Learning By Deliberate Practice

"The Reason that most people don't possess these extraordinary physical capabilities isn't because they don't have the capacity for them, but rather because they are satisfied to live in the comfortable rut of homeostasis and never do the work that is required to get out of it. They live in the world of "good enough." The same thing is true for all mental activities we engage in."
-Anders Ericsson

I fell in love with Deliberate Practice while doing martial arts, but recently I decided to scour my notes for insight into writing and illustration.

I often find myself drawing similar things over and over again because I am comfortable with them and I know they get likes on social media. However, my goal is to improve, particularly to grow into stories that I want to illustrate.
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Those that stand by Deliberate Practice define it as a practice with purpose and intent to improve. Here are some ways you can make it apart of your learning and take your skill to the next level:

Make clear goals

You cannot get where you want if you have not first thought about where it is you want to go and how to get there. The wanderer succeeds at wandering.

Seek feedback

When you train a physical activity you get feedback from your body and coach. When you write or illustrate you get feedback from your art sense, professionals, and your audience. Remember that it is very hard to see the forest through the trees and that other people can provide much-needed insight from the 300ft level.

Improve specific areas

Kevin Secours, one of my martial arts instructors, used the metaphor of a chain. Imagine a long chain is pulling you towards your goal. Any weak link in the chain could stop you dead in your tracks. We referred to this practice as “Isolation. ” Only by isolating a weak link can you strengthen it.

“Don’t try to reinvent the wheel”

There is no reason for you to imagine that you must completely reinvent writing or illustrating. “If you put a monkey in a room with a typewriter, eventually you would get Shakespeare,” but you would have wasted your time because Shakespeare has been done before. Everything has been done before and it has been done well. Use the strategies of masters. You will anyway! Because you can’t separate yourself from the world. You might as well learn from others deliberately, rather than hide your sources behind the ego. I would remind you that accidents often account for plagiarism. Recognizing that you have been influenced by others is the first steptowards citing your sources.

Always be working just beyond your ability

“If you are just doing things that feel comfortable, your body will not change. If you make errors, you will find ways to eliminate those errors."- Anders Ericsson

​Traveling the same route does not contribute to growth

Do not mistake practice for blind repetition. It is not enough to draw 100 birds, you must push your limits on each one and make little adjustments to your process.

​A teacher or mentor can help you get incrementally better