I covered an entire room in paper — floor, walls, ceiling — and handed people charcoal. No instructions, no rules, no artist statement on the wall telling them what to think.
I wanted to see what happens when you remove every barrier between a person and mark-making. No sketchbook, no “right way” to do it, no audience judging the result. Just you, a stick of charcoal, and a surface that goes in every direction.
What came out of it was raw and collective. Strangers drawing next to each other, on top of each other’s marks, forgetting anyone was watching. Kids went wild. Adults started tentative and then let go. By the end of each session the room was completely transformed.
It taught me something I already suspected — everyone can draw. Most people just need permission. The Charcoal Room gave them that permission.