What are your dreams? Do you look at someone else's work and wish you could do it to? Whether it is writing, drawing, painting or building business you can be as good or better than the masters.Years ago my father would take me to the golf course. He would golf, I'd chase my ball but he would tell me "You know Amber the only difference between me and a professional golfer? I figure its about 10,000 strokes." At the time I would laugh and brush it off. My dad's an engineer, He doesn't really want to be a golfer. Regardless of whether he really wanted to be a golfer or just to be able to pursue a passion instead of a job I began to realize that his 10,000 stroke statement could be applied to anything in life. It became my personal motto and driver. I have used it in my art, and personal growth.I used to look at my brother or friends and say "I wish I could draw like that." Sound familiar? I am sure everyone has heard or said the same thing in regards to some skill. "I wish I could follow my dream like that.." is essentially what they are saying even if the particular skill is not something that motivates them. I hear statements like this a lot when I show my works or grab a goal. I came to a point I was sick of wishing and tried to figure out the difference between me and an artist I admired. Well my brother and best friend had been drawing since they could pick up a pencil. So the only difference between them and me was practice. Let me take you back to 2006.I was working at a well know coffee company surrounded by very talented people. I started to take my breaks in the lobby so no one I worked with would see and just draw circles hundreds of very lopsided uneven circles. Once they started to get better I started to draw squares and lines and triangle. Just basic shapes over and over again. I think my husband probably thought I was crazy, but if it relaxed me he wasn't against it. I was scared to start drawing "real objects" most of my first works never made it past my frustration and the shredder but this is where I started:
Its embarassing but this was only one of the ones I was happy with at the time. But I remembered what my father said. The only difference between me and a great artist was about 10,000 strokes.
What is 10,000 strokes in the grand scheme of things? Let's break it down a little more. 10,000 of anything is very achievable is a few years. It's only 7 strokes a day for 4 years. Only 4 years to achieve a life long wish and dream. I eventually began to journal a daily drawing. Just one thing every day. If I had time I would make it more complex but the important thing was putting pen to paper. Even by the time I finished my first journal I could go back and see huge improvements.
For those of you who play video games or maybe have children who do, think of it this way. Every time your practice your ability, even if it is just a lopsided circle you gain a point in that skill. Not the greatest writer? Write a small poem a day in a journal. Want to be more confidant meeting new people? Introduce yourself to a few new people a day, show interest in them. You can do anything you set your mind to.
Now the next question your all asking is if its that easy why doesn't everyone take those first steps? In my experience and opinion the biggest reason is fear. Fear of failure, or fear of others options. Fear that they are going to let their loved ones down. Sometimes family and friends can just intensify this fear without knowing by asking "uhh what is it?" or " Your doing what? Are you crazy?" My advice the first few steps are always scary and your loved ones are probably afraid for you too. They want to see you succeed in their hearts. As I said before few of my original sketches ever made it past my failure filter or the burn pile. Looking back on it now I wish I had kept them. Looking back at were you started helps encourage you to try again, you can actually tangibly see your progress. Thomas Edison is quoted as saying " I have not failed to make the light bulb 10,000 times. I have successfully discovered 10,000 ways it won't work." And he is absolutely right! Testing your limits, pushing yourself and trying new things is what helps us grow and discover personal style. Let us assume however Thomas Edison never "failed", maybe he wouldn't have had the skill necessary to actually build his work. If he had found how to light a room right off the bat maybe the light would have been really dull be even help and useless. He would have succeed in his goal of making light but it would have been the fruition of what was in his mind. Every time we try we gain a little piece of knowledge to help us improve for the next time.
Now that you know you can achieve your goal and I know you can. And maybe even placed some perspective on your fears. Let me encourage you on where you could go. Unlock you dreams, air them out and let them grow bigger. Remember I started drawing in 2006 and started painting in 2009. I didn't start with 7 strokes a day so I had some catching up to do. But this is where I am now (2010).
Just imagine where I will be in years to come. Now its time to figure out what you want. What do you want to be better at? What goal do you want to achieve. What do you want to be better at? Take that first step and you'll be running before you realize you left the house. In the words of one of my favorite Super Chicks song " One more go one more, Don't Stop Go one more" You will see a difference, marked improvement and growth. You will feel the warm glow of achievement.
This can be applied to all areas of you or life. Not just a new skill like it was for me. Even at at a call center I work at they tell the new hires to just keep taking calls. The only difference between them and a seasoned employee is about 10000 calls that is only 30 calls a day for a year. Big impossible dreams don't seem so imposable when you do it in little steps, on step at time. The key is not to stop.
I hope i have helped to inspire you to open your dream box. Unfold the dusty memories of the dreams you packed up and air them out, hang them up and work towards them. You can, you will, Just take that first step and keep moving forward. Just one stroke at a time, one person at a time and before you know it you will only have one stroke left to go.
