I often hear people say that when they go on a diet, they find it really easy to lose the first few pounds but then it gets harder. And the most difficult part, of course, is keeping the weight off long term.

I think the reason behind this, is that in the first few weeks, you are really determined; you continuously look into what are the right things to eat, you put time into exercising and you are motivated every time you lose another pound or two.

But then, the weight loss slows down and you start getting frustrated because it’s not coming off as quickly as it was before. And when (or even if) you finally reach your target, it’s really hard to stay there.

The same applies to beginner artists…

At first, you find yourself determined and really focused. You put a lot of time into active learning and practice. And since you had little or no knowledge of the fundamentals and techniques of drawing before you started, you find yourself improving really quickly.

But eventually, you reach a stage where the improvement process slows right down or even stops altogether. You’ve taken in all of the basics and you’ve practised them, but refining and developing is a much slower process, so it’s easy at this point to lose motivation.

So, if you’ve found yourself at a point where you’re seeing little improvement in your drawing skills and your art seems to be standing still, this could be a positive sign. It may simply mean that you’re ready to move on to the next stage.

To do this, you will need to experiment; to step out of your comfort zone and try making art that you think is out of your reach. By doing this you will be a ‘beginner’ again, but at a different level. And that means that you will find yourself learning and progressing forwards once again.

In other words, when you reach a goal post, be sure to move it!

Sandra x