I always carry a sketchbook with me, just in case inspiration strikes while I'm commuting on public transport, sitting in a cafe, or meeting friends. Unfortunately, inspiration doesn’t come as often as I'd like. Thankfully, this time was different.
I consider myself fortunate to have a friend living in Sweden, and even luckier to have received an invitation to visit her. We planned a short city break for a weekend. That's how I found myself on an airport flying from Charleroi in Belgium to Stockholm on a random Friday in December.
Some claim that airports are places with no rules. This saying might have been invented as an excuse to enjoy a glass of Belgian beer at 7AM before a flight. That morning, the ratio of beer drinkers to coffee enthusiasts was the opposite of what you'd expect elsewhere. For me, this lack of conventional norms meant I could observe and sketch people without being noticed. They were either too sleepy, anxious about flying, or engrossed in their phones or books to pay any attention.
Arriving at the airport two hours ahead of time, I patiently waited for boarding. I attempted to read a book and scrolled through social media before deciding to grab my pen and sketchbook. As I put my pen over the paper, inspiration struck suddenly. Looking around, I noticed a diverse array of faces, people constantly on the move, changing seats, hurrying, and deciding what to snack on from the vending machines. There was an old man with a goatee, a family eagerly anticipating their long-awaited reunion in Tenerife, and a young man absorbed in a now almost 'vintage' newspaper. I could have made up more stories and then I heard the announcement - my flight was delayed by 3 hours.
Suprisingly, it made me happy. Three more hours gifted to observe strangers and immortalize them in my notebook. Beards, headphones, topknots, flowing coats, overpriced bottles of water, spectacles, solo travelers, curls, bulging backpacks, children immersed in iPads, weary flight attendants, long scarves, broad-brimmed hats, shiny bald heads, laptops, and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee—all found their place within the pages of my sketchbook. None of this would have been noticed by me if it hadn’t been for bad visibility on the runway.
