A little honest self-examination goes a long way. And since some of us have a long way to go (boy, am I nasty), it wouldn’t hurt anything to just sit back for a moment to see where we are in relation to where we want to be. It’s no secret that our shortcomings are the main bugaboos in our quest for advancement, both in our personal life and in our work skills. When we talk of skill, we’re talking good old-fashioned study, observation, and application. There is no other way. Anyone who wants to learn and develop a skill must first pinpoint the basic essentials, shore up adequately in those, and from there one may fine-tune acquired skills to whatever degree they are so inclined.
How does one properly and effectively self-examine ones own place on the scale of excellence? Even those who are 8 on a scale of 10 should still feel the urge to improve. Perhaps a checklist will be revealing. If I were to propose one for animation cartoonists, it might look something like this:
1. A fair knowledge of anatomy and the ability to apply it.
2. A feel for depicting action and the ability to apply it.
3. An understanding of the rules of perspective (overlap, diminishing size, etc.) and the ability to apply them.
4. An understanding of squash and stretch and the ability to apply it.
5. A feel for how to adjust a pose to bring out the story point and the ability to apply it.
6. A sense of timing and the ability to apply it.
7. A sensibility for staging and the ability to apply it.
This list is by no means complete, but for starters, read it again checking off the categories you might need a little help with. Bear in mind that each point in question ends with “… and the ability to apply it.” I have known some who talked a good drawing or animation, but when it came to practical application, theory outran applicability. So be honest. This is self-examination. Others may care about you and want to help, but cannot invade your privacy. That’s your domain.
I think you’ll feel good if you actually check off some of the items on the list, and especially if you make the check become a resolve to hone up on the ones that are “iffy,” and to bone up on the ones that are absent.
Resolve to start (or continue one already in progress) some program of self-betterment, one that is streamlined so it does not become a great burden time-wise or any-other-wise. It’s surprising how much progress you can make if your problems are isolated so you can concentrate on them. This also allows you to measure your progress, and each small goal reached helps to build confidence and helps to clarify your overall goal.
So hone up or bone up! Or both. You’ll feel good about yourself, and with good reason.
One further word. We have a tendency to blame our shortcomings on our parents, our acquaintances, our memory, our lack of time, etc. But let’s acknowledge the fact that we have all the opportunities (or can create them) that any other person has ever had. Some of the greatest achievements were accomplished by people who had mental, physical, or emotional problems to overcome. A real heavy-duty inner strength emerges from overcoming the things that seem to stand in your way. One way to gain muscle is to lift weights. So in the skill area grapple with the roadblocks and your creative muscles will grow.
Here is an interesting formula I once saw in a book on writing:
T + S = J, Talent + Skill = Joy. May your life be filled with Joy.