I found something that is really fun to do, and it’s a great way to practice. One of the best ways to push yourself to learn new skills and master different styles is to copy other people’s work. Now of course you don’t sell this or claim it as you’re own. but it is a great way to stretch yourself creatively. Here’s an example:
My son teaches at a pre-school. One of the rules for the school (I’m not sure if it is statewide or just a requirement of the company that franchises the school) is that all their classroom decorations have to be hand made. I volunteered to make them for my son. He has a vision for what he wants the room to look like and he knows the lessons and themes he will be teaching for the month, so he texts me images he wants me to reproduce, and I draw them. Since most of them are very different styles from mine. Here are two of the pieces I made this week.
Again they’re not original and our deal is that the colors are his responsibility, but I have a lot of fun drawing them, I get to practice, my son gets decorations and the students get a very colorful room. Any time you can get in some practice and help someone else, that’s a win win. How can you use your gifts to help someone else?
AMOKArts 