We've started a trial "5 Day Sharepiece Challenge" in the DSCAFE Discord, where I and others are posting "something small yet tangible" we made. The idea behind this is to help break through barriers of stuckness. It's loosely inspired by two experiments I ran back in 2013: Maintaining Momentum and 30 Days of New Products. While really helpful at the time, they require a lot of commitment. The new version we're working on is designed for much lower levels of commitment and even less expectation, as I figure that experiencing the joy of making and sharing something new, no matter how small, is really important.
I was inspired today by Charles sharing a bit of his music practice, which kindled a memory in me as a child listening to my mom practicing dilligently. I remember my friend Angela who was dilligently practicing piano for an upcoming concert, and I would sit with her and describe how a piece made me feel. It occurred to me that there was a kind of joy of practicing that I never particularly liked before, but it wasn't that much different than a lot of creative acts in that it was (1) deliberate and (2) building strength. It hadn't occurred to me also that people played piano because they simply liked it, as I had many childhood associations with piano with adult expectations of strict adherence to their standards of performance to the strict demands of the sheet music.
So...for today I decided to practice illustration, which is something I admire but am not very skilled at. And I would draw cats for a few minutes! I love cats! These are the doodles I made, based on a foggy idea of what they looked like without using other reference.
These are not great looking cats, but they embody first experience in trying to draw something. With more study and practice, they will improve. As is the way with all things! The hard part is sharing progress, particularly in spaces where "experts" are all too glad to offer help. What I think is really is called for is not expertise, but recognition of a desire and nurturing the drive in a supportive non-judgemental way. This is something I did not experience often as a prebubescent child, and it's taken me a long time to deprogram myself of those crushing expectations and blank stares of misunderstanding.
But I like cats. A lot. Drawing them today reaffirmed that, and it's worth sharing.