Pretending to Learn

When I see people learning I always see two types of students. The first student is learning but is insecure due to the lack of mastery and the second is the student who pretends to learn.

In the first instance the student is going through the motions of following the instructor blindly. In our modern society this is thought of a bad thing, conventional thinking is that there is problem if someone doesn’t “get it right away”. Mastery on any skill is acquired with time and practice, eventually the understanding falls into place.

“Getting it right away” is the point that stops most artists. I know when a student is nodding and agreeing just to not be singled out of a class. I get comments all the time about charcoal on my face when I’m drawing, I DON’T CARE! I care about what the drawing is doing, where my progress is going to lead me. You have to be able to make mistakes, know your own mistakes and correct your own mistakes… and to hell with what people think.

I went through parts of my life “not getting it”, now, as I get older, I make it a point to understand it, no matter how foolish I look.