Each month Tough Guy Book Club sets a challenge to all members with the aim of adding something to their story. Sometimes the challenge will really push you outside of your comfort zone. In June, the TGBC goons were thrown a real curveball: time to dig deep and show off their artistic flair. For the #artgang challenge, goons were asked to create a self-portrait—using any medium they wanted, as long as it wasn’t digital.
When this month’s challenge was read out at the meetings, there were a few sideways glances and a flash of fear on some faces. Let’s be real: showing your "arty" side and sharing it with a bunch of men you barely know can feel daunting. Most of us hadn’t picked up a pencil or brush since we were kids, and one goon even admitted he hadn’t drawn in over 40 years! But with over 200 self-portraits posted, what started as an intimidating task turned into a massive display of grit, creativity, and guts.
The most popular choice was classic pencil or pen on paper, with skills ranging from stick figures to seriously impressive sketches. But we also saw some out-of-the-box approaches using paint, linocut, crayon, felt, stencil, wood, collages, matchsticks, chalk, coffee, and even gingerbread!
One of the most creative and industrious was Neil Grant’s Swatchbuckler portrait. Combining a trip to the local paint shop with this challenge proved a masterstroke in can-do attitude and non-conformist thinking. This skillfully cut and glued collage of paint swatches deserves a place in the art history books to be studied for generations. Neil admitted that the “bold graphic style and cubist bastardry is testament to the limited skill of the artist”. But we think this just shows that TGBC goons are willing to take on a difficult challenge and give it a crack. This challenge proved that TGBC isn’t just a book club; we are diverse, talented, and downright creative.
Tanay Kumar from the Thornbury VIC chapter summed it up best: I don’t draw or paint at all but gave this challenge a crack to see what would happen. I might actually try to do more, as I enjoyed doing this one.” His words rang true for a lot of us, with more than a few goons deciding to keep at it.
This wasn’t an easy challenge, but the TGBC goons took it on with their usual mix of humour and camaraderie. Some even took inspiration from the greats—throwing out Picasso-inspired faces, Magritte-style surrealism, and even a Matt Groening inspired portrait. Others went for anime, caricatures, or whatever they could comfortably draw. Each post was met with honest support, because that’s what TGBC’s all about—having a laugh, giving something new a go, and discovering skills we didn’t even know we had.
By the end of the month, we’d amassed enough self-portraits to fill a gallery. Who knows? One day, the world might just see the #artgang exhibition at the NGV or MOMA. Until then, we’ll keep creating, keep supporting, and keep proving that TGBC isn’t afraid to get a little arty.
