Practice Makes Progress – Artist Blog

Practice Make Perfect…

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “Practice Makes Perfect.” This phrase always kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Perhaps, it was because I am a bit of a perfectionist – well maybe more than a bit – maybe if I’m really honest with myself I’m an extreme perfectionist. And yeah – I really struggle sometimes with a healthy view my art work and even myself.

Living by a New Motto…

That’s why I decided to tweak this phrase just a smidge – in 2019 I didn’t want to strive for perfection but rather for progress. Because who really wants to live up to an unattainable goal anyway? And what does perfection really look like anyway – especially when it comes to art? But I can always strive for progress – because progress is measurable and attainable. Like right now – I know I can always make progress on how I draw people. I can study proportion and anatomy and work on gesture drawings with achievable goals. I’m not perfect at it and probably never will be – but I can see progress and that’s all that matters.

For you – it may be a watercolor technique – such as a smooth flat wash – or shading – or something else entirely. One thing I’m sure of – Life isn’t meant to be lived in the shadow of perfection but rather to be lived in the joy of progress. So let’s progress together on this wonderful art journey and strive to be better one step at a time.