My husband, Steve, always corrects me when I say, "Practice makes perfect." It's a holdover from an old soccer coach of his who used to say, "Perfect practice makes perfect." And it's kind of true. Just doing a thing doesn't necessarily make you any better. If you watch this video, you'll see that you create a kind of neural superhighway based on practice. But for those neural superhighways to be effective, you need to practice with intention. Watch the video for more:
Take aways:
- Minimize the distractions.
- Start out slowly.
- Gradually increase the speed of the quality repetitions.
- Frequent repetitions with a lot of breaks.
- Divide your time used for effective practice into multiple daily practice sessions of limited duration.
- Practice in your brain in vivid detail.
If you're hoping to get better at painting or collage or design or any art form, you have to practice. And you have to practice with intention and focus. One of the major things I focus on with my private coaching clients and Design Boot Camp students is developing a consistent artistic practice. This is how you improve. It is the structure you create to allow your art to flourish. You can think of your artistic practice routine as a trellis. If you want your artwork to flourish, you need to build that trellis for your creativity to climb.
Creating an artistic practice is easier than you think. Here are the four simple elements that you need to begin to build an artistic practice:
- A goal. What do you want to achieve?
- A time limit. Everybody needs a deadline. Having a deadline helps you to create a plan and assess your success or failure.
- A plan. Sit down with pencil and paper and figure out the logistics of reaching your goal. How will you do it? What resources do you need? What schedule will you use? Etc.
- Commitment. This might be the single most important item on this list. An artistic practice requires a real commitment. You have to make it a regularly scheduled part of your life. It doesn't have to be every day, but it does need to be regular and a priority.
Do you have an artistic practice? I'd love to hear about it!
Thanks for stopping by!
I do! But it sort of evolved by accident. When the COVID lockdown hit, my church began holding services on line. To add some color and break up the wordy slides, I offered our priest the use of some of my collages that reflected scriptural themes. She loved the idea, and invited me to do more. One thing led to another, and now I do an original piece almost every week — which, since we’re back to meeting in person, is used on the cover of our program.
The “practice” has evolved, so that now I look ahead several weeks at a time, at the scriptures that will be used on each Sunday. I let images come into my head that feel to me to illustrate key points. Sometimes the images that come to me are fairly literal illustrations of stories or teachings, other times very abstract. Then I have to pick which one I think I can bring to life, and have at it. I pull from past works I’ve done to use as backgrounds or elements of the collage, or sometimes make whole new pieces. Sometimes I’ll get an idea that I have NO IDEA how to actually make, and do online searches to find tutorials in new techniques. It is fascinating and fun and challenging, and I’m constantly amazed that new ideas keep coming to me — but I think that is BECAUSE I put myself in the groove of practice. I share all my liturgical pieces for free download on my website, and several other worship communities are using them. Win-Win!
I do! But it sort of evolved by accident. When the COVID lockdown hit, my church began holding services on line. To add some color and break up the wordy slides, I offered our priest the use of some of my collages that reflected scriptural themes. She loved the idea, and invited me to do more. One thing led to another, and now I do an original piece almost every week — which, since we’re back to meeting in person, is used on the cover of our program.
The “practice” has evolved, so that now I look ahead several weeks at a time, at the scriptures that will be used on each Sunday. I let images come into my head that feel to me to illustrate key points. Sometimes the images that come to me are fairly literal illustrations of stories or teachings, other times very abstract. Then I have to pick which one I think I can bring to life, and have at it. I pull from past works I’ve done to use as backgrounds or elements of the collage, or sometimes make whole new pieces. Sometimes I’ll get an idea that I have NO IDEA how to actually make, and do online searches to find tutorials in new techniques. It is fascinating and fun and challenging, and I’m constantly amazed that new ideas keep coming to me — but I think that is BECAUSE I put myself in the groove of practice. I share all my liturgical pieces for free download on my website, and several other worship communities are using them. Win-Win!
I do! But it sort of evolved by accident. When the COVID lockdown hit, my church began holding services on line. To add some color and break up the wordy slides, I offered our priest the use of some of my collages that reflected scriptural themes. She loved the idea, and invited me to do more. One thing led to another, and now I do an original piece almost every week — which, since we’re back to meeting in person, is used on the cover of our program.
