This morning, during my gym session (Tuesday is back and biceps’ day), I learned a valuable lesson while watching a YouTube video about Stephen Covey’s book: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
The first habit of the book: “Be Proactive”. It reminds me:
How having the right mindset matters more than having the right artistic skills. If you are an adult and you feel shame of drawing, this might help you find the exit of that dead-end.
While this book is widely sought by entrepreneurs, I believe it is also highly precious for beginner designers, students, and professionals looking to level up their journey. The book emphasizes on the necessity to change/adjust your paradigm to get the results you want. In other words, to get results of high achievers, you must change the way you see the world and yourself.
- This article is not a review of the book, but some thoughts I had from it to help you reach your design goal.
A. Unlock your Hidden Skills: Press The “Reset Button”
A.1 Are you a victim of your own Self-judgement?
If you believe you can’t do something, you are right, you won’t.
By nature, your brain is not wired to accomplish that thing from the start.
If I believe I can’t play guitar, I won’t.
I would never take any lessons. If I do, I will give up after the first hour!
I would auto-sabotage myself from the egg stage.
So, it is not about being able to do something or not, but your own belief and devotion to acquire the necessary skills. Most people are afraid to try something new. That’s ok. Struggle is part of the journey. Instead of putting energy at finding reasons why you can’t do something, capitalize on nurturing the why you want to learn.
A.2 Are you holding contradictory beliefs?
- Some people want to become rich, but when they meet wealthy people, their first thought is, “They must have tricked others to get there. Rich people are evil.”
- Or if you want to diet but think fit people are just lucky with their genetics.
Can you see how you create mental blocks to change?
The human brain is wired to protect you for survival. So if you try something unknown, it may activate some resistance.
If you want real change, you must start from within and be ready to press the button “RESET”. Instead of dwelling of a virtual lack of talent; redirect your focus and energy cultivating new skills and realise soon you had hidden superpower!
B. “I Can’t Draw! YES I CAN!”
B.1 You want to draw but you don’t. Why?
As a beginner, we often hear ourselves say, “I can’t draw!”
I realise that’s actually an adult thing to have shaky legs when we got asked to draw something (even though there is nothing in stake). Like my friend and artist Renata says: “It is just a drawing on a paper. Don’t harsh on yourself”.
To succeed in design sketching, you got to believe in yourself!
If you don’t, do not expect others to do it for you.
Growing adults often rimes with growing a “toxic ego” towards drawing.
Remember when you were a child?
Were you also a kid fearless about drawing? Did you catch colored pencils, chalk, felt pens to draw anywhere on paper, tables, walls, even cars!
Whatever kids draw, they see novelty, admiration, wow in their doodles! It’s all about fun and discovery, but no judgement!
So what changed?
B.2 It is easier than you think.
Ask yourself: what truly bothers you about not knowing how to draw: Is it the belief that because you can’t draw now, you never will? Remember, being “unable to draw” is not a curse!
If someone ask you to speak now a foreign language, you won’t be able right? But you can learn. When we decompose everything, it is easier than we think.
Did you know Korean alphabet, called Hangeul is the most efficient system in the world? You can learn it in just 2 days of focus! (I did study it as a hobby years ago).
Just to make you realise that learning how to draw is not as difficult as it seems. You just need to stop overwhelming yourself of assumptions and discover you can learn everything with the right method.
While in writing, you have here 24 letters, in drawing you only have to know:
- the straight line
- the c-curve and s-curve
- the ellipse and the circle
That’s it! Master these basic drawing movements and you have the physical ability to draw anything!
Your next realisation will be that drawing is all about SIMPLE GEOMETRY that anyone can grasp!
The paradigm of “I will never be an artist, nor a designer” is simply unfounded.
If nobody ever taught you before, how could you have known? The only one stopping you from learning is actually you.
Good news, you don’t need anyone permission to start and it only cost a piece of paper and a ballpoint pen! 🙂
C. Who Do You Want to Become Before You Die?
TIP: How do you want people to remember you after you die?
We only have one life and countless opportunities to experiment and grow within our 100 years of existence. But don’t get trapped in “I’ll start tomorrow” mindset. One day become one week, months then year or even decades. I have students who stopped drawing since their childhood, who want to relearn drawing as adult such as Paul Alberding, Huang, Jacek.
If you’re 20 now, soon you’ll be 30 with the same dream hanging over you, never realizing 40 is next… the best time to start was yesterday. If you think you have no time, remember that you can set your own life priorities.
What accomplishment do you want people to remember you for?
Ask that question to yourself, and like what Gary V says to encourage people to take action: “You are gonna die”.
D. Live by Design, Not by Default
D.1 Leave your old shell behind
To live an extraordinary life and become the designer you dream of, you need to leave your old sell behind and be ready to change. Why? Because as a designer, you have to think about the future. While others use things that already exist, you must imagine what could come next: 2, 3, or even 10 years ahead. Some people might not understand you.
When I started learning design, I heard that car designers sketch ideas 10 years before the car is made. The process has many steps: sketching, testing, safety checks, and selling. In a world where generations think differently, designers have the power to create big changes.
Being criticized is normal when you grow. Not everyone will like the new you, as many liked the old you. Keep learning, even when it’s hard or uncomfortable. Change into a bigger version of yourself and keep moving forward designing your own path.
D.2 Find new art and design friends like you
To evolve, you might want to find support in art and design communities (Physical or virtual) that are often outside of your actual circle. You may even just find one friend with whom you’ll be design buddies!
My parents never really understood what I do. I realise they did not know how to describe it to their friends when they asked about me. However, they have always been supporting me since the beginning.
If your family and close friends love you, they will accept seeing you growing to something bigger and different of them. They can trust how you feel happy learning and doing what makes you feel thrilled and alive.
E. Turn naysayers into your biggest fans!
It will be tough. Many won’t believe in you—including yourself at times. That’s normal.
Don’t take for granted that family and friends will support your dreams and goal by default. Show them your evolution through your actions!
Stop claiming “I wish” and start doing: take courses, draw your friends and surroundings. Actions speak louder than words.
Want to become a designer? Start acting like one and figure out solutions.
Remember, you are a problem solver.
Prove the naysayers wrong. They might become your biggest fans witnessing your relentless grind. You may inspire them that they can too, change of paradigm, and dare to dream big!.
Becoming highly effective doesn’t start from being better organised with Excel sheet, a better productivity app in your phones. Do not wait for external perfect conditions to start. It’s first of all about shifting what you got inside you. and build your resilience by believing in yourself FIRST.
The video about the “7 Habits of High-Effective people” I watched (It is in French):
More about Art and Design Self-Development
Your writing has a way of making even the most complex topics accessible and engaging. I’m constantly impressed by your ability to distill complicated concepts into easy-to-understand language.
Your blog is a beacon of light in the often murky waters of online content. Your thoughtful analysis and insightful commentary never fail to leave a lasting impression. Keep up the amazing work!
Thanks Nash for being supportive to my content! 😀