Getting better with time - The Rider Newspaper

Over the years, I have been told many times by peers and friends that the reason they never draw or paint or attempt to try art is because they are “not good at it.”

This statement is used by many people to reason why they don’t attempt new things or take risks in their life. They don’t try, and if they do and don’t automatically excel at the start of their attempt, they quit, due to a fear of failure that many people have when they try new things. People set themselves up for failure by holding themselves to high expectations and unreachable goals, and when they aren’t able to reach those prospects, they decide to quit after only one try, instead of allowing themselves the time to experience and get better.

My parents have always encouraged me to tryanything I want. They even make the time and put in the effort to help me or discuss how I can improve. When I was 8 years old, I took up learning to draw and they began to buy me budget-friendly sketchbooks and supplies because they wanted me to be able to put in the effort to advance my art skills, even if we did not have a lot of money. I took up sewing and embroidery at 13 and they helped me buy the supplies or gave me ways to access them, such as borrowing a sewing machine from my grandmother.

My father worked hard at a job where my family could only see him during very limited hours, and my mother worked as a housewife, and while both had limited time to spend with our family, they were still set on allowing me the chance to be supported in my efforts to develop my hobbies and interests. Regardless of every obstacle they faced, my parents have always been supportive of anything new my siblings and I have wanted to try, and even now, they tell us to try and pursue any hobbies, opportunities or experiences that may come our way.

I wasn’t very good when I first started to draw, embroider or sew, and I don’t think I am that much better to this day, but these hobbies are something I truly enjoy doing and have invested myself into for relaxation and pure enjoyment. I am lucky to have had parents that push my family and I to try and succeed in everything we set our minds to. They have influenced my love for music and art the most out of everyone I have known and they are, really, the only reason I am so sure about what I like to do and enjoy.

You should always give yourself time to be good at things. “Talent is one thing but practice makes perfect,” one of my band directors would tell me.

“You can’t just expect to be good at things. You need to invest time and effort and just keep getting better with time.”

If you want to do something, give yourself reachable goals and try to do your best. If you feel like you aren’t doing as well as you should, you are most likely putting too much pressure on something that shouldn’t be rushed.