Why Your Worst Paintings Are Your Best Chance At Improvement
You worked really hard on this painting
And you hate it.
It’s a special kind of terrible feeling when this happens. The little workers inside your brain pull out their shovels and start digging a deep hole that you can throw yourself in. Out of that hole climbs three-eyes monsters called Insecurity and Doubt.
I’ve got bad news. Bad paintings are GOING to happen.
It’s not if, it’s when.
Artist Carol Carter (Ep. 16) does study after study so that she can problem solve (ie make mistakes) her paintings before she works big.
I’ve got WORSE news: Experience won’t 100% fix the problem. Even the most skilled painters still create work they want to light on fire and pretend never happened.
But a bad painting isn’t actually the problem. Not really.
In fact, this is the best thing that could have happened to you today painting wise.
A DOORWAY
Let’s pause a minute to let this sink in:
A bad painting is the best thing that could happen to you if you want to get better at painting. If you work it right, a bad painting can be a doorway to your best future work. A bad painting can put you on a path for lightning growth.
Why?
Watercolorist Dean Mitchell (Ep. 30) uses paintings that didn’t work as a step to making his award-winning work.
Because a bad painting is much more useful - from a learning standpoint - than a good painting.
Here’s some more why:
A bad painting is FILLED with information. In fact, guests like upcoming Dean Mitchell (Ep. 30) use bad paintings not as an indictment on their skill as an artist, but as a stepping stone to get closer to making the painting they want to create.
Dean Mitchell sees a painting flop as information. He lays it next to his blank sheet of watercolor paper. It becomes a study to draw from so that he knows what moves to make in this next attempt.
FINDING GOLD
So if you’re frustrated with a piece of work, before those little workers dig too deep, tell them they are fired. Unless they want to be hired for a new job.
After all, you’ve got work to do mining this painting flop for all its informational gold. Time to get started.
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