hello everyone, I’m Sophie from France.

[Sophie]

Hello everyone, my name is Sophie, I’m a new member.

I like to draw but I have a big problem, I really lack confidence.  I have subscribed at nma because I want to draw again but my lack of confidence is really an enormous obstacle. I really don’t know how to deal with. Advices are really welcome.

I have begun to watch some video of the Russian drawing course and they are really awesome. I believed that I mastered some fundamentals and thanks to this course I know now I don’t. But I’m affraid when it comes to do the assignements. Do you have advices to overcome that fear ?

I have also others questions : how do you follow the courses ? Do you do the demo with the instructor or are assignements enough ? Do you take many courses at the same time or do you just take one by one ? Do you prefer to follow one instructor or on the contrary to follow as many as possible to see differents styles and differents methods ?

My lasts questions are more about the site : How to cancel your subscription ? I mean if I fail to overcome my lack of confidence, I will have to do that. I also can’t subscribed to the coaching session right now. I also want to know how to upgrade to the premium subscription, if I can later overcome my fear, I will certainly want to access the image library.

I’m sorry, my english is not pretty good.

 

[Jana Eicher]

Hello Sophie!

I can completely relate. I’m so scared to prove to myself that I actually suck at art and will never be great at it. It’s so annoying and really holds me back. I think the best thing for overcoming your fear is accepting that you need to be humble if you ever want to learn or improve. Even the best artists have many pieces that they don’t like, or feel disappointed in. To become confident, you need to put in A LOT of time, effort, patience and perseverance. I put so much pressure on myself… I want to create a masterpiece with every single attempt, and that’s just not realistic. Be okay with doing lots of smaller exercises, as often as you can. Art is exactly like music… No concert pianist became a master overnight. Imagine how many incorrect notes they had to play throughout their journey to becoming a great musician. I hope this helps! It’s all about doing a lot of art, as often as you can, but focusing on the practice element and not on achieving your own super high standards. And, finally, ENJOY it. Do it for yourself, and not to impress others. <3

[Sophie]

Thanks you for your advices and encouragements. I really appreciate it.

[Jana Eicher]

Also, the forums for posting photos of your artwork may be really useful. Share some pictures and be open to getting feedback from others. People are generally very friendly and encouraging around here. 🙂 This will help you to learn and grow. There are also dedicated forums with study groups, where everyone shares their assignments and projects.

I’m busy with Ben Fenske’s landscape course and am also doing Bill Perkins’s Color Theory Bootcamp in between. I think it’s good to focus on one practical course and one theoretical course at a time, but that’s just my own preference.

[Claire Vdh]

Hello Sophie, welcome! I’m french also and I’ve just joined NMA two days ago!

I love art, draw and paint. To overcome fear, my advise would be to focus on the PROCESS rather than the result.

How you feel while you draw, being focused into the present moment and the sensasions, and most importantly: speaking to yourself with kindess.

You are doing your very best with the ressources that you have right now. The more you learn and practice, the more at ease you will become.

I hope this helps, sending you love and encouragement! You are amazing regardless on how “well” you draw!

[Author]

Posts