Studying VS transformation
I’ve wanted to write to you for a while to tell you this because, personally, I love studying but I need a transformation. Now I know that it only works for learning things that I tend to forget if I do not review them every so often. Surely you have also realized that learning many things do not improve your painting.
You see, in painting, there are no mistakes, but solutions that we do not like. And we do not like them because, as human beings, we have an aversion to loss
…But which loss? —you may ask. And here comes the toughest pill to swallow.
We are terrified of losing forever our particular way of doing things, our personality.
Frank Sinatra was wrong, doing things “your way” will only lead to the same results. For improving, you must, precisely, stop doing things “your way”.
And do you know why studying does not work? Because your painting will not change because of knowing more things. Your painting will only change if you change as a person.
You will only improve if you detach yourself from result and trust in a different process. A better process than “yours”.
How does this feel?
The road to success
And this only comes from the hand of experience, not by cramming. Transformation comes from knowing yourself through painting, relating to other artists and having a good teacher by your side.
The road to success in painting is not a secret, you just have to follow these three steps:
- Pay attention to how someone good does it.
- Get your hands dirty and do it yourself.
- Rectify errors with the help of a guide.
This is the equation that creates 100% practical knowledge and habits that will make you stop thinking so much about how to paint, and jump directly into painting. As simple as that: do not think about how to paint it. Come off it, just paint it!
«They told me and I forgot it; I saw it and I understood it; I did it and I learned it»
Quote attributed to Confucius.
Your painting should be a visual event, not an intellectual one. And that triple somersault is not achieved by learning more and more tricks. You need a profound transformation.
Your ego writes checks that your painting can’t honor. You need to shut up your ego’s big mouth using duct tape, stop being so conservative with “your things” and accept that you must change to improve. Make room for the good so the best can fit in.
Why will Menorca Pulsar transform you?
We started Menorca Pulsar because we had a vision: creating an artistic “concentration camp” where not improving would be impossible. A retreat where friendship, chatting and being open-minded were the core of a transforming experience.
We’re supposed to organize painting workshops in here, but they’re just an excuse for something way more important: we want the person who takes the plane back home not to be the same one as he who landed.
If what I’ve just told you rings a bell, your destiny is being here someday. If you have not done it yet, I hope you take this step so we can meet someday.