Have you ever heard the phrase “practice makes perfect?” I think almost everyone has, but hearing isn’t believing. Despite knowing that it is possible to progress through dedication and persistence, we doubt ourselves. This is especially true for us college students since we are younger and perhaps inexperienced in many areas. However, we cannot forget that our willingness to try can mean everything. This was exactly my mentality as a college freshman this year, who aspires to become an artist while being a data science major. It doesn’t matter that my background is more math and science, and my skills were initially similar to those of a five-year-old. I fixed my drawing methods over time by consistently committing to the art-making process. A new and improved attitude is all it took me and all it can take you.
After finding some resources and inspiration on the internet, I realized that creativity outweighed technique. Skills come afterward, but the ability to bring fresh perspectives is step one. Having new ideas can sometimes be less intuitive and take plenty of effort. A great way, though, to make brainstorming easier is to reflect on your own memories and experiences. Specifically, this can be a fun vacation spot, someone you befriended recently, a crazy time with your family or friends, a favorite meal over the past week or something else! Showing raw and authentic aspects of your life is powerful. Doing so can motivate you to make art out of purpose and passion instead of going through the motions. Sketching the perfect circle doesn’t mean anything if the result is dry and generic. There could be no depth or dimension to even the most precise and flawless-looking artwork. Generating something that adds personal value is so much more worthwhile because there comes a spark. It takes immense thought, planning, and effort to execute your vision, and all of this is infectious to the outside eye. In other words, the willingness to attempt to generate something extraordinary means more than doing something “safe and insignificant.”
Another way of making strides as an artist is to make art a lifestyle. It should be a daily practice, and even drawing for fifteen to twenty minutes daily is enough to build an effective habit. Whether it be learning from a YouTube tutorial or navigating through art intuitively, the repetition of creating certain lines, shapes and patterns becomes muscle memory. It doesn’t always require step-by-step instructions to eventually draw more accurately. By starting with a baseline, and then evaluating and comparing to previous attempts, art comes out better and better every time. Just being patient and reflecting after every artistic session can make a noticeable difference. Your desired results will come from trusting this process, just like I did.
My last tip would be to prevent imposter syndrome from bogging you down. Yes, you might not be an art studio or history major, and you might not know how to do basic contouring and shading. You do, though, deserve your place as an artist. No person should be expected to remain in one “lane” throughout their life. Being a scientist can intersect with the identity of an artist. In fact, your discoveries as a scientist could influence the theme of your next artwork. The same goes for being an actress, an athlete, a model and more. No professional artist became extremely talented from the get-go, but they took pride in their craft, used their strengths and continued working to get to where they are now. Therefore, you shouldn’t be ashamed to also call yourself an artist even if you are a very much a beginner or had different interests before. You do belong because these other aspects make you multi-dimensional, not weak. Your past can only fuel, not break, your future as an artist. Remember, this is key.