while getting the benefit of external accountability. You are not required to share your drawings. That said, sharing your work is the only way to get positive reinforcement and feedback.

Each 2 hour session is only $5.

The fees I collect are used for two purposes:
1)
compensating my time spent curating images and creating decks, as well as hosting weekly sessions;
2) a
ccumulating into a pool to pay content creators for using their existing body positive work.

There are lots of individuals sharing their body image journeys and pushing back on mainstream media. I want to use their work for our drawings, and I want to pay them for that work. Until I have enough to pay these individuals, I curate royalty-free images from the internet. Your participation gets me closer to this goal.

There are 4 drawing sessions offered in June 2022. Each on runs on a Wednesday evening at 7pm EST, for 2 hours.

  1. June 8 - Ella Fitzgerald
  2. June 15 - Janet Jackson
  3. June 22 - Lizzo
  4. June 29 - Bollywood Dancers

The drawing sessions run at 7pm Eastern Time, for 2 hours. Here's a handy timezone calculator if it's helpful.

The key to making change is consistency. To make the most of this opportunity I recommend committing to attending every week. This is a commitment to yourself and to your drawing practice. If you choose this option, you can purchase the Shift Your Gaze Bundle - June 2022. It gives your access to all 4 sessions for the cost of 3. That's an $80 value for only $60!

That said, you are welcome to purchase individual sessions if you prefer.

Not too much, honestly. You just need a pencil and some paper (printer paper, or even scrap paper, works just fine). If you have sketchbooks, or a drawing board, or wish to paint, that’s up to you. You’ll need your screen and a surface to work on. Whether that’s a desk or your couch is your choice! I recommend using the largest screen you have available. If you have access to a desktop monitor, or similar, you may find it easier to see the image we’re drawing from. Come with an open mind and a willingness to experiment. We’ll draw together.

When you log into Zoom, your mic and camera are automatically turned off. You are welcome to turn them on if you wish, but there’s no obligation to do so. I’ll be there with my camera and mic turned on. The number and duration of poses will be posted in the chat box. You can also use the chat box throughout the session. The duration of each post is listed on the slide, as well as the licensing info for the image. I will call out the timings during the pose and announce when we’re moving to the next one. I’m also drawing with you as we go!

There is no formal instruction offered in these sessions, they are not classes. You are welcome to throw questions out to the group if you need to. Keep in mind that everyone else is working on their drawings as well, so a satisfying response is not guaranteed.

If you are learning about figure drawing elsewhere, you are welcome to use our drawing sessions to practice what you learn!

I have hosted sessions using photos of Josephine Baker, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Tina Turner, Lizzo, and Dionne Warwick. Upcoming sessions offer images of Michelle Obama, Bollywood dancers, and Diana Ross. I hope to be able to include work from body positive content creators, and perhaps even offer my own photographs of normal people. I’m always on the lookout for new subjects, so feel free to offer suggestions!

I curate images that are either in the public domain, or that have Creative Commons licenses that allow reproduction. Each image we use is credited and has a link to the license terms.

Yes, you will need a Zoom account. If you don’t already have one you can sign up for a free one at https://zoom.us/pricing.

Nope, you are welcome to keep your mic and camera off if that feels better for you. The chat box will be open, and you’re welcome to communicate that way if you wish.

Not at all. Your drawings are for you, for the sake of your practice.

If you’d like to share your work, I would be very happy to see it! If you do, you can use the hashtag #shiftyourgaze and tag me on Instagram or Twitter. You can also email me pictures if you prefer.

People who enjoy drawing. They may be professional or hobby artists, or even people who don’t identify as artists at all.
People who need some external accountability to maintain their practice.
People, usually women, who are interested in shifting their perception of beauty and what’s normal. 

Come and practice drawing what you see. This practice works double duty in that you get a chance to appreciate normal, non-mainstream people while you draw. All levels of expertise are welcome.

If any of this resonates, Shift Your Gaze is for you!

All prices are in CAD.

When you place your order, you can either pay by credit card or PayPal. Either option will convert to Canadian currency automatically.

Please get in touch and let me know. I will do my best to reschedule your session. 

I do not offer refunds at this time.

Who is Shift Your Gaze for?

>> People, usually women, who are interested in shifting their perception of beauty and what’s normal. 
>> People who enjoy drawing. They may be professional or hobby artists, or even people who don’t identify as artists at all.
>> People who need some external accountability to maintain their practice.

What participants have to say

Faye Dirmeyer, Artist
@teatime.with.faye

“Now I have a book filled with my own beautiful drawings!”

I’ve been dragging my feet with my drawing practice, I kept putting it off. But now I have a book filled with my own beautiful drawings that I love to look through. And my kids love looking through it too!

I love drawing, but sometimes struggle with deciding what, of the billions of possibilities, I should draw. It’s freeing to show up to Shift Your Gaze knowing that Alisa will provide high quality subjects to draw from. She also often shares additional info she’s learned while we draw. Learning these little tidbits about our subject makes the sessions even more fun.

Jen Burgess, Artist Mentor
@isolinestudios

“Shift Your Gaze is the perfect chance to level up your skills.”

As a professional artist I have learned to draw most things accurately. But drawing people is difficult, even for me…that’s my growth edge. Our brains are so familiar with bodies and faces that we see mistakes more easily; we are inclined to judge our work more harshly. When we get it right, we know we’re right, but when we miss certain details our drawing can look like a different person. Consistent practice is needed to bridge this gap, and being patient and compassionate with ourselves while learning is equally important. Shift Your Gaze is the perfect chance to level up these important skills.

Liz Butler, Illustrator
@liz_lagomorph

Looking at human bodies without judgment, and with appreciation, is radical.”

I have that critical voice in my head, as we all do, so quick to pass judgment on others and myself. Looking at human bodies without judgment, and with appreciation, is radical. That’s what I get to practice while drawing during Shift Your Gaze: radical acceptance, right in my sketchbook.

How does this work?

  1. Click any of the orange buttons on this page, or click here, to add your name to the waitlist.
  2. You will be the first to be notified of the next session of Shift Your Gaze.

Refund Policy

If you cannot attend a session you purchased, please get in touch and I will do my best to reschedule your session.
I do not offer refunds at this time.

Imagine what you could do!

Shift Your Gaze

Drawing to Recalibrate What’s Real

With consistent looking and drawing, you’ll learn to appreciate beauty beyond what the media feeds us.

Begin your shift in just one session!

Are you ready to Shift Your Gaze?

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