Every painting can be your teacher.
Whether your own or someone else's. A masterpiece or a total disaster of a painting. No matter the level of detailed complexity or simplicity, there's much to be learned about the art of painting and the painter.
Seeking answers to questions like...
What drew you to this scene?
What sections did you elect to edit out or alter? Which elements did you struggle with?
What kind of feedback did you receive from your initial audience?
If you attempted it again how would you approach it differently?
Why did you choose the medium you did?
How does the painting make you feel?
There's an infinite number of ways a little introspection can lead to interesting and often helpful insights.
This ties into the craft of making paintings. Nothing can replace the experience of building a painting.
The little challenges and struggles that pop up --Potentially at every stage. Even if you mastered a skill long ago you can't imagine some of the roadblocks that you may inevitably encounter.
All these experiences add up to lessons in doing. They compound just like the lessons found in hours, upon hours working as a carpenter, a musician, an athlete or any creative endeavor.
Often the best lessons can be unlocked after time passes and they are viewed from a new perspective. Persistent observation and habitual reflection are imperative.
Time spent reflecting and letting your mind explore can help you make progress in a more effortless manner. Life does not always have to be a struggle. The right questions and the passage of time seems to unravel the tough puzzles we come up against.
Do --> Observe --> Reflect--> Distill
Do --> Observe --> Reflect--> Distill
Do --> Observe --> Reflect--> Distill
This seems to help promote a healthy virtuous cycle.
If the curiosity needed to create this virtuous cycle is missing you may simply need a break and that's okay too.
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