"You start drawing with your brain, but aim to draw from the heart. That doesn't happen instantly. You have to first absorb the knowledge slowly and then forget about it and let your pencil be guided by your subconscious. Not easy, and it hurts to go through the stiff period. A lot of lesser men give up during the stiff beginnings of learning something new and that's a dirty shame. Take the pain and shame like a man and get over it. You'll be so happy when your new knowledge becomes second nature. Otherwise, you will be stuck, a slave to formula for life and unhappy, maybe even without knowing why? That pain and shame is essential to your progress. Embrace it. Kick the walls if you have to. But get back to the drawing board and force that stiff information into your head. Then lay awake nights obsessing over it. That's your tax for being gifted."- John K.This struck me as a profound statement.
On one hand, it makes me sad to think about how much time I've wasted being disappointed that my "natural" drawing abilities weren't everything I want them to be and that I convinced myself somewhere along the line that I couldn't possibly learn this ability, like you either had it or you didn't. It also makes me angry to admit that I was defeated in my "stiff period" because there wasn't anyone around to kick me and tell me to keep going and that it would get better.
On the other hand, what better inspiring words from someone that will outwardly admit the parts of drawing and animation that he still struggles with and what through hard work, dedication, and focus can actually do to improve and hone your "natural" abilities.
I would be less inclined to believe it if I hadn't been stalking John K through his blog and listening, learning, and demonstrating everything he says to and actually figuring out simple things about drawing that apparently my 27 years and 4 years of college didn't teach me.
Fuck it. Let's do this.
I've already been sketching a lot and will post results soon.
