News — Process
Performance vs Practice
Sometimes an idea hits at exactly the right moment. A week sooner or later and maybe it wouldn't have had the same effect. Thinking about my work day as practice time and performance time helps me set better goals and gauge my daily efforts in a more realistic way. (Video after jump.)
Teeny Tiny Itty Bitty Goals
Learning to draw and paint is about learning the art of micro negotiations with yourself. You’ll be doing them a thousand times a month. Even though theoretically you want to learn to paint, you’ll be trying to find excuses NOT to do it more than you’ll actually be doing it.
Rhythm and Rest
One of my goals this year is to establish good studio habits. Looking back over the past few months, I feel good about how far I’ve come although I do have a long way to go. I’m finding I need a combination of daily projects and breaks. For example, I’m loosely following along with the 100 day project even though many of my daily drawings aren’t posted. Having something to do every work day gives me a daily rhythm that helps me ease into my day. On the flip side, I’m giving myself permission to work a five day work...
Daily Doubles
The summer before my sophomore year of high school, I jogged 5 miles each and every morning. I woke before the sun, met my best friend, and together we did the 60 minute circuit Monday through Friday. I was probably in the best shape of my life. So it was much to my surprise when we arrived to day one of our daily soccer doubles to find that I was winded beyond belief after our very first set of sprints. “But I jogged every day ALL SUMMER” I whined to my coach.“Long distance running isn’t the same as sprints,” he...
Roses are Red (But Some Are Actually Other Colors)
I haven’t always loved roses. In fact, for most of my life I associated them with lame apologies. As someone stoically unromantic, roses became a symbol of so many things I disliked. Why give roses when you could give daffodils or sweet peas or any number of interesting flowers? Looking back, that dislike came from having very little experience with roses. All I knew were the red ones that showed up (or, um, didn’t) at valentine’s day. It’s possible that had I understood the depth of the rose family I would have come to appreciate their charms at a much...