Tips to Help You Get Awesome

Tips to Help You Get Awesome

By Brendan Dillard

An "issue" that I have run into a few times is that some people are asking how they could possibly become better at their respective art forms. While the clich� "practice makes perfect" is sufficient enough for me, it is probably not nearly sufficient enough for you. And you all are awesome for that because if you made me ponder on how I chose to further my craft and how other chose to further theirs. So have no fear. I am here to clean the tears with "Tips to Help You Get Awesome"

1. Practice.
Yes this is obvious I know. But it is kind of one of those things that is so obvious it gets forgotten. And I am not talking about passive practicing. I mean there is a certain area in which you should choose the master and focus on it until you feel there is nothing left for you to learn in that area (However, that is a trick statement. YOU NEVER STOP LEARNING). If you are a photographer and you feel like you are not that good at determining great lighting situations, go out and find out where you need help. Maybe you are working on painting portraits, but your blending skills are lackluster and makes everything look flat. Well that means it is time to blend, blend, blend, blend until you can not blend anymore.

2. Study.
Now most of our art forms have been around since the beginning of time. So there is nothing that you would want to do that has not been done already. Do not think that this is a bad thing. This is actually and amazing thing and for one reason. You get to study from those who have perfected the very thing you are attempting to master yourself. Locking yourself into believing that you are the only one that can help you succeed in life is a failure waiting to happen. Just like students use textbooks to learn various subjects, you can use books to further your art. And it also may not need to be a book. There may be a certain style that you are into. You could research individuals who are famous in that area and study their work. You can study what makes it great and revered. Now while some may think that this will limit originality and encourage imitation, I see it differently. While, yes, you will probably imitate the art work in the beginning, with repetition and practice (See No. 1 ) you will begin to develop your own style that is solely unique to you and only you.

3. Be open to criticism
Now this is something I personally struggled with and I know you probably struggle with it as well. Criticism. We all just love it don't we?! No we do not. No one wants to sit back and listen to someone who does not know a thing about your passion, your vision, or your overall effort and tell you how to improve on what you believe is utter perfection. At its worse, that is what criticism is. There are some individuals out there who disguise hate, disgust, and contempt as constructive criticism. When in reality they just like feeling superior to others any chance they get. Now actual constructive criticism is different. It does not feel like your final judgement and nor should it feel that way. It is a conversation on how and why certain things are the way they are and how they can be improved or changed for the better. For example, I always had issues in my younger days making objects appear too flat. My uncle, the artist extraordinaire, would sit and we would analyze objects together to make sure I was noticing the difference in positioning. That is constructive. That is advice I can use to be better. So I want you to allow the right kind of criticism in and block all of the unnecessary noise.

4. Be Confident.
Now this is easier said than done. It is one of those things that a person can not definitively measure and can truly fluctuate on a day to day basis. One day you create something amazing. And you just feel like this is truly what you were meant to do with your life. The next day you create something that you think is just utter garbage. You immediately throw it in your trash and start to contemplate and new life where art is not involved. Maybe you've already started a job application to Pizza Hut in anticipation of your new life direction (That Pizza Hut thing hit close to home). But don't fret my friendlies. Your wavering confidence is normal and feeling down some days is actually good. That means you truly care about what you are doing. The key is to be aware of these emotions and notice what causes them to arise. Confidence is not believing that everything you do is amazing. It is knowing that every creation will not be a masterpiece but knowing you can easily try it again and make it better and better until you are truly satisfied.

Well that is it guys. That is all the advice I have for you at this moment. Truly you probably already knew most of this, but I think it is a good thing to give some a reminder every once in a while. Most of this is based on personal experience as I continued to create as I got older and older. I think as a young creator, you pressure yourself to be great right away cause you feel like those around you are already there. Realizing that everyone is different is a good thing. So if you have anything else that you feel like I could address then by all means feel free to contact me and let me know your question.

Thank you all!

Article Source:  Tips to Help You Get Awesome