The Habit.

We all struggle as artists. Some days are just better than others. Some are far worse. The scales often tip towards bad work more than good. And yet we keep persisting. Always hoping to do just a little better than last time. This is the habit of practicing your art. The habit of improving the quality of your art. The habit of improving yourself as an artist. It is through the habit of practicing our craft that we improve.

The bad work always seems to outweigh the good. But it is the “bad” work that builds up to the good work. The bad work is how we learn. This is where we can see where we went “wrong.” It is in the act of creation that we can see where we can improve. What needs to happen next time? What could be different that improves your work? What conditions make this image better? It is heartbreaking to come in from a long day of shooting, sit down to review the images, and look at the one you had high hopes for, only to be disappointed. It has happened to me more times than I care to count. And it will happen again, many times over.

This act of creating our art is how we improve the quality. It is through the habit of creating that we increase our skill and our knowledge. It is in the habit of immersing ourselves in something we care deeply about that we improve our work. Good art, personally satisfying art, comes from continually trying. It is through the habit of creation that the quality emerges. It is the act of continually practicing our craft that the habit of “good” work is formed.