Push!

Really really love this advice from Micheal Mattesi (from here) and have been realizing more and more how important it is to realize and apply this. Putting it here to remember! Also all the other advice and insight I've seen/heard/been given, just putting this one here because it's a strong summary :)

[begin quote]

Key Concepts

Fear

Since writing my second book, I have taught at Pixar and DreamWorks, and I am here
to say that whether or not you are a professional, there is still fear to conquer! Fear is
the most detrimental blockade to the forward pursuit of education. Fear comes in all
forms, some more obvious than others. The top reasons for fear I have witnessed from
myself and my students are:

1. Fear based on perfection. “My drawing has to be perfect. If it is not, then I have failed and thus I am a failure.”
2. Fear of the teacher. “I hope I am doing the right thing.”
3. Fear of judgment. “I don't want others thinking I am stupid.”

The fastest vehicle out of fear is listening to your internal dialogue. Notice when and why
you are indecisive or concerned. Allow drawing to be about your experience and curiosity,
not the final product. YOU create the fear, so rid yourself of it! It will only slow you
down. Remember, you are drawing, not jumping out of airplanes, hunting sharks, or living
in the Depression, so fear nothing!

“The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.”
Sven Goran Erikkson

Risk

To be able to grow, you must take risk, or what you perceive as risk. Risk to one individual
is the norm to another. Be aware of that. Use your curiosity and passion for
learning to push through your risks. This is where your courage and pride will come
from. To have opinion, you MUST be able to take risk! You MUST move beyond your
fears. You MUST be willing to fall on your face to pursue your creativity and become
more than who you are today! Once you break the bonds of fear, and love feeling risk
while you work, you will never turn back.

Opinion

Strengthening your ability to take greater and greater risks allows you to get out of the
“kind of” mindset. New students look at life and “kind of” see it. You must see truth to
form opinion. Opinions come from heightened clarity! Much of this clarity comes from
knowledge. Your search for knowledge comes from curiosity. Don't draw with mediocrity.
Strive for opinion through clarity. What are you trying to say? How do you feel
during your experience of drawing the subject?
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