In reading our current issue of Fast Company, we came across a short article that seems to have some value for artists. Dr. K. Anders Ericsson, professor of psychology, Florida State University, has studied and interviewed successful professionals for 25 years. The point he makes in his research is that most successful experts in a given field (say painting, for example) simply DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY from the rest.
Here are a few quotes from the article:
"...no characteristic of the brain or body constrains an individual from reaching an expert level"
"Elite performers engage in 'deliberate practice' - an effortful activity designed to improve target performance"
"You have to seek out situations where you get feedback [about your performance]. It's a myth that you get better when you just do the things you enjoy."
If you're interested in K. Anders Ericsson's research, get his books here:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?ATH=K.+Anders+Ericsson&z=y
Coincidently as we were reading this article, we received an email from an art teacher who wrote, "I have a painting student who is pushing my other students to do this "painting a day every day". It's driving me crazy. Yes, it's one way to put in the necessary brush time/practice, but she is also avoiding drawing classes, etc. This appeals to the students who like the idea of a quick fix to becoming accomplished painters."
People may like the idea of a quick fix, but, alas, there is no quick fix. We call ourselves an "art fanatic" because we love art. We peck away at the keyboard, hoping to provide something useful that helps you, artists, leave a legacy of wonderful art on this earth. Don't chase fads, but rather use your marketing to show the world the best you can do.
Bottom line: To continue to improve your art, you must create a situation where you intentionally seek out constant improvement. Seek out ways to stretch yourself. Seek out honest feedback. Be Deliberate.
Remember, the old saying is wrong. Practice DOESN'T make perfect. PERFECT PRACTICE makes perfect.
That's my view, post a reply and send me yours.
Sincerely,
Clint Watson
Software Craftsman and Art Fanatic
PS: "If you stop learning, you will forget what you already know." (Proverbs 19:27 CEV)
via web
Many are not willing to put in the time. Another teacher told a student who wanted to learn how to paint to go home,
paint a hundred canvases and only then come back to learn how to paint. That may have seemed cruel, but the idea was spot on. I was painting outdoors one day and fellow with a paint kit asked if he could paint beside me, I said sure. He told me he just started painting a week ago.
Four weeks later after giving him my email address, he emailed me to tell me he was in a show at a local gallery.
Another genius on the fast track to fame and fortune.
We don't teach new painters what it takes to produce good art because we've lowered the bar as to what good art is.
Those who rise to the top in this business have or will sweat blood emotionally, financially, personally before they will be called true artists. And many will go unsung. Because they will produce art the touches the soul and is not made for the quick buck and rebuked by the "galleries".
There are hordes of artists throughout history that never saw monitary reward for there work while alive. We love the success stories. We don't want to put in the time and effort it really takes to acheive that success. We want it handed to us in the form of secrets. The secret to life and painting is...there are no secrets.