When I decided to really start practicing art a few years ago, I had no clue where to even begin.

Getting better at drawing and painting was something I’d dreamed of all my life, but had never really had the patience to pursue. It felt like a hopelessly long journey, full of frustration, comparison, and demotivation.

Going online to find drawing tutorials made me even more stressed, because everyone was teaching a million different methods and concepts. Where does a complete beginner start? With an anatomy book? Or with drawing boring cubes and cylinders for hours on end? Was this my life now, for like three years, until I was finally good enough to not hate everything I made? Besides, I didn’t even know what I wanted to draw and paint, or how to choose, and that stressed me out even more.

I went on to do things the hard way: trying every tutorial, art class, and book I came across. Doing all of the boring exercises. Trying my best to draw anything and everything, and struggling and failing. Feeling very, very overwhelmed and frustrated with myself. After about a year of slow, tedious improvement, I realized something:

I had been way overcomplicating learning to draw.

All of the many tips, techniques, tools and methods I had overstuffed my brain with could have been distilled into just a handful of simple-to-grasp concepts. And by just focusing on practicing these skills, in a relaxed and straightforward daily practice, I would get 90% of the way towards my art goals. In a fraction of the time. While having some actual fun.

This is the approach I want to share with you, dear artist friend. So that you can avoid the overwhelm, frustration, boredom, and angst that we artists otherwise tend to go through. Learning art does not have to feel like stumbling endlessly through a maze. It can feel simple and pleasurable and stimulating.

Let me show you how.