I love listening to audiobooks while I paint.
I get to learn something new and it's way less distracting than when I'm trying to watch Boy Meets World on Disney+ while painting 😂
Last year I listened to a book called Grit by Angela Duckworth and it really struck a chord with me.
In the book she talks about how talent doesn't account for success as much as our culture would like us to believe.
A much better predictor of success, she says, is grit.
What is grit? It's the combination of passion and perseverance.
I highly recommend you read or listen to the book. Or if you have 6 minutes, watch her Ted Talk.
So how does this relate to painting?
Art is one of those things that people love to talk about as something you either can or cannot do.
"I'm not artistic"
"I can't paint to save my life"
"So-and-so is such a natural talent"
It leads you to believe that whatever natural talent you have (or don't have) is the level you're stuck at forever.
If you're not a good painter now, you'll never be one, right?
Wrong!!
The reason I loved this book so much is that the author laid out such a clear argument for persistence and effort.
The most successful people in any field - athletes, artists, scientists - are the people who committed to developing their skills and committed to practicing those skills until they achieved their goals.
Regardless of your current skill level and regardless of whatever painting talent you have, you can grow and improve those skills with passion and perseverance.
One of my favorite parts of the book is when she explained that effort always counts twice:
Talent + Effort = Skill
Skill + Effort = Achievement
Or in painting terms:
Artistic Talent + The Effort to Learn and Practice Painting = Artistic Skills
Artistic Skills + The Effort to Practice Those Skills = Becoming a Great Painter
Any time you worry about not having enough talent, remind yourself that effort always counts twice as much!
What's one way you can increase your effort when it comes to becoming a better painter? Tell me in a comment below!
-Laurel
P.S. If you love painting, but struggle to stay inspired, you’re invited to join my free Facebook Group. If you're not already in it and want to connect with over 1,000 acrylic painters and get inspired, join us right here now!