Count the Journey
There's almost always a distance between where you are and where you want to be in your art practice.
You are somewhere on this metaphorical map, making your way towards a series of goals.
But there's this weird thing that happens when you have actually reached a goal.
Your brain stops counting it as... counting
Sure, you get a moment of excitement and satisfaction. But mostly, there are all these things you worked hard to do. You got there. Now your brain just thinks, Yep. Next.
That's good on the one hand because it clears up space for your new goals. But it also means you're probably not giving yourself enough credit for how far you've come. The work you've put into all of this life.
It’s important sometimes to take a minute and just reflect on all the things you’ve figured out in your art practice.
You’ve attained knowledge about brushes and pigments. Design and composition. You’re closer to knowing how you want to work and the feelings you want to evoke. You've learned hundreds if not thousands of small and big things.
Sure, you might not be where you want to be yet … but what you are yet to do doesn't take away from the strides you've already made.
You are so much closer than you were last year. And that’s because of you.
Celebrate that. Give yourself thanks for making space for yourself in your own life and doing the brave work it takes to show up to new things as adults.
Celebrating how far we've come and the effort it has taken is an important part feeling excited and confident in the roads yet ahead.
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