The “practice” has evolved, so that now I look ahead several weeks at a time, at the scriptures that will be used on each Sunday. I let images come into my head that feel to me to illustrate key points. Sometimes the images that come to me are fairly literal illustrations of stories or teachings, other times very abstract. Then I have to pick which one I think I can bring to life, and have at it. I pull from past works I’ve done to use as backgrounds or elements of the collage, or sometimes make whole new pieces. Sometimes I’ll get an idea that I have NO IDEA how to actually make, and do online searches to find tutorials in new techniques. It is fascinating and fun and challenging, and I’m constantly amazed that new ideas keep coming to me — but I think that is BECAUSE I put myself in the groove of practice. I share all my liturgical pieces for free download on my website, and several other worship communities are using them. Win-Win!
I do! But it sort of evolved by accident. When the COVID lockdown hit, my church began holding services on line. To add some color and break up the wordy slides, I offered our priest the use of some of my collages that reflected scriptural themes. She loved the idea, and invited me to do more. One thing led to another, and now I do an original piece almost every week — which, since we’re back to meeting in person, is used on the cover of our program.
The “practice” has evolved, so that now I look ahead several weeks at a time, at the scriptures that will be used on each Sunday. I let images come into my head that feel to me to illustrate key points. Sometimes the images that come to me are fairly literal illustrations of stories or teachings, other times very abstract. Then I have to pick which one I think I can bring to life, and have at it. I pull from past works I’ve done to use as backgrounds or elements of the collage, or sometimes make whole new pieces. Sometimes I’ll get an idea that I have NO IDEA how to actually make, and do online searches to find tutorials in new techniques. It is fascinating and fun and challenging, and I’m constantly amazed that new ideas keep coming to me — but I think that is BECAUSE I put myself in the groove of practice. I share all my liturgical pieces for free download on my website, and several other worship communities are using them. Win-Win!
I do! But it sort of evolved by accident. When the COVID lockdown hit, my church began holding services on line. To add some color and break up the wordy slides, I offered our priest the use of some of my collages that reflected scriptural themes. She loved the idea, and invited me to do more. One thing led to another, and now I do an original piece almost every week — which, since we’re back to meeting in person, is used on the cover of our program.
The “practice” has evolved, so that now I look ahead several weeks at a time, at the scriptures that will be used on each Sunday. I let images come into my head that feel to me to illustrate key points. Sometimes the images that come to me are fairly literal illustrations of stories or teachings, other times very abstract. Then I have to pick which one I think I can bring to life, and have at it. I pull from past works I’ve done to use as backgrounds or elements of the collage, or sometimes make whole new pieces. Sometimes I’ll get an idea that I have NO IDEA how to actually make, and do online searches to find tutorials in new techniques. It is fascinating and fun and challenging, and I’m constantly amazed that new ideas keep coming to me — but I think that is BECAUSE I put myself in the groove of practice. I share all my liturgical pieces for free download on my website, and several other worship communities are using them. Win-Win!
I do! But it sort of evolved by accident. When the COVID lockdown hit, my church began holding services on line. To add some color and break up the wordy slides, I offered our priest the use of some of my collages that reflected scriptural themes. She loved the idea, and invited me to do more. One thing led to another, and now I do an original piece almost every week — which, since we’re back to meeting in person, is used on the cover of our program.
The “practice” has evolved, so that now I look ahead several weeks at a time, at the scriptures that will be used on each Sunday. I let images come into my head that feel to me to illustrate key points. Sometimes the images that come to me are fairly literal illustrations of stories or teachings, other times very abstract. Then I have to pick which one I think I can bring to life, and have at it. I pull from past works I’ve done to use as backgrounds or elements of the collage, or sometimes make whole new pieces. Sometimes I’ll get an idea that I have NO IDEA how to actually make, and do online searches to find tutorials in new techniques. It is fascinating and fun and challenging, and I’m constantly amazed that new ideas keep coming to me — but I think that is BECAUSE I put myself in the groove of practice. I share all my liturgical pieces for free download on my website, and several other worship communities are using them. Win-Win!
I do! But it sort of evolved by accident. When the COVID lockdown hit, my church began holding services on line. To add some color and break up the wordy slides, I offered our priest the use of some of my collages that reflected scriptural themes. She loved the idea, and invited me to do more. One thing led to another, and now I do an original piece almost every week — which, since we’re back to meeting in person, is used on the cover of our program.
The “practice” has evolved, so that now I look ahead several weeks at a time, at the scriptures that will be used on each Sunday. I let images come into my head that feel to me to illustrate key points. Sometimes the images that come to me are fairly literal illustrations of stories or teachings, other times very abstract. Then I have to pick which one I think I can bring to life, and have at it. I pull from past works I’ve done to use as backgrounds or elements of the collage, or sometimes make whole new pieces. Sometimes I’ll get an idea that I have NO IDEA how to actually make, and do online searches to find tutorials in new techniques. It is fascinating and fun and challenging, and I’m constantly amazed that new ideas keep coming to me — but I think that is BECAUSE I put myself in the groove of practice. I share all my liturgical pieces for free download on my website, and several other worship communities are using them. Win-Win!
