I‘ve been thinking a lot lately about creativity and overwhelm and how learning works, and so today I want to talk about why you, and I, for that matter, don‘t need another art course, or tutorial, or more inspiration to make better art.
Here’s a video version of this post:
https://youtu.be/oLhsJ–oY68
I think it’s in part our overall culture of consuming over doing, and infinite scrolling that has led us there. But is this behavior really our fault? Corporate platforms like Instagram and Youtube shape the creative sphere on the internet today, and places like Skillshare model themselves after them instead of after, let’s say, books or structured art classes. What do I mean by that?
I think a huge part of making and exploring art, and putting it out there is influenced by platform capitalism and the Silicon Valley idea of the internet. Subscriptions and challenges everywhere, monetizing every hobby, and also consuming over creating.
Have you ever binge-watched art courses or tutorials in the past? I’m not here to point fingers, I’ve done this too, because it’s just so easy to fall into this mechanism, especially when you’re starting out.
If you want to learn a new skill and take a look on the internet, it’s full of videos and tutorials and classes and stuff that’s supposedly there to give you a good start and guide you along the way. And a lot of these guides are very valuable on their own. Yet, what often happens is we begin our journey with the best of intentions, and after hours of scrolling and watching, we’re overwhelmed, scared and think that instead of giving it a try, we need to watch another video first so that we can figure this out completely before doing anything (whenever I say we, I mainly mean me).
The internet is full of useful stuff (also less useful stuff these days, a topic for another day), and we slowly lose our ability to turn it off, make a decision to be a beginner and simply start somewhere with a new skill. So many people write me and tell me they have beautiful, new sketchbooks sitting on their shelves, because they’re too afraid to draw in them. Or they’d love to start painting with watercolors, but they’re too afraid to mess up, so they rather watch another tutorial first. Another popular phenomenon is what I would call gear acquisition syndrome, and this happens when we think we need to figure out the perfect tools to use for the skill, before we even give it a try. I’ve talked to people who have tons of amazing art supplies they’ve never used, because they’re afraid to use it in the wrong way, or they don’t really know if they have covered every possible usage scenario they might run into (there are also people who just collect art supplies, but I think that’s a different hobby than making art).
So a lot of fears are standing in the room here with us, and a lot of uncertainty.
It’s learned perfectionism (for artists this os often described as “fear of the blank page”), addictive scrolling behavior caused by corporate platforms, and general overwhelm combined in one thing, and it makes us feel bad and insecure about ourselves. Well, at least it makes me feel bad and insecure when I notice it. And I think this phenomenon happens more often because the places we go to for entertainment and learning are built in a way for us to consume content, and to compare ourselves, and not in a way that makes us turn the internet off and try out whatever we just saw.
So here’s an idea: what you need is not another art tutorial, or another class, but practice time. Focused time, alone or in a group, that you spend exploring your tools and basic or advanced techniques. If you want to build your art skills, sure, get some initial tuition, or take a course to learn about the basics, but then stop watching and practice those concepts until you’ve ingrained them. Don’t fall into the trap of scrolling just a bit further, and watching another video, or watching another class…this won’t do anything but make you feel inadequate, because watching another video (or reading another art instruction tutorial, or what have you) will not help you with your skills in any way.
Instead commit yourself to one thing, and build it over time. Turn the internet off and let your mind wander. Allow yourself to explore what you want to learn, and notice how difficult it is – and how you’re making progress over time. Put other interesting techniques to the side for now – you can explore them in the same way later. I know it’s hard to do this. I too have difficulties to do anything without a screen or another distraction these days. I know it’s challenging to put yourself through the learning process, but it’s worth it. This process often looks like this: practice, then analyze what you need to spend more time with, and pursue it. Practice more. Then after a while take another look at your art and see what needs more work, and practice that. Sometimes this process can be easier with help from a teacher, but very often you can guide yourself. I love to do this by going back and finding this journey in my sketchbooks – that’s why I keep old sketchbooks.
You don’t need to stuff your head full of more things to become better, you simply need to observe yourself, and apply what you learned. There is no magic answer in all the courses you watch, except for: take your time, sit down, and practice, and then you will get better at what you’re doing. You will mess up along the way, and you will be able to learn and make progress from these mistakes. After you’ve processed something in your head, you need to process it with your hands, and there’s no shortcut for this. This is true for all manual skills – learning drawing works like this, and painting too, also making music or woodworking or almost every other creative technique.
And then there’s the fact that everyone does things a bit differently, and especially such a highly personal thing as art – you will find your own technique and style over time, all a course can do is show you the basics. And that’s completely fine. What I aim for in my own teaching is always to give a very broad introduction to different techniques and approaches, so that you can choose what works best for your creative approach. I’ve found this works better (and keeps students much happier) than simply teaching one perfect method, or the approach that by chance is the one I prefer.
