Endurance drawing
“You might be feeling down and like you don’t have control over anything in life. If you can have control over a daily practice, even something as simple as daily drawing, you have something hugely impactful and empowering.” —Sofia Ramirez Hernandez
For over a decade, Sofia Ramirez Hernandez has drawn every single day. “It’s what I call my non-negotiable daily practice,” says Hernandez. She describes her reasoning for her daily dose of creating art, “Some people chuckle because it’s like self-imposed homework. But most things in life require dedication and consistency. When I take a step back, I notice it’s these small efforts that don’t feel impressive or satisfying in the moment of the daily grind, that take on a special meaning.”
Hernandez has applied this principle of daily practice to other aspects of life, including running. Hernandez, thirty-four year old artist based in western Michigan, has completed many local trail and road running races. She also works as a program director/coach for No Surrender Running Club based in Grand Rapids, MI, a position that was created for her after a year of volunteering for the organization. Hernandez’s daily art practice, as well as her other daily practices of running and coaching have allowed her to overcome tough times in life, find personal growth, and express herself as she sees herself (not as someone else sees her).
But growth and discovery through her drawing streak (and the rest of life) has been far from linear. “When I started the drawing streak, I wanted to see how much better I could become. Much to my surprise, I’ve gotten worse, gotten better, gotten worse, gotten better. It hasn’t been this steady improvement I first expected.”
Much like an ultramarathon, riding the highs and lows, to the finish (or in some cases not finishing) is how most of us learn to experience this sport.
A collage by Sofia Ramirez Hernandez.
Sofia Ramirez Hernandez: It’s not about the streak
After only a year into Hernandez’s daily drawing practice, she almost quit. Hernandez misplaced her art booklet that contained all of her drawings from the first year of the streak. The thought of not having the art to show for her streak became a tremendous source of stress that left her in tears. It became a crucial moment in the project where she came to terms with her real motivations for the daily drawing streak, “When I lost the book, I thought this is either the moment to quit or it’s a sign that I’m doing this for something more. With personal or moral failures like this, it can be challenging to give ourselves the grace to get back to that thing that gives us energy and strength. For me, that’s the act of drawing everyday, not the act of keeping up a streak and having a book to show for it.”
Hernandez recently learned a similar lesson in an ultramarathon she attempted to run last year. She describes the experience, “I got a big old DNF (did not finish). I had a wonderful GI emergency, losing control out of both ends! But that performance had nothing to do with how strong my training was leading up to this event. I spent the next few months beating myself up about how that performance went, forgetting about the months of training I did and how strong I felt on many of those days. Finding celebration in the act of my daily running is what I remind myself is always most important.”
Sofia Ramirez Hernandez and her art.
Less grind, more grace
Hernandez aims to bring more grace to the trail running community. While running often glorifies the ‘grind’ or ability to push through the pain, she’s discovered that this is not necessarily the best way to stay connected with the passion that fuels healthy running habits. She shares this attitude, which she came to appreciate through her drawing streak, “There were other days that I drew through immense difficulty, or days where it would have been easier not to draw (days in the hospital, long days of travel, etc.),” she continues, “It’s cool to have the strength to work through those days, to look back on them with pride, but it is also a double edged sword. We can become really hard on ourselves if we miss a day for whatever reason. This is something I would love to see change in the world of running.”
Hernandez has cultivated this grace over grind mentality through other aspects of her life including coaching, working with kids, and practicing a favorite pastime in her life, karaoke (Hernandez prides herself as an expert in “Dental hygienist rock.” Think Jewel, Sheryl Crow, etc.). Hernandez speaks more on her aim to bring more attitudes of self grace to trail running, “In art, education, and karaoke I see so many people that are extremely hard on themselves. People are brutal on themselves and about their voices in karaoke especially! Running is the same. I”ve learned to practice self grace in all of these other areas of my life and it is something I hope to bring to the world of endurance running.”
Sofia Ramirez Hernandez at the US Trail Running Conference in 2024.
I’m going super hard…at the US Trail Running Conference
I’m going *super* hard in therapy right now. Self love is real love. These humorous/motivational phrases captured the attention of the 2024 US Trail Running Conference attendees who had the pleasure of connecting with Hernandez, a first-time conference attendee. She gifted stickers with these phrases and her other artwork throughout the conference.
