Stop Drawing For Goodness Sake

I used to consider myself someone who likes to draw. And when I say that I mean I only liked to draw. Just paper and a pencil was all I needed. No color. Just graphite on paper. That’s it. No paint, no nothing. And to top it all off, I really only drew one thing: horses. Over and over and over, nothing but the same black and white horses all over the paper.

That is, until my teacher told me I couldn’t draw anymore. No more grayscale drawings, no more pencils, and as if it couldn’t get any worse: no more horses. DUN DUN DUNNNNNN!

I remember sitting there thinking, well now what am I supposed to do? I sat there and watched as my teacher pulled out some acrylic paints and asked me to try them and see what I thought. 

Up until that point I had never actually tried using acrylic paint before. Like, actually tried. I’d made some projects in middle school art classes with it, but even then I preferred my trusty pencil and paper. So I tentatively pulled out the brushes and started painting a still life (it wasn’t a horse in case you were wondering).

And the verdict? I actually really liked it. Painting was actually kinda fun! I know, who would’ve thought?!

Even though I still had much to learn about technique and blending, I learned to not be afraid to step outside of my comfort zone when it comes to art. I started to think that maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. Today, acrylic painting is one of my favorite mediums and hobbies in art making. I also learned that there’s a whole world out there to explore. Yes, horses are part of it and they’re pretty cool. But there is more to being an artist than doing the same thing over and over (I still struggle with this to this day). So my advice this week is to try something new. Whether that be a new subject or medium, step outside that comfort zone, jump over the fence, and explore the world beyond your own artistic horizon.