I’ve suffered through many classes in art school that were dogmatic like this (“hold the pencil only like this”), and it actually made me stop drawing and painting for a while because I came to resent it. So, as in the rest of live, let’s choose diversity over single-mindedness. Offering choices over finding the perfect approach is always a good strategy to follow. It just takes time – don’t try out all the different things at once, give yourself some space.
So what I really want to leave you with – trust your ability to learn a new skill. You can do it. We live in a world of information overload – we’re left overwhelmed with choice. Think of platforms like Youtube (or Skillshare for that matter) that make you scroll through a sea of videos and tutorials. Sue, variety is nice, but it can lead to overwhelm to quickly. Most of the classes end up being similar, but they all look so promising – hidden in there somewhere might just be the new trick, that essential bit you need.
It’s not. Turn it off. Focus on one source, on one path, and don’t create pressure for yourself by collecting new information. All that does is reduce your attention span and ability to sit through slightly challenging practice sessions – and you’ll need those to learn new skills.
So my tip would be to be a bit careful when navigating through platforms that give you recommendations (like Youtube) or an automation feed, or platforms that are subscription-based (like Skillshare). These can be overwhelming and can hinder you from enjoying your art or from actually learning new art skills.
What I think we really need to learn again is to turn all of this off, and to focus on practice and taking the time to really go deep with our art-making. Ask yourself: do you really need to watch another quick tutorial, or do you know what you need to work on? Trust yourself with your ability to figure this out. Be very selective about your learning resources, and rather spend more time with one course in detail, than binge-watching through a dozen. For each tutorial or course you watch, put two or three times as much time into your own practice – this is where you will make the most progress.
Alternatives can be:
- a group of like-minded people or a buddy that you can make art with – a social setting can keep you from scrolling
- art books, either from specific artists or tutorial books, but you need to put them aside to practice, too!
- putting practice time in your calendar (I’m not great with time-blocking, but it works for a lot of people!)
- low-stress art classes that focus more on curiosity and exploring than on mastering the perfect technique, so that you can get started immediately without overthinking
- very focused, in-depth courses that teach you the basics of one specific technique in a structured setting
If you happen to look for something like this, then feel free to check out the art classes I create. I offer both of these last two types of sketching courses on my website in my online courses, take a look at them here.
The shorter courses are more about exploring and having fun, and my in-depth course called Sketching Fundamentals serves as a complete introductory drawing class that teaches you basic skills useful for nature sketching. This course covers all you need to get good at drawing. I offer it in a self-paced version and also as a 8-week run-through with assignments that you will get feedback on from me. The next 8-week session will start on January 30 . Enrollment is now open!
I hope this trail of thoughts was somehow helpful for you – let’s discuss in the comments.
Julia- I agree completely. I see people who would rather watch the videos than paint themselves. It can be a struggle to pick up the brush, particularly when there is not a time designated to do so. I have cut my YT feeds back to just two or three.
That said, one thing missing from all the content you see out there is a practice regiment. Something to think about.
Well, I guess structuring practice sessions will look differently for everyone. I sometimes see it mentioned in courses, and I myself also tell students to find a way to include as much practice into their week as possible, and make it a habit. 15 minutes each day is better than 2 hours once a week. I’ve done a post about habit building at some point, but practice is a great topic, so I’m happy to write more about it. Let me know if there’s anything you would like to see in such a post. 🙂
Wow! Excellent post. I feel like you were talking directly to me! I am so guilty of all you described—just one more art supply or one more video for the magic piece of information that will somehow transform my drawing. I should know better and yet…..I benefit so much from your posts and resolve to take your wisdom to heart. Thank you!
I’m glad you find what I write useful, Elizabeth, thank you! I always try to describe how I feel with these things, so I can definitely relate. Changing habits and creating something instead of giving in to that video queue is something that wants to be practiced too. All the best and many creative flow moments! <3
Julia, your message is resonating with so many of us. I am in a particularly intense, emotional season right now and it feels almost like I’m holding my breath–much of my life is on hold! I bring my art supplies everywhere, but am not relaxed enough to get them out and do anything. So I “collect” art inspiration. I found this with knitting as well: I needed to be in a certain relaxed frame of mind to knit, and knitting makes me more relaxed. I’m more new to art so I am finding this true as well. It is “easy” and “safe” to remain in the collecting, consuming stage but I get no where.