While Hernandez considers herself a newbie trail runner, she came to the conference to learn and bring ideas for the No Surrender running club she coaches for. The majority of members of this club are people of color and/or are immigrants, and Hernandez (herself an immigrant from Mexico) speaks on how running can benefit these communities, “In my coaching, I encourage the attitude necessary for cultivating a healthy relationship to running. Our club pushes back against the overly competitive attitudes that I see weigh athletes down, or at least don’t do them any favors. This club becomes a wholesome place of community building.”
She continues, explaining the challenges of introducing running to underprivileged populations, “What room is there for running in a community that doesn’t have enough calories in the day? Why would someone sign up for a race to voluntarily suffer when they’re already suffering? These are the kinds of large questions we consider when encouraging healthier relationships with running.”
While the club focuses largely on road running, the interest for trail running is growing significantly. “The trail running conference was a huge inspiration to start expanding our trail focus. We’re really excited about the future of trail running in our club and we’ve already had much interest from our runners.”
At the races with Sofia Ramirez Hernandez.
Art is accessible empowerment
Hernandez views art as one of the best ways to combat depression and empower oneself. She discovered that no matter how simply she drew on her drawing streak, the act of doing so could bring a sense of liberation, “The thought was to create a low benchmark (literally sometimes my daily art is as simple as drawing a few lines or a phrase on a page!) because I couldn’t perform the most basic daily tasks during my lowest lows. When depression became so debilitating that I couldn’t get up to shower, brush my teeth, eat or even get out of bed, I was able to empower myself by committing to drawing every single day. I can say that I’ve drawn daily more often than I’ve brushed my teeth, exercised or made my bed.”
Recognizing the value of art for self-empowerment, Hernandez has made her art as accessible to as many communities as possible—particularly among youth. For those under eighteen, she offers a fifty percent discount on all of her art. She also prioritizes more affordable art mediums such as prints and stickers. “Kids are the best art collectors. They get so excited about it and that’s who I want to have my art most.”
Self representation
Hernandez has often been told who she is or has been represented by others, “As an immigrant, woman of color, and a queer woman, being able to represent and depict myself however I want through art feels really powerful.” She continues on how she hopes to challenge female representation in art by male artists, “Why is it okay for me to be represented by a male artist? I take that control into my own hands and choose how I want to be represented as a woman.”
Hernandez has also found herself representing herself as an athlete in her art, a part of herself she admits she is still discovering, “In the past several years, I’ve been representing myself more as an athlete. Growing up, I didn’t feel like a strong athlete. I didn’t think that I deserved to call myself an athlete and that carried over into my adulthood. While I’m not necessarily competing as an elite athlete or anything, it’s become a large part of my identity and a new way I’ve viewed myself.”
Inspired by Sofia Ramirez Hernandez.
Sofia Ramirez Hernandez: Miles of inspiration
Based in Western Michigan, Hernandez has run on picturesque trails in dunes, forest and along Lake Michigan that have become a large part of her artwork. She describes how her trail running and nature art drawing practices compliment one another, “I’m almost always drawing what I see when I’m running. The reason that I really enjoy drawing the dunes and the views that I see when I’m running is because the photos don’t do it justice. I feel like the photos don’t quite capture the light and the vibe. That’s something that I really enjoy and aim for when I’m drawing the views that I see.” While there are so many beautiful nature areas and trail systems to draw throughout the country, Hernandez has a special affection for Western Michigan, “For the past few years, I’ve been considering moving somewhere else just to try something new, but Lake Michigan is spectacular and keeps pulling me back!”
Learn more about Hernandez and find her artwork at her Instagram and website. Follow her at her next art event, the Detroit Zine Fest on April 5, 2025. Hernandez explains her excitement for this upcoming event, “ZINEs are about meeting other radically minded people and that’s something that I’m interested in. They’re a cost effective way of disseminating information, so they’d always been popular with feminist, anti-racism groups, and anarchists. People come together to build a better world with the various strengths they have as artists.”
