meanwhile in a distant comment thread (crosspost)

drawing has been important to me
on and off. certainly i’ve always loved
*other* people’s drawings but for me
actually working at it has come in
short and infrequent bursts
(of, say, several weeks … sprints
for some previously-unreached
level of attainment).

so i don’t know much about drawing.
but i know this about art.
*artists* make art.
and exercises are highly optional.

i’ve set *myself* exercises sometimes.
but it can be corrupting:
practice for the sake of practice
is better than nothing
(and necessary if one is
in some big fat hurry
to get to some finish line
real or imagined).
but it isn’t art.
not yet.

this is entirely a matter of attitude,
in case that isn’t clear.
(i suppose even batting practice
could be art on my model here
if you’re *really*
swinging for the fences…
or rather, if you’re working
at *changing* your swing…)

now.
i know very well and have told
anyway dozens of students
(i haven’t known it very well
for *long*) that it’s a darn good
idea in studying a math book
(in particular) to copy its drawings.

even if one is indifferent to
developing drawing skill in
any other area (if that were
possible; everyone would
*like* to be able to draw
of course if they only weren’t
afraid to try)… this is a good
thing even if only to learn
the *math* better.

you think you know
what you’re looking at
but you won’t have looked close
until you actually try to copy it:
the *reasons* things are
as they are seem to emerge
through movements of the hand.

the skill is essentially just
*be much more careful*
(about looking at things
[an already existing drawing
and one’s own] here;
about reasoning in maths;
about hearing and controlling
sounds in music…
what have you).
the trick is to care.
for a long time.

part of the point in my “copying”
example is that
by telling myself i’m studying
maths not art i free my mind
from certain false notions i might have
about how best to *study* drawing
and just go ahead and *draw* something.
in this case, lessons in perspective
(for example) will be built in
but it’s just something that happens.

and exercises are usually
somebody *else*’s idea.
artists generally have to convince
themselves (at least!) that
they’re working with
ideas of their *own*….

school systems are indifferent
to the plastic and performing arts.
but outright *hostile*
to the art of teaching.
caring about *anything* is dangerous;
caring about caring is subversive.

thanks to dawn for an offhand remark
inspiring of a pretty lengthy ramble.
let me just finish by adding that
i don’t think our positions are
actually all that far apart.