Art Unboxed Learning From Others

It may seem obvious, but I have improved my own art by leaps and bounds, through watching others make art. Whether it’s watercolor, pastel, acrylic, oil, or digital, I have learned from other artists making art. I mention it because in this day and age, we are blessed with resources beyond generations of the past.

My grandparents could read about art, possibly take a class with a local instructor, but we can push a few buttons and watch people considered experts in their art draw, paint, and sketch. I have been blessed to learn from some of the greatest people in art in the world, without ever leaving my living room.

During the pandemic I think we were all very aware of the resources people were investing into their communities through video instruction. Obviously the volume of new material has been reduced, but not the archives. An still a number of people continue to share new videos, ideas, and concepts to improve the skill of others.

Whether talking about art, art history, or just history in general, we can take advantage of the shared knowledge of experts to better our own knowledge. Hopefully in turn it will allow us to better others. I would like to mention five key points about video instruction.

First, approach with an open mind about your own possibilities. Don’t tell yourself you could never do what they do. Maybe you can, maybe you can’t, but if you approach it with a no mindset, you often won’t get past the wall of our own opinion. Second, be patient with yourself. Learning anything new takes time, and repetition.

This leads me to the third point, remember to practice. It’s one thing to watch, which is beneficial, but when you add to it through practice it focuses what you’ve learned. The fourth point is about adapting. Even if you’re a watercolor artist and the instructor is teaching about painting with oils, you can learn something you can apply to your painting.

Number five is about passing along what you learn. No matter what the field, I would encourage you to find some way of passing your knowledge along. Learning something is powerful, sharing it with others takes it to another level. One of the best ways to do a art unboxing is when your art can bring a smile to someone else’s heart.