Being good at something

So lately I’ve been doing lots of looking. Looking at other peoples blogs, websites, folio’s, tutorials, pictures, etc… And there are so many people out there that are SO good, and truthfully… I’m soooo jealous. I want to be that good!

Anytime I see a really awesome photo, I think, “man I really need to get back into photography I’m terrible at photography because I haven’t done it in so long, there’s no way I can come up with some awesome like that.” [Jake Garn]

Or if I see a gorgeous painting, I think, “I should really start painting again. I’d love to find some time to paint. What would I paint though?And I know for sure it would NOT look like that. That’s so friggin’ awesome!” [Patrick Gunderson]

Or maybe a really detailed drawing, again I think, “geez, I need to draw more. It would be so great if I could draw like that. Why can’t I have an idea like that and draw it? Man that’s so sweet…” [Phil Dunne]

Or even a super crazy design layout, I think, “how do you come up with that?! Where does your mind have to go to want to make her hair out of all those crazy colors and objects!? Where do you get those flourishes and random crap? Where did that font come from? Why can’t I design like that?!” [Studio Nufabric]

Obviously you can see a pattern forming. I want to do ALL of it!? Why can’t I concentrate on just one type of art and be really good at it?

I figure that if I can concentrate on just one of those types of art, maybe I could be that good. But for some reason the side of me that can photograph wants me to see the world through a lens, the side that can paint wants me to get the brushes going, the side that wants to draw wants me to pick up that pencil, and the side that designs wants me to get in there and do crazy stuff! But I never seem to get back in there and do any of it. I think part of it is because most times I feel like I’m not good at those things, because I can’t seem to concentrate on them long enough to get better before something else comes along and suddenly I want to draw with sand. I always say, “I’m pretty good at alot of things, but I’m not necessarily great at just one thing.”

I wonder if people who are good at just one of those types of art feels like they aren’t good at anything else. Like would they admit, “I’m good at just this…and nothing else”?

I know that I have many styles, techniques and capabilities to do many things, but I’d love to be that good… at all of those things.

~ by lezleelliott on July 9, 2009.