Practice Makes Perfect

Whether it is sports or academics, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to become skilled in a desired hobby or to master something. People, individually, do it all the time. Athletes on sport teams practice by doing drills and working out every day. Musicians spend four to five hours doing deliberate practice. Writers spend hours typing onto their keyboards or putting their pen to the page to practice their rhythm. Chefs explore recipes, rising singers exercise their vocals, and dancers practice their routines and dance to the music. Focus applies to artists as well, where they paint and draw and explore techniques on a daily basis.

Sometimes, people get tired of doing the same routine consistently. It can even get burdensome. Practice takes a lot of patience, but it also takes strategy. When practicing, it is important to not only do the exercise, but to also have an effective way of doing the exercise. As the saying goes, ¨Practice makes perfect.¨

Here are three tips on improving art as well as other activities:

Tip 1 – Strengthen your weakest points. You may already know which areas or skills nee work, but if you aren’t sure how to begin, know that there are many videos, tutorials, and fellow professionals available who are willing to provide tips and share techniques on how to improve your skills. Remember, there are many ways to learn and expand your knowledge. Try different options and explore!

Tip 2 – Take your time. If there is more than one area you wish to improve, it’s best to tackle each one individually. This way, you will be able to thoroughly and effectively practice the techniques. If you want, you can create a schedule to keep your exercises organize.

Tip 3 – Distribute time for your practice. Start now. It’s very easy to procrastinate, make excuses or say you will start tomorrow. (As high school students, we know it all too well!) So, make it a habit! Once it becomes part of your routine, it will become much easier in the future.