rise over run
One of the funniest things about watching babies grow is the squash / stretch effect. Suddenly the baby starts looking REALLY pudgy, and you know it’ll only be a few more days before the next growth spurt. Round and fat gives way to tall and thin, and before you know it, you’ve reached another milestone. And then it happens all over again. It’s all a big growth curve.
One of the most painful things about making art is the squash / stretch effect. You’re working along, doing fine, and all of a sudden your work starts looking, well, kind of pudgy. Squat and flat, metaphorically speaking. And you hope it will only be a few more weeks before the next growth spurt, where squat and flat gives way to long and lean, and before you know it, you’ve had a breakthrough. And if you’re lucky, and you keep at it, one day, eventually, it might happen all over again. It’s all a big learning curve.
Another way to look at this is rise over run. Remember algebra? Graphing was always my favorite. One step over, two steps up.
You’re speeding along in your world, having a grand time of it, and suddenly you’re face first with a big wall. All you can do is scale the wall. But sometimes, it’s too high, there’s no end in sight, you haven’t got the right tools, or maybe you’re just tired, so you just stay put, for a while.
Oh, the nice graphing programs anti-alias it, so you’ve got a lovely ramp to stroll along. But, usually the real world isn’t quite so polished, and you’re stuck. Rise or run.
Art and algebra, same thing. In my curve, improvement in skill is the rise, and emotional context is the run. If things start to stall, that means it’s time to get to work.
Back to basics.
Rise.
Chip away at what’s wrong, improve those skills, refine that technique. Then run with it, as far as you can.
And if you work hard, and if you’re really lucky, maybe the whole thing might happen all over again.