Fear not young one because all hope is not lost. We have the power to change the rules and to change the narrative. How about instead of “practicing to make perfect”, we start practicing perfection. I know it sounds weird but hear me out first. Practicing perfection doesn’t block off your avenues for inspiration. Practicing perfection basically, means you don’t copy the person’s exact style but rather identify what perfection you see in the works of others. For example, if you like my paintings, then instead of painting what I paint and essentially learning me, you should identify what it is about my paintings you like and try and fix and practice that in your own work. So if you like my brush work then you can work towards strengthening your own brushwork instead of just blindly copying my work.
This doesn’t mean that the ‘practice makes perfect’ is entirely wrong. It is important to just practice and zoom for specific skills. But artistic ability should be diverse and free to morph into whatever form and to inspire and be inspired by all possible avenues.
So by all means practice but make sure you actually know what you are practicing and what you want to achieve out of it. Don’t let your goals be defined by other people society’s norms and expectations. Examine yourself and set your own goals and know that at every stage of your journey your art is perfect because it is true and perfect because it is you.
Your art is perfect because it is true and perfect because it is you.