Don't worry about the what how or why, just start and figure it out as you go

This is for the lovely souls who have stopped creating art, or feel stuck in getting started again

‘Start now because when you look back in a year you will be able to say “I did that” and be pleased that you started a year ago’.
SLART

We crave self-help how-to books that tell us what to do, this can be especially true in the art world, as it often appears as mysterious in terms of how you become a success.

I’ve read countless biographies, enjoyable as they were they’re written from the person’s POV, their life lived, their circumstances, their interiority and most of the time, I’d say that they don’t know half of the reasons or steps they took to get where they got to.

Would reading a book about Tiger Woods make you the next Tiger Woods? You know that’s a big fat ‘No’ but even if you studied him diligently and applied what you learned, you’d not get to his level either. These ideas aren’t my own, Kapil Gupta studied Tiger and he works with other ‘high achievers’ one-to-one.

My point: We can read all the books we want on how to do something, but we need to do it ourselves.

“You’re stating the obvious SLART!”

I know I am. But I’m trying to inject my own experience into this in a way that helps you realise that you are capable. Starting is the best way to start.

Simon Sinek can shout from the rooftops about finding your “Why?”. But I say ‘just create’ first and you can ‘find your Why?’ later.

In 2019 I was terrified of drawing again, I felt heavy after 20 years of nothing, my art teacher’s insults still ringing in the ears of my mind. But it got easier and easier, 5 years later I have a whole body of work I can look back at, regardless of not 100% where I want to be in my art career right now.

Here are the first drawings I did in early 2019:

First drawings after 20 years.

My mind was critical at the time, but when I look back, I think these drawings are cute and they’re mine. They also mark the start of my return to art.

So I gently request that you do the same.

“If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint', then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.” Vincent van Gogh

My love to you,

SLART