4 Steps for Learning a New Skill

-
I am learning so many things that are new to me! As an artist I have always identified as a right brain oriented person and technology was something I never dreamed I'd engage in the way I do now! In the process of doing this blog, I have been learning innumerable computer skills, and every time I push through something that is a challenge, I now navigate my way through that feeling of I can't, or I'm too stupid for that, whereas just a year or so ago I would have gotten frustrated or given up. Not that I don't ask for help anymore but somehow I'm now able to ask from a place of deep self-respect and desire to learn, not from a place of frustration!

  Here's a great TED TALK video from  Josh Kaufman- The First 20 Hours- How to Learn Anything.

 I love that he mentions that feeling stupid can be a barrier to learning since I so identify with that, and have learned that just because you feel stupid doesn't mean you are!

He discusses 4 steps to learning a new skill, connecting it to your goals and being successful at it!
  1. Break it apart or chunk it into doable segments.
  2. Learn enough to self-correct 
  3. Remove barriers to practice (Turn off the TV or other distractions)
  4. Practice for at least 20 hours.


Just for fun here are some pieces I pulled out of my portfolio:


 A portrait of a little girl I did many years ago.



A watercolor I did a few years back.

"Hummingbird Breakfast" pastel


An illustration I did for Spirit of Children logo.



Comments

  1. ElikaOctober 22, 2013 at 6:01 AM

    You are so talented Leona! Loved the TED talk too! Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Story Telling in Illustration! Video on Norman Rockwell!

-
Image
Story-telling!  It's such and important part of visual art, believe it or not. Especially in illustration! When I saw that the Theme of this week's Illustration Friday challenge is "Refrain" I instantly thought of two meanings of the word. Refrain-to keep from doing something, and -the chorus of a song. I think I managed to depict them both in this illustration. What do you think? What is the story here? The illustration below is one I did a few years back for a book idea I had called "Katy Has A Kitty." I still have a lot to learn about story telling in Illustration but practicing helps! My newest submission to Illustration Friday! The theme this week is "Refrain"! Cover for "Katy Has A Kitty". Norman Rockwell is one of my favorite American artists!  He was both an amazing portrait artist and illustrator! I remember with fondness visiting the Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass. with my family when I was a kid. And throug...
Read more

What is Sighting? And how do I use it in drawing?

-
Image
A black and white caricature of a girl. When I do Caricatures, Portraits and Silhouettes at festivals, weddings and events people often ask me how I achieve a likeness. In Art school I learned a lot of things and tried using a variety of art tools, but when I draw in order to produce a likeness I use a "tool" called Sighting. Sighting is a method of comparing and measuring one part of what you are drawing to another part in order to correct your drawing as you go. Here are two great videos on using sighting to see the way an artist sees. This is the photo I worked from for the caricature portrait above!   A pencil portrait of a girl- done earlier this year. Pencil Portrait of my granddaughter, Bailey Girl in Yellow-Oil Painting
Read more

Drawing Faces at the Fair!

-
Image
This past weekend I enjoyed cutting silhouettes ,and doing portraits and caricatures of people of all ages, but I especially love drawing and silhouetting the kids! But sometimes, especially at a fair or festival a child just doesn't want to sit still or even smile. Now I work very quickly and don't mind squirming children, but sometimes parents will feel embarrassed if their child is getting close to that tantrum stage. I try to speak directly to the child and make eye contact when I can, which is what I need do anyway to get a good view of their face when I'm doing a portrait or caricature. I always have my favorite "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" ready to hand to parents when the wiggles get the better hand of a younger child. This is me cutting Silhouettes at the Strawberry Festival last June . This family has come back for new silhouettes every year for the last few years! Here are  some pictures I just found in my files from last year at Alfred F...
Read more