Being great takes a while

I used to get frustrated when I couldn’t write a good song in one night. Or that one time when I drew cartoons and they weren’t very good.

It took a while for me to realize that, one, it takes a lot of practice before you are capable of making good art and, two, making good art usually takes more than a couple hours.

Take this video, for example. Each frame of the animation is a unique painting and it took the artist two years to make them all. All for a five-minute video.

I write a lot. I know I’m not all that good at it and I doubt I’m good enough to get paid for it, but ever since I started writing for fun a few years ago, I’ve seen major improvements in my style and quality. I’ve also learned about the economy of words and how to use distinct voices. (And yet, here I am, writing too many words in no particular voice at all. Go me.)

Anyway, today’s lesson is: keep practicing your art. Not just your skills, but actually making art.