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Maybe it began when you noticed how beautiful the light spilled through the leaves, blessing the earth with luminescent specks. Or perhaps, you felt a desire to create a story of a hero whose visual persona cemented itself into your brain, demanding to be materialized. Whichever this is, artistic inspiration sometimes hits us with a bolt so changing that an itch to start our creative journey buds and resists being swept under the rug.
You need skills. A good foundational grasp of them. But how do you begin? Where do you start? And how can you make sure that you actually get better over time? Whether you’re an adult looking to reignite your creative passion, a student considering art as your future career, or a parent wanting to introduce art-making to your child, these 7 steps will help you overcome initial mental obstacles, gain direction and momentum, and witness growth  1. Accept that it takes time. Completely new to art-making? The gap between the image you had in mind and your current skill level makes itself so apparent after only a few drafts and attempts. Copying straight from a reference isn’t any different–most people find it difficult translating elements into paper and pen. Resisting to accept this makes it even more difficult to improve. Frustration dawns faster and with more gravity when you find yourself unable to execute something you initially thought to be easy. Becoming good in art–just like any other skill–takes time. Apply generous patience and grace. Understand that mistakes are inevitable at this point in time, and mean to point you towards a direction of learning, rather than a misinterpretation of you or your child not having ‘natural talent’
For those considering building an art portfolio for university applications, having an art mentor to guide you is strongly encouraged. They can help you in conceptualizing, give feedback on your technique, and amplify your artistic voice to strengthen cohesion in your body of work. Whether you are self-taught or going through the rigors of structured art education, having a mentor you can always go back to will help give an informed perspective so you can speed up your art-making skills.
Decide how many hours per day or week you will be putting into practicing techniques. Some kids at our studio do art regularly on the weekends or after school. In the summer, they take more sessions shifting from 1x to 2x a week. The more serious students do classes 2x to 3x a week after school then practice more at home. It takes breaking technique-sharpening into small chunks of practice sessions to make the journey sustainable and digestible. Having an outline makes it easier to see how each component makes up the layers to reach your goal.
How does this work? After a project or a session, take a few moments to look at your work. Spot areas where you were confident and where you felt challenged. This way, you can determine areas where you need more practice while getting to see where you’ve already progressed. It’s during these times also that you can also go back to your mentor to discuss and get tips from them on how to move forward especially when you get stuck.
The bottomline? Build the right foundation Starting your art journey may seem daunting, and while it’s true that there’s a whole lot to learn, you must remember that having patience, curiosity, and discipline are most essential–attitudes you can cultivate and apply to other aspects of your life. Looking for art classes in Manila?
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