Almost everyone grew up hearing this mantra, “Parctice makes perfect!” It was drilled into our heads by parents, teachers, and clergy with good intentions. They wanted us to do well in life. The saying was meant to reinforce the values of self-discipline, determination, hard work, and persistance. Nothing wrong with that.
Perfection is an Outdated Concept
However, every upside has a downside. This concept also gave us an unreachable goal because there’s no such thing as the “imagined” perfection we percieve. From the moment we are born until the moment we die (and perhaps beyond) we are capable of learning, growth, and development in some way. So what is this mythical idea of perfection anyway?
You might think that getting it right, not making mistakes, being at the top of your class is perfection. Someone else might think that being recognised and earning a good income in their field, be it science, art, law, or music, requires perfection. Another person might drive themself to extremes in their personal or social life because of their subconscious perfectionsit expectations of themself.
Personally, I’ve always felt it was more of a spiritual mandate, but that can create unrealistic expectations as well. There’s nothing wrong with trying to be the best that we can be. However, perfectionsism as an ingrained thought pattern can cause excess stress and even prevent us from achieving our goals.
So let’s see what practice is really about…
Practice Makes Learning Possible
Regular practice creates a container for learning, inspiration and flow. If you don’t take out your art supplies you won’t learn to use them (no matter how many YouTube tutorials you watch). But if you go to your art-space and just start doing something you will learn and become more proficient in some way. If you make effort with an open and curious mind you will be surprised! Yes, unexpected and interesting things will happen, and that leads to more inspiration and the flow state that every artist desires.
Practice exercises the muscles of self-discipline, self-determination, and focus. As a child you might have felt bored to tears practicing the scales on the piano until they were engrained into your psyche. But this is what laid the foundation for all your future musical development. Eventually the amount of practice we put into something allows it to become second nature. This is good, as long as the patterns we learn don’t stop us from learning more. Practice should always help us learn, grow or become more aware in some way.
Finding Your Happy Place
The most important thing about practice often gets overlooked. It’s not just about drilling a skill into our mind/body framework. The practice needs to generate happiness and joy which makes you want to do it more! Some people feel joy from learning, others feel happy when a job is done well. Still others feel joy from a novel experience, and some feel the most joy when their senses are stimulated. We are all different, so it’s important to investigate how practicing can make you feel good.
Things to Consider
What lights you up when you practice something you want to be good at?
What about practice deters or distracts you?
What makes you feel energized?
What makes you bored?
What leaves you feeling satisfied?
Heart Beat of the Soul 