What Does Improvement Really Look Like? (Patreon)

If you’re feeling like you’re struggling with your painting right now, I want to tell you something important:
​

That’s probably a good sign.
​

A lot of people think getting better at oil painting is this steady, upward trajectory. But in reality, it’s a rollercoaster. There are bursts of clarity followed by periods where nothing seems to work. You’ll feel like you’ve finally figured something out, only to find your next painting is the hardest one yet.

​
That struggle? That’s growth. That’s you pushing out of your comfort zone.

​
I’ve been painting for years, and I still struggle. In fact, I probably struggle more now than I did when I started, because I’m trying to push myself more. I don’t want to plateau. And the better I get, the more I realize how much I don’t know. That realization doesn’t discourage me, it excites me. It means I’ll be learning forever, and that’s what I love most.

​
Finishing a painting is great. Selling a painting is great. Seeing it hang on a wall is great. But what I truly love, the reason I keep doing this, is the process. And I’ve noticed that the students who really improve? They’re the ones who start to love the process, too.

​
So if you’re struggling, if your last few paintings didn’t turn out the way you hoped, that doesn’t mean you’re not cut out for this. It just means you’re doing it right. Great painters don’t make perfect paintings every time. I have boxes full of failed paintings no one will ever see. I’ve had students tell me how much it helped to see my bad paintings. It gave them permission to mess up, to experiment, to learn.

​
We live in a time where all we see online is everyone’s best work. You’re not seeing the dozens (sometimes hundreds) of failures behind that one success. But they’re there.

​
I used to go plein air painting with a group of professionals who had decades more experience than me. Sometimes they’d finish a painting and just say, "Eh, I’m wiping this one off when I get home." And these were really good painters. That stuck with me.

​
So again, if you’re hitting a rough patch, don’t panic. That’s normal. Honestly, it’s necessary.

​
If you go too long without making a bad painting, that probably means you’re not taking risks. You’re staying safe. And staying safe doesn’t lead to progress. You’ve got to be willing to try things that might not work. That’s how you grow.

​
There is no finish line in painting. There’s no final form where you’ve "made it" and now every painting is perfect. It’s a lifelong path.

​
It won’t be linear. But over time, if you keep showing up, you will get better.

​
Fall in love with the process. Not the end product.

​
That’s the secret.

​
Now go get painting

​