Learning something new can be daunting, especially now days when there’s so many ways to approach the process.

Whether you’ve had decades of experience, or have yet to come off the sideline and participate, we all have something we want to learn, and I’d like to think that we’re never too old to jump in.

But sometimes it can be really hard to take that first step. To commit to the beginning.

It can feel so daunting, especially with all the material to weed through. Where do we begin?! There are so many YouTube videos, tutorials, blogs (like this one), etc. that tell us step by step how to begin and what rules to follow and what we should expect at the end of our journey. The mere act of Googling “How to ______” can be completely debilitating and overwhelming! It can stop anyone in their tracks before even getting started.

Unless…

Our journey to learning something begins where we are excited. Aaand, the first steps to learning anything are small. Don’t try to recreate a masterpiece on day one – or even day eleventy-one! But begin with sitting with what inspired you to consider learning _________ in the first place.

I’m learning how to use watercolors. I’m a novice at best (from my perspective), and I was initially drawn to watercolors for their myriad of colors; how the medium lays on paper; and the variety of strokes made by different types of brushes. I was enticed by the flexibility and adaptability of the medium and I loved how it could act as the featured act of a piece, or a soft background. I used that excitement to help me get started.

If you set out to learn something that truly hooks into your creative brain, the desire to push through the self doubt and the angst of sucking at the beginning will propel you forward. If not, that’s okay too! The journey may lead you to a different result – a joy for having a deeper understanding of a certain medium that you an then admire and appreciate on a different level.

But if you do find that you want to commit to learning __________, I urge you to give yourself grace.

LOTS OF GRACE!

Don’t wallow in discouragement when there are setbacks (even if there are years between times when you pick up your work). Life happens and creativity is a process without a time line.

Don’t beat yourself up when it turns out differently than what you envisioned. Doesn’t everything in life turn out different than we plan?

Don’t obsess on just one aspect of the art form till you feel stuck and lose interest. Mix it up and keep it interesting.

Don’t demand of yourself hours of time to build your new creative habit. Give yourself some grace and remember that life (and habit changing) don’t work that way.

Learning any creative skill takes time, patience, grace… and some more patience. But with your focus on the process instead of the product, developing a creative practice won’t feel like “just one more thing to do.” It will feel like an opportunity to add some sparkle to what already exists.

So do seek to learn those things you’ve always said you wanted to learn. Do try something even if you may fail. Do release yourself of dreams that no longer serve you or feel relevant, and Do give yourself heaps of grace throughout the entire process.

And if it’s helpful for you to use some of the strategies that I used to build a creative practice, below I’ve outlined three tips for infusing your day with some creative practice.

Go boldly and make something sparkle!

~ analogue kate

3 tips to learning something new

1. Choose a consistent location – you don’t need a studio to begin. But if you can choose a single location, or even a small tote with all your materials, it will help you commit to developing a new habit.

2. Set smaller goals than you think you should – Setting aside even just 5 minutes a day can be enough to begin. Set an alarm for the same time each day and simply begin by going to the space where you intend to work and touching the tools you will use. Remember, we are starting by setting up routines and “muscle memory” to commit to a new habit. The key is setting small goals that set you up for success.

3. Get inspired UNTIL… – Tread lightly into social media when you’re learning something new. It’s legit to gain inspiration from others UNTIL it becomes a comparison game or a justification for not going through the work to learn how to do it yourself. Once it becomes, “I’ll never be that good,” it’s a good time to walk away and take a social media break.