Julia, you speak of creative blocks, resistances, perpetual postponing, beautiful supply accumulation & fear of spoiling blank pages so perfectly! And although I’ve been following you for quite a few years, I’ve even been blocked to commenting! I can’t even navigate the registration & payment process yet! haha! This is my first written attempt to dissolve the resistances that have caged me. Your most current blog named it all so well! I smiled & laughed. Practice! Enough of watching & intellectual learning — more doing! Truth well said, thank you!!! I feel eager to start marking those blank pages of waiting sketch & watercolor pads!!! So grateful for your style & truth, joanie
Joanie, I’m happy you shared this and overcame your comment block! 🙂 I hope you’ll find a good way to make some marks! I found that being patient and nice with myself helps a lot when I find it hard to get started (or have a bad day). And a big help was also the journaling approach – I make these sketchbook entries first and foremost for me, for my education, curiosity, joy, not for them to look good in someone else’s eyes. If making the first mark on a blank piece of paper is a problem, write down the date or weather conditions. And one last idea: I always tell myself it’s just a practice page, so if I mess up it’s no problem, I can always start over. And that’s even true for my polished, “finished” pieces. I hope that helps you and your creativity. All the best! 🙂
Julia, I have thought about this a lot. Maybe you have heard of the Hidden Brain podcast? This episode is perfect for this type of discussion. I listened to it at least twice. “Close enough— living through others.”
https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/close-enough-living-through-others/
Oh thanks Jennifer, I will give it a listen. I love these kind of podcasts!
Jennifer, I just wanted to add: I listened to this episode yesterday and I really enjoyed it. A very insightful, interesting podcast. Thank you for mentioning it! 🙂 I feel this phenomenon must have surged during the pandemic, when all of us were even more stressed and overwhelmed than usual, and were cut off from many activities.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! The story of the man who went from woodworking to watching videos about woodworking, yet still feeling a kind of satisfaction from only doing that, really opened my eyes to this phenomenon happening in many areas of interest.
Very true! And I can even somehow relate to him – I’m often so tired that I can’t really sit at my desk and do things, but watching other people do that same thing seems like a less awful way to waste my time.
Thank you for saying this. I know it’s true for me. I need to practice and that’s when I see improvement. But the temptation is to find the perfect class, book, or tool. I think in my case it stems from insecurity of not being good enough or being judged by a family member. But when I sit down and take time to look and pay attention and draw, I’m always surprised that I come out with something that looks like what I was drawing, a bird or tree or a shell. But then I put pressure on myself to create a beautiful landscape out of my head and am annoyed with myself that it’s about the same every time and definitely not beautiful. So I need to be getting out there or using a reference photo and then doing as you said. Looking at it and learning from it and improving through practice. That’s definitely the key. Then if there’s something that I struggle with and can’t seem to get through practice, I can look for help with the specific need.
Gerri, I don’t know if this helps, but it’s hard to draw landscapes (or anything really) from imagination, it takes a lot of practice. So don’t feel pressured or bad if you can’t pull it off.
And about being judged by a family member: I hope they’re at least positive or polite about your art? In any case, you don’t have any obligation to show your art to anyone, even less to people who criticize it. Maybe keep a sketchbook or a separate drawing pad that’s only for you alone. I have these private sketchbooks too, and I feel much less pressure to just try out things on my own. Keep on drawing!
Thank you Julia! I felt like you were speaking directly to me! I think I’m guilty of it all. I do YouTube and Patreon (I didn’t like skillshare because the monthly fee covered art I was not really interested in). I’m up to about 5-6 monthly subscriptions. I can’t keep up even if I wanted to. I slowly wean off one only to join another! I hardly do any of art let alone practice. I retired about two years ago. I thought I would have all the time in the world for my art but that has not happened. I just recently added a new medium to learn (soft pastels). Product is expensive but to make it worse I have not really utilized it. I don’t know why I can’t just quit it all but know that I do need to let go of much of it.
Hi Margret, I know this effect all too well – there needs to be something to watch, even if I can’t really keep up. I’ve always felt so much less pressure when I’ve allowed myself to take a break from it all, even just for a few days or weeks. Then choosing just one subscription or one course for a while has helped me a lot, also in figuring out what I myself really want to do art-wise. Otherwise sensory overload comes really quickly.
As for your pastels, is there anything you would really like to explore with them, or see drawn in pastel? What made you buy them? Maybe focusing one this one technique only for a while will give you a chance to get to know the medium better. I’ve only used soft pastels a few times (briefly in art school and then in an art therapy setting), but I remember I liked the feeling when putting marks on paper, and the ability to smooth the pigments with my fingers.
Thank you Julia for this thoughtful post. I always enjoy reading what you have to say.
Hi Julia, this is so true! I’ve found myself scrolling endlessly, saving posts and videos, and grabbing stuff that’s still unused. We all should stop this. I’m on a sort of “web detox”: I deleted subscriptions to newsletters, YouTube channels and unfollowed lots of people. I’m sure that many of them are good people often trying to get some paid work, but it’s definitely too much. Now I’m following just three accounts who are really giving me good ideas and push me to try, and I’m so glad to see that my watercolor palette is becoming messy and I even finished a sketchbook! This is healthy, both for my mind and my art. Thanks for this post!
