I am leaving my comfort zone this year

and having a ton of fun...

Feb 02, 2023

Do you have any New Year’s resolutions this year? Goals you want to reach? How is that going for you so far? I gave up on that stuff a few years ago, because I usually forget about my goals after a few months or consciously decide it was a stupid idea to set up goals like losing weight, being more active or eating healthier.

But then I read Austin Kleon’s approach to this (you can read about it here). Rather than setting up goals he wants to achieve, he writes down ten things he wants to learn in the coming year. You might argue that this is just the same, but with a different label on it. But for me, it surprisingly worked. It immediately sparked my enthusiasm and got me thinking. So I wrote down my own ten things I wanted to learn. One of them is to learn how to draw!

I have always admired people who can draw realistically. And I always wished I had their talent. One of them is Lara Call Gastinger. She has an incredible set of skills and talent. I have been following her on Social Media and am in awe of her art for years. But I never believed in myself enough to think I could draw like her - not even in the slightest. But here I am planning on actually learning how to draw objects like plants and flowers and all the other things I usually enjoy photographing.

On January 1st, I grabbed my sketchbook and started drawing. Well, I have to admit, I caught myself doing what I was always doing: doodling. You could also say I kept safely staying in my comfort zone.

The main reason was that I was scared. Scared to fail and not being good enough. But I also didn’t know how to start. So I decided to take a few online classes about the basics of drawing with pen and pencil. I learned different techniques of line work and perspective, shading and texture and then started practicing. With every line, my confidence grew. I learned that gaining a proper set of skills is far more important than having talent.

I practiced every single day since the beginning of the new year. I drew trees, houses, fruits, and all sorts of geometric shapes and finally started a little project of drawing plants in a nature journal. I am far from perfect, but I am having a lot of fun. And I am so happy to have had the courage to pick up a pen and learn how to draw finally.

I would love to hear about your New Year’s resolutions and what you think about the approach of having a list of things you want to learn instead of a list of goals you want to achieve. Do you think it would change anything for you?

My Morning Muse

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