How to Improve Your Drawing Skills through Incremental Growth

This week, we started a new semester at Barcelona Academy of Art. For some students, it is overwhelming to enter this environment. We tend to compare ourselves to others, and some of us feel out of place. We can fear that we might never be good enough. If you’ve had this experience, you are not alone.

Giving Up on Art

I’ve lived through long periods of intense frustration and hopelessness. I’ve given up and quit art on at least three occasions during the last 10 years. This just seems to be part of the journey for some people. Somehow I’ve stuck with it, and I’ve come to appreciate that the challenges have sweetened the triumphs.

Here are three images of the same idea. They are from 2004, 2006, and 2008. I admit that this is not the fastest learning curve, but it’s real growth!

I believe that with practice, growth is inevitable. The trick is to make it about incremental growth. One step at a time. Enjoying the journey.

You are invited to test this statement. If you doubt your ability to learn, make it an experiment. Commit to three months of regular practice and see what happens. Feel free to leave a comment below to commit. I offer my “virtual handshake”! 😊

How to get Unstuck in the Learning Process

What you can do if you feel stuck or filled with self-doubt:

1. Get Writing Materials
   Find a piece of paper and a pen.

2. Write
   Click here to set a timer for 5 minutes and write a description of your current situation. How do you feel? What is frustrating?

3. Gather
   When the time is up, click here to set a new timer for 10 minutes. Spend this time collecting as much of your past work as possible in one room.
   If you create mostly digitally, either print your images or collect them in a folder on your desktop.

4. Arrange
   Organize your work chronologically, from the oldest to the most recent.

5. Take it in
   Let your eyes glide over all these images. Allow the uniqueness of this evolution to wake your curiosity.

6. Make a list!
   Write down any improvements you notice as you look through these works.
   If you can’t find any, pull out work from further back in time. I promise you will see some growth!

7. Celebrate!
   Realize that you have come a long way from where you started. This means you are able to learn and improve. Take a moment to feel gratitude for everything you’ve learned. Feel gratitude for the opportunities for learning that life is presenting to you now.
   How do you feel now? Write down a new statement underneath what you wrote at the beginning of the exercise.

Ready? Do it now!