I do have an artistic practice and, although it is not rigid, I find that when it is disrupted like when we recently were making repairs to our property after a flood, I get grumpy. If I don’t spend the alone time making and creating, then my mental health goes downhill. Of course I also find it difficult to get back into my practice after a break, but generally a review of the recent work in my workbook or a session of gelli printing usually gets me into the flow. Also – my aim with art is simply to express myself and find joy in making rather than any business or artistic aims. But this suits me. Ps. I am really enjoying the carve December workbook and will be putting some of these techniques into my current workbooks. I note that you are enjoying using the word “husband” congrats to you both ❤️❤️
I do have an artistic practice and, although it is not rigid, I find that when it is disrupted like when we recently were making repairs to our property after a flood, I get grumpy. If I don’t spend the alone time making and creating, then my mental health goes downhill. Of course I also find it difficult to get back into my practice after a break, but generally a review of the recent work in my workbook or a session of gelli printing usually gets me into the flow. Also – my aim with art is simply to express myself and find joy in making rather than any business or artistic aims. But this suits me. Ps. I am really enjoying the carve December workbook and will be putting some of these techniques into my current workbooks. I note that you are enjoying using the word “husband” congrats to you both ❤️❤️
I do have an artistic practice and, although it is not rigid, I find that when it is disrupted like when we recently were making repairs to our property after a flood, I get grumpy. If I don’t spend the alone time making and creating, then my mental health goes downhill. Of course I also find it difficult to get back into my practice after a break, but generally a review of the recent work in my workbook or a session of gelli printing usually gets me into the flow. Also – my aim with art is simply to express myself and find joy in making rather than any business or artistic aims. But this suits me. Ps. I am really enjoying the carve December workbook and will be putting some of these techniques into my current workbooks. I note that you are enjoying using the word “husband” congrats to you both ❤️❤️
I do have an artistic practice and, although it is not rigid, I find that when it is disrupted like when we recently were making repairs to our property after a flood, I get grumpy. If I don’t spend the alone time making and creating, then my mental health goes downhill. Of course I also find it difficult to get back into my practice after a break, but generally a review of the recent work in my workbook or a session of gelli printing usually gets me into the flow. Also – my aim with art is simply to express myself and find joy in making rather than any business or artistic aims. But this suits me. Ps. I am really enjoying the carve December workbook and will be putting some of these techniques into my current workbooks. I note that you are enjoying using the word “husband” congrats to you both ❤️❤️
I do have an artistic practice and, although it is not rigid, I find that when it is disrupted like when we recently were making repairs to our property after a flood, I get grumpy. If I don’t spend the alone time making and creating, then my mental health goes downhill. Of course I also find it difficult to get back into my practice after a break, but generally a review of the recent work in my workbook or a session of gelli printing usually gets me into the flow. Also – my aim with art is simply to express myself and find joy in making rather than any business or artistic aims. But this suits me. Ps. I am really enjoying the carve December workbook and will be putting some of these techniques into my current workbooks. I note that you are enjoying using the word “husband” congrats to you both ❤️❤️
I do have an artistic practice and, although it is not rigid, I find that when it is disrupted like when we recently were making repairs to our property after a flood, I get grumpy. If I don’t spend the alone time making and creating, then my mental health goes downhill. Of course I also find it difficult to get back into my practice after a break, but generally a review of the recent work in my workbook or a session of gelli printing usually gets me into the flow. Also – my aim with art is simply to express myself and find joy in making rather than any business or artistic aims. But this suits me. Ps. I am really enjoying the carve December workbook and will be putting some of these techniques into my current workbooks. I note that you are enjoying using the word “husband” congrats to you both ❤️❤️
I do have an artistic practice and, although it is not rigid, I find that when it is disrupted like when we recently were making repairs to our property after a flood, I get grumpy. If I don’t spend the alone time making and creating, then my mental health goes downhill. Of course I also find it difficult to get back into my practice after a break, but generally a review of the recent work in my workbook or a session of gelli printing usually gets me into the flow. Also – my aim with art is simply to express myself and find joy in making rather than any business or artistic aims. But this suits me. Ps. I am really enjoying the carve December workbook and will be putting some of these techniques into my current workbooks. I note that you are enjoying using the word “husband” congrats to you both ❤️❤️