Hey y’all! I haven’t posted a rambling article in a while. I often get asked about the one advice that I would give an absolute art beginner and while I know how tricky it is to be a beginner at anything really, I also know how bad some advice could be because in the very beginning, is where it is the easiest to make a choice between giving up and growing. So, here is my advice to absolute art beginners.
Why is getting started really hard?
Getting started in anything in life is inevitably hard. It comes with a rooted fear of failure, overwhelm, a chronic self doubting feeling, and a lot of self-sabotage. Art particularly is a very vast and challenging endeavor to take on. Since our childhood, if we didn’t grow up with an artist figure, we hear that the art world is not for everyone. Only geniuses and the elite have access to purchasing, understanding and practicing art.
I talk more about this in my article: “Why does creativity matter: 4 Reasons Everyone Should practice a Creative Skill”
However, if you never start something, you will never master anything. We all have to start somewhere and for that we need to fight the urge to hinder our own growth and remain stagnant.
What advice is bad advice to give to art beginners?
Telling them that they need a plan and that art has tens of aspects that they should never skip. This is the worse advice I was personally given. Luckily, I didn’t give up on creating because I enjoyed it so much and didn’t really aim to have it as a career. But bombarding a beginner with a long to-do list is never a good idea.
If I was to give one advice to absolute art beginners…
Go shopping for some art supplies, and make sure you get excited about your next project and the process of art making. Grab a piece of paper, make art, and keep on making it. That’s all you need to know. The most important thing for you as a beginner is to spend time doing the actual thing. Establish a connection with your canvas or paper. Paint, draw, and create. Get a feel of different mediums before you settle and pick a favorite. Have fun and be curious.
Whatever you decide on starting, never try to optimize everything at once. Never push yourself to be perfect at it. The emotional and mental weight of perfectionism and anxiety are gonna kill your desire to be creative.
Simply put, create. Create a lot. Recreate a lot. Stay consistent, creative and curious. Everything else will come naturally to you. If you take things too seriously too early, you will rob yourself of the whole joy. And nothing is harder than when art feels like a chore.
Conclusion
What was the worst advice you have ever received about art? I can make a whole list out of the one I heard lol…
Enjoy creating <3
