46, Why I Draw
Thanksgiving. First grade. We were asked to draw something for the holiday. I drew a Native American brave. Our teacher pinned the drawings around the room. I checked out my classmate’s work and vividly remember thinking... “mine is the best!”. Cocky little kid. Maybe. But the memory sticks with me for another reason. This was the first day that I felt like an artist.
My teacher asked, “Who did this?” I sheepishly replied that it was mine.
“It’s wonderful!” (I liked her!) She called the class over to see what I had made. In this acknowledgment, I was validated. It wasn’t just the recognition, but the confirmation of what I already thought to be true. My drawing was good. I was an artist. The psychology beneath this early memory is still the same. I had an assumption and that belief was validated.
Today, I make things with intention. I create to initiate a response. I start each new piece with a specific assumption- to excite; communicate; emote; investigate; solve a problem; learn; win an award; to pay my bills or any other reason of my choosing. I’ve come to acknowledge the importance of validation when it comes. Each time, the reasoning and the outcomes are different. By understanding what I want, I get to write my own rules and define my own metrics for success. If you’re looking for an antidote to creative insecurity- this is it.
NEWS
I’d love to invite you to join me this summer for the Summer Sessions of my Ideacraft and Voice courses. May 3rd- June 17th. Early Bird pricing is now available for both courses, which include critiques and working within cohorts. I’ve been amazed by the commitment and growth of my students and do hope you can join us. Use either link through April 19th to save 25%. Think Louder paid subscribers will save 35%. Pricing parity is available to offset the USD exchange rate. You can find more information here:
What people are saying
"No doubt ! Certainly the most complete course to learn proven methods to develop good ideas and manage a project with solid foundations. Magnificent!" -Anonymous
"Sterling Hundley could well be the greatest art teacher of our age. Not only is he one of the most consistently exciting artists in the world, but he combines that with a deep well of knowledge and a great passion to learn more, to go deeper, and to share what he finds with his students and learn from them in turn..." -Katherine Cerulean
"Like an illustration boot camp! Fantastic, well-fleshed out course that offers a workable structure to the creative process, and exercises vital skills like value and composition. The ability to generate ideas is like a muscle that can be trained, and this course gives that structured training. 100% recommend!" -Anonymous
"This course was truly a key step in my artistic development. While I struggled before with finding meaning in my art, I finally feel like I know what I want to say..." -Daniel Milenkovic
"I was lucky enough to be able to participate in both Ideacraft and VOICE. I cannot find the words to adequately express how incredible this course has been, the community it has provided, and the lessons and directions learned. I look forward to any other courses Sterling may provide, and if you're in a position to afford the course, I highly recommend signing up and taking the time to participate." -SMerc
"The Voice course has been truly eye-opening and empowering for me. Through the series of exercises and projects Sterling has structured along with weekly critiques, I've learned new ways of examining my process and thought patterns. This had helped me dig out new methods of expression from what's already inside me and focus my authentic voice. I highly recommend this course as a way to identify, clarify and focus your own artistic voice." -Gregory Newbold
"...This class may be the most important one you ever take because it will help foster and reveal what is already inside you. I've seen multiple people in my class, from well established artists to those just beginning their journey, discover breakthroughs in their craft with Sterling's guidance. I've experienced it myself with some of the challenges he set us to surmounting and I'm blown away by what I've found..." -Jessica Fisher