Practice makes perfect.
Gosh. If only that were true. You can practice all you want, but if there’s no sign of improvement, perfection remains far, far off. Besides, perfection isn’t even the goal. (Ha! Not even close.) A more accurate phrase might be: “Practice makes it better, assuming there’s some evidence of improvement.” Rolls right off the tongue, doesn’t it?
The Carnegie Hall Trap
They say practice is how you get to Carnegie Hall. Fair enough. But I don’t play an instrument. I don’t sing much either. Still, the concept holds: If you want others to enjoy your craft, you have to put in the time. Make the product better. Make the process visible. Practice shouldn’t be avoided. But let’s not pretend it doesn’t hurt. Take physical exercise: The whole system works by tearing down muscle so the body can rebuild. That’s not poetic. It’s just painful.
10,000 Hours and Then Some
There’s a theory: You become a professional after ten years—or 10,000 hours—of practice. I told my students the same. After 10,000 serious and thoughtful photographs,mmaybe your images begin to mean something. That number sounds noble—until you’re halfway through and everything you make feels awful. And no, image-making isn’t painless. The creative process wounds just as deeply. I’ve thrown out countless pieces within minutes. Others I gave away—not as gifts, but as exorcisms. Had to get them out of the house. Only now do I realize… some of my worst work is hanging on someone’s wall. Ah well. Love my faults, and you’ll never be disappointed.
A Final Practice
I bought a sketchbook. Let’s see how long I use it. How long does it take to practice for 10,000 hours? Wait.
Oh yeah.
