Practice Makes Better
I grew up hearing the saying, “Practice makes perfect.”
It was a phrase I picked up in school, usually while being taught the value of hard work.
But in my art.
In my health.
And even in my relationships.
Perfect isn’t a real thing.
So it seems silly to measure myself against impossible standards I fabricate in my own head.
That’s why I started telling my art students, “Practice makes better.”
Because it’s simply true.
Whatever we practice grows stronger.
That might be a bad attitude.
Or an incredible art skill.
If I do something often enough, I get better at it.
I’m practicing a more fluid art style this summer.
It’s something I’ve been reaching toward for as long as I can remember.
And you might be able to see small signs of it in the work I’ve made until now.
I’m finding it surprisingly hard to practice restraint when it comes to detail.
To resist making every small area “perfect” when I’m looking closely.
Because when I step away and take in the whole painting.
I want it to hold movement and flow.
To exist somewhere between realism and fantasy.
Restraint and abundance.
I want it to feel more like me.
Trying to loosen perfectionism’s grip.