I’ve done this too many times, unsubscribed from almost everything for a while to focus on myself, with only very limited input. It’s really refreshing. I think in this day and age it’s more important than ever to protect ourselves from this kind of input overload. Wonderful to hear you’ve finished a sketchbook. Start the next one right away to keep your palette messy and active. 🙂
thank you Julia, I started TWO sketchbooks actually!
Oh, that’s very cool!
Julia, I love this post and also the conversation. Once again, your words inspire me and mean so much. You are right about it all. I love what you said about “15 minutes is better than nothing”. YES! It’s TRUE!
Thank you Janet! <3
Dear Julia,
Well said! I enjoyed reading your take on learning from others and internet overload. I so agree!
I learned about this overload of learning just last year. I had an extensive online course, learned a lot, but then once the course ended I felt even less creative. It was almost as though I needed suggestions from others to paint or draw. So, I tried another short course, and painted in their way. Again, not so much like me. And again, and maybe again, again. The best thing that came out of these courses over time was simply the time spent with the materials. Practice and practice. I have promised myself that this year I will take no courses. I learned from the diminishing return from the courses that it is my practice time, my studio time, my time with my art that is what I need and how I learn now.
Thank you being in mailbox. Your blog and artwork are inspiring.
Gay
Dear Gay,
I know this feeling of confusion or feeling less creative after going through an intense time of creating art or learning something new. I think it’s very important to have times with input (and times without), and I think it’s normal to need some time to readjust afterwards. I’m also very familiar with the feeling of being very influenced by how an instructor does things – over time, this often evens out and I think most of us intuitively keep some of the things they’ve picked up in our own work here and there. That’s maybe how our style emerges.
I’m happy to hear you’re taking the entire year off from courses and spend the time with yourself, practicing and working in the studio. I hope you will have a creative and wonderful year!
Julia, you have given voice to some inner feelings that I have not allowed to come to the surface of my attention. Thankful for this insightful post and some sensible steps for using our art time more wisely.
You’re welcome Jo! <3
Thank you for articulating so clearly what was just a fuzzy thought in the back of my mind. I have done exactly what you describe, especially buying supplies and not using them. I have bookmarked videos but not watched them. The fear factor you mention is so strong in me. Recently, though, I chose a video on watercolor brush strokes, watched it and only it and have practiced brush strokes every day since. I will continue to practice until I feel confident I can do those strokes repeatedly before I go to another video that teaches basic skills. Then I will practice those.
Also, I have a lot of fear about using a sketchbook, for the reasons you mentioned. So, I bought some watercolor paper in loose sheets and cut them into smaller sizes. Since they aren’t in book form, I can use them without the fear of messing up a pristine sketchbook.
Thank you for all your wisdom and for sharing your thoughts.
Thank you Susan for sharing! I think it’s great you’re approaching that fear factor bit by bit in your practice, and if this works well for you, keep it up. Also using loose sheets is perfectly fine, I did that too for a while. I think doing things in the speed you’re comfortable with is the most important aspect. Small steps are fine. 🙂
Thank you, Julia, for sharing these thoughts and encouragement. I felt like you were talking directly to me. I struggle with trusting the process of what I’ve learned. I have all these art supplies and a dedicated space to work, but I spend more time watching tutorials than implementing. Then feel bad I’m not progressing in any of my art interests. I’m going to turn this around and focus on practice and playing with one skill I want to learn instead of watching so many tutorials. It only creates overwhelm just like you said!
Donna, I know exactly what this feels like, it is hard to pull yourself away from the tutorials and tools management and start making stuff, but it’s very worth it! For me it was most helpful to see that I can actually create meaningful observations and feelings with my art – this helped me to stay creative no matter what my skill level for a certain technique looked like. All the best for your creativity! 🙂
Thank you for this Julia, it is all very true! I very much enjoyed watching your pen and wash drawing while you were talking
Thank you Angela! I’m enjoying drawing with ink lately, so I’m happy you liked it. <3
Hi Julia, you are simply The Best and also a very wise woman always inspiring advice from you.
Your video you sent, talking while drawing was extremely relaxing to Watch and listen to.
Thankyou….
Thank you Harriet, that’s so kind. <3
you took the thoughts right out of my head! I get after my teen for this exact thing all the time, she feels like she’s an awful artist because she tries to follow along with tutorials on YouTube and her work doesn’t look like the one in the video. I keep telling her to put the electronics away and just make art, develop her own style. trouble is I find myself stuck in a similar trap more often than I’d like to admit. I’ll seek out a tutorial for a certain thing (a stormy sea in watercolor was the latest one) and then I get sucked into the algorithm.
I love your site, BTW!