The almighty YouTube algorithm graced me with Andrew Price’s speech during one of my mindless social media scrolls. Andrew Price is a well-known artist, writer, and educator in the computer graphics industry. He founded Blender Guru, a popular website for learning Blender, a 3D graphics software.

He spoke about his journey while learning to draw for six months and through this journey, he also learned how to become an effective artist.

These are habits that some of the most prominent and world-class professionals have in common.

Please stick with me :)

Daily Work

This might seem simple on the surface but not quite. You need to work on your creative goal every day to develop consistency and discipline in your creative practice, which is crucial for building momentum and making progress over time.

Here’s a quote by Anthony Trollope

Also, here’s a quote by Robert Collier

We all know that starting a task is the hardest bit, continuing is a lot easier. Andrew describes that the way he gets himself to practice every day in his speech is to start by doing the least amount of work possible.

You can start by telling yourself “I’ll only work 10 minutes” or whatever time you choose. You’ll notice that after you set up your workspace, you’ll most likely work for an hour or more passing the 10 minutes deadline you originally set for yourself.

This is just covering the surface of motivation, you need to find what works for you to get started easily.

Volume, not perfection

A lot of designers and artists consider themselves perfectionists and consider being a perfectionist as one of their core strengths. “Volume, not perfection” is a philosophy that emphasizes the importance of consistently creating and producing work, rather than fixating on creating a small amount of “perfect” work.

Here’s a quote by Ira Glass on Storytelling.

Take, for example, Picasso, most people can only identify about 100 of his works, meanwhile, his library of works includes 1,800 paintings, 1,200 sculptures, 2,800 ceramics, 12,000 drawings, and even lots more.

By embracing the “volume, not perfection” mindset, you can break free from the pressure of perfectionism and focus on what matters most — the process of creating and improving your skills.

Steal

While the term “stealing” may have negative connotations, in the creative world it can refer to the practice of borrowing ideas, techniques, and inspiration from other artists. Great creatives often use this approach as a way to expand their creative horizons and incorporate new ideas into their work.

Below are quotes from David Bowie & Steve Jobs about stealing:

Now, this point doesn’t mean there aren’t bad ways of stealing creative ideas. The book Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon explains the difference between good theft and bad theft.

In addition, find your idols and steal from them, use stealing as a way to gather inspiration from the world around you. By stealing ideas and inspiration from the world around you, you can infuse your work with new ideas and perspectives, keeping your creative brain fresh and dynamic.

Conscious learning

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

We’ve all heard the term “Practice makes perfect” or “You need 10,00 hours to become a master at something”, in many cases, these theories aren’t true with just mindless practice.

You can practice conscious learning by:

1. Seeking out new opportunities: You should always be looking for ways to grow, this can include taking new classes, attending workshops or conferences, or even just reading books so you can always stay up-to-date on the latest trends.
2. Set specific learning goals: This could include defining specific aspects of your craft in which you wish to improve, as well as setting objectives for finishing certain projects or pieces of work.
3. Reflect on your learning: Consider journaling or discussing your experiences with peers or mentors to help you process and internalize what you’ve learned.

can provide us with a valuable perspective on our work. By taking a step back and giving ourselves some distance from our creations, we can gain a fresh perspective and see our work in a new light. This can help us identify areas for improvement, generate new ideas, and approach our work with renewed energy and enthusiasm.

So, the next time you feel yourself getting bogged down or burnt out, remember the power of rest. By taking the time to recharge and renew your creative energy, you can become a more effective, productive, and fulfilled artist.

Get Feedback

Getting feedback on your work can be a valuable tool for improving your craft and becoming more effective in your creative pursuits. While it can be nerve-wracking to put your work out there for others to critique, the benefits of receiving feedback far outweigh any discomfort you may feel.

A popular person that seeks feedback so much is Kanye West. The making of one of his most popular albums “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” was the work of 38 artists & Producers who contributed to making it.

So, if you’re looking to become a more effective and successful artist, don’t be afraid to seek out feedback on your work. Whether it’s positive or negative, every piece of feedback can help you improve your craft and take your work to the next level. By embracing feedback as a valuable tool in your creative toolkit, you can become a more confident, skilled, and effective artist.

Create what you love

As an artist, one of the most powerful ways to become more effective in your creative pursuits is to create what you love. When you are passionate about your work and invested in the subject matter or medium you are working with, you are more likely to produce work that is authentic, compelling, and impactful.

In Andrew’s speech, he spoke about how passionate Elon Musk is about helping humanity and seeing it succeed which has led to the creation of his companies.

There’s also a quote from Brian Eno (Musical Composer)

If you want to become a more effective and successful artist, focus on creating what you love. Whether it’s a particular subject matter, medium, or style, find the things that inspire and excite you, and make them the centerpiece of your creative practice.