Kate: One branch might be an interest in a certain style of illustration. Another branch might be this movie that has stayed with you for five years. Another branch might be all the cool things you collect from thrift stores. Another branch might be a particular interest in a period in history or weird experiences you had as a kid. And then you put

BEGIN ANYHOW:

Concentrated, regular practice leads to the fastest growth.

The truth is, when we first start something, it can feel wholly uncomfortable. It can even feel risky! What if we fail? When we have an idea for what we want to create (perhaps related to whatever gave us the spark and the urge to make something in the first place), the end result we envision is often so far from what we have the skills to do. So w

Keep a growing list of all the artists you find yourself wanting to mimic.

Making art is an enormously personal experience, no matter your style or subject matter.

once I started to make art, it was like a floodgate opened. The boring interior life I previously related to was transformed into an inner world so intriguing to me that I couldn’t contain it.

Most artists are so busy simply attempting to produce satisfying work or make a living that they forget that, ultimately, they are making work to communicate their own version of the truth. We make work that mirrors our own deeply held ideas about the world.

be conscious of how you are transferring those influences into your own work. Always ask, “How am I transforming this influence into something of my own? How am I innovating?”