9:59
How to love drawing (even if you're not good at it)
pikat
Overview
This video explores how to find enjoyment in drawing, even when progress feels slow or results are disappointing. It challenges the common belief that enjoyment only comes from being good at something, using examples like Andre Agassi and Michelangelo. The speaker argues that focusing on the process, embracing mistakes as learning opportunities, and understanding the purpose behind practice are more sustainable sources of motivation than solely relying on final outcomes or rapid progress. Ultimately, the video suggests that finding a personalized approach to practice, one that aligns with individual personality and preferences, is key to long-term engagement and enjoyment in art.
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Chapters
- Many people believe that drawing is only enjoyable when you are good at it.
- This belief is flawed; even highly skilled individuals like Andre Agassi and Michelangelo have expressed dissatisfaction or dislike for their crafts.
- While satisfying results can make practice more tolerable, they cannot be the sole reason for drawing.
- Social media often presents a curated highlight reel, masking the numerous mistakes even professional artists make.
Understanding that enjoyment doesn't solely stem from skill helps reframe our expectations and reduces the pressure to be perfect from the start.
Andre Agassi, a world-class tennis player, famously stated he hated tennis, demonstrating that mastery doesn't guarantee enjoyment.
- Bad drawings, defined as those the artist is unsatisfied with, are not a sign of being a bad artist but a necessary part of the learning process.
- Avoiding mistakes and failure can hinder growth by depriving oneself of learning opportunities.
- Children often learn skills more easily because they have lower initial expectations and are less discouraged by imperfect results.
- Accepting and learning from mistakes, rather than striving for immediate perfection, is crucial for artistic development.
Shifting the perspective on 'bad' drawings from failures to essential learning experiences can reduce frustration and encourage persistence.
The speaker recounts their past refusal to make mistakes, which ultimately stunted their growth and learning.
- Beginners often experience quick gains, but progress slows significantly as skill increases.
- Long periods of apparent stagnation, known as plateaus, are common and difficult to overcome.
- Relying solely on visible progress as a motivator is unreliable, especially for intermediate and advanced learners.
- Learning art takes a very long time, often much longer than beginners anticipate.
Recognizing that progress is rarely linear or consistently visible helps manage expectations and prevents discouragement during inevitable learning plateaus.
Comparing early drawing improvement to the initial rapid gains seen when starting a new fitness routine, which then slows down considerably.
- Focusing on the 'process'—the act of creation itself—can be a source of joy.
- Drawing can be viewed as a form of problem-solving or puzzle-solving, akin to navigating an open-world video game.
- The challenge lies in figuring out how to visually communicate ideas and overcome complexities, like simplifying the human body into basic shapes.
- Even when practice feels tedious (e.g., drawing 100 boxes), understanding the purpose and how it leads to future skills can make it more engaging.
By reframing drawing as an engaging process of exploration and problem-solving, rather than just a means to a perfect end, learners can find intrinsic motivation.
Comparing the drawing process to an open-world video game where obstacles are encountered and overcome as they arise, rather than a linear path.
- Connect studies to their ultimate benefit, such as understanding how drawing boxes helps in constructing figures.
- Transform tedious exercises into something more appealing, like turning face studies into character designs.
- When exercises are inherently uninteresting, use external motivators like music or videos.
- Make practice a social activity by drawing with friends or streaming online.
- Accepting imperfect practice is often better than striving for optimal methods and burning out.
Implementing varied strategies to make practice more engaging increases the likelihood of consistent effort and long-term habit formation.
Turning repetitive head and face studies into unique character designs that the artist is more interested in drawing.
- There is no single 'best' or 'most efficient' way to practice art that works for everyone.
- Different personalities require different approaches; what works for a 'lazy' person might not work for a disciplined one.
- Understanding your own personality, motivations, and limitations is crucial for creating a sustainable practice plan.
- The goal is to find a method that allows you to keep drawing and enjoying the journey, even if it's not perfectly optimal.
Tailoring your learning approach to your individual needs and personality is essential for overcoming challenges and maintaining a lifelong engagement with art.
The speaker acknowledges their own laziness and preference for fun, contrasting it with potentially more efficient but less enjoyable methods that might suit others.
Key takeaways
- Enjoyment in art comes from the process and learning, not solely from achieving perfect results.
- Mistakes are valuable learning opportunities, not indicators of failure.
- Artistic progress is often slow and non-linear; don't rely solely on visible improvement for motivation.
- Viewing drawing as a problem-solving process can make it more engaging than focusing on the final product.
- Connecting practice exercises to their purpose can increase motivation.
- Making practice social or incorporating enjoyable elements can sustain effort.
- The most effective practice strategy is one that is personalized to your own personality and preferences.
Key terms
Art studiesProcrastinationSemantic encodingElaborative processingRetrieval cuesHighlight reelPlateauProcessVisual communicationPractice strategies
Test your understanding
- Why is the idea that enjoyment only comes from being good at something a flawed perspective in art?
- How can viewing 'bad drawings' as learning opportunities change an artist's approach to practice?
- What are the limitations of using visible progress as the primary motivator for learning a skill like drawing?
- How does framing drawing as a problem-solving activity, similar to an open-world game, enhance the learning process?
- Why is it important to personalize your art practice strategy instead of seeking a one-size-fits-all solution?