The Problem
It is easy to think that there is too much to learn about a topic, or that so many people know so much more than you do. This was never more try than with printmaking. This is daunting to say the least.
There are so many different printmaking techniques, and even if you were to choose just one to work on, there are videos of master printmakers at work online like this:
These can make you feel like a small fish. So why bother?
The Solution
Really? Why Bother! How about because just because someone is more skilled at something than you, they don’t have the same outlook, the same approach, or the same set of skills as you. You have a lot to offer, so bring it!
Print like a hyper-organised mum.
Print like a lazy accountant.
Print like a child trapped in the body of a 39 year old man (oh wait, that’s me).
JUST PRINT!
Don’t know enough? – learn.
Don’t like your art? – work out why and try again.
So much of printmaking is experimentation.
Have you heard of “flow” – that quasi-mystical state of being where you can just “do” and you are content in the process. Printmaking has a heck of a lot of process, so go with it, play, enjoy.
DISCLAIMER – Most of the content of this article is actually applicable to me. If it helps someone else too, that’s a bonus.
How do you cope with fear of failure?
