Wanna learn how to change your life? How to totally change your WHOLE life around?
If so, I’m qualified to be your guide, not because I have managed to make my own life perfect in every possible way, but because I have managed to screw it up in every possible way and then figure out how to slowly climb out of the hole of desperation I found myself in. Climb out of that hole with sweat beads on my forehead and dirt under my fingernails.
Many years ago when I first started suffering from depression, I thought my depression was a disease of the brain that had struck me out of nowhere. I just wasn’t happy with anything even though I had everything. I didn’t know why I was unhappy or how to stop being unhappy. All I knew was that I was so unhappy I barely wanted to be alive anymore.
So I went to the doctor and got a prescription for antidepressants. And I got myself a therapist and talked about my life for 50 minutes every Wednesday at 7pm.
And I waited. And waited. And waited. And waited some more.
I had my medications adjusted. Again. And again. And again. And again.
And nothing.
My unhappiness wouldn’t lift.
Until I finally came to realize that my unhappiness was not a disease that had struck out of nowhere like the flu virus does every fall.
My distress, my exhaustion, my hopelessness, my unwillingness to continue living… All of it was a result of living the wrong kind of life. The kind of life that a person like me wasn’t well suited for.
I am a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). I am an intuitive introvert. And I was copying the lifestyles of non-HSP extroverts.
It would have been the perfect life for many – maybe even most? – other people. It was the life society tells us to want.
But it just wasn’t the kind of life I needed or wanted in order to be healthy and happy.
And the only way for me to get better was by letting that life go. Completely dismantling it.
My life needed a gut-job renovation – one room at a time.
And that’s what I have been working on for a few years now. Slowly nudging my life into the direction that works for me. Slowly learning how to change my life. Rebuilding it little by little.
I have done this in so many areas of my life now that I feel like I have become quite the life improvement expert. 🙂 I have a method nailed down. I have figured out what works and what doesn’t work.
So today I wanted to share with you some of my secrets for making life changes in case your life is in need of a little (or a big!) sprucing up too.
HOW TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE AROUND
1. MAKE A DETAILED LIST OF EVERYTHING YOU ARE DISSATISFIED WITH IN YOUR LIFE
You can’t fix a problem, if you don’t know what the problem is. So the first step in transforming your life is to become crystal clear about what the problem areas are. What are you unhappy with exactly?
Here is a list of possibilities to get you started.
PHYSICAL WELL-BEING
Sleep/Energy levels
Exercise
Diet
Stress levels
MENTAL WELL-BEING
Anxiety
Depression
Other
RELATIONSHIPS
Significant other
Kids
Extended family
Friendships
WORK
The kind of work you are doing
The place where you work
The people you are working with
How much money you are making
HOBBIES & INTERESTS
What you do for fun
How much time you have to devote to your interests
WHERE YOU LIVE
City/town
Neighborhood
Your apartment or house
If these prompts don’t get your wheels turning – if you just have a vague feeling that you are unhappy, but you are not sure why – then work on #2 first and come back to this step.
2. CREATE A VISION OF YOUR IDEAL LIFE
You will never be able to build the kind of life you want to live if you don’t know what that life is like. So the next step is to figure out what exactly you want and create a detailed vision of your ideal life.
How do you want to feel? What do you want to do? Who do you want to be with?
In order to complete this step successfully, here are a few things to keep in mind:
SELF AWARENESS IS KEY
You need to find your authentic self. You need to become aware of your true preferences, your personality traits, your strengths, and your weaknesses. This is the only way to create a life that is a good match to the unique person that is YOU.
THIS IS ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT
The only way to create a life that YOU are happy with is to focus on what YOU want from life. Let go of other people’s expectations from you or for you. Let go of what you have been taught you should want and figure out what you actually want.
LIKING SOMETHING IN THEORY IS NOT THE SAME AS LIKING SOMETHING IN PRACTICE
Liking the IDEA of something, is not the same as ACTUALLY enjoying it. For example, I like the IDEA of having seven kids all happily running around my house, but I know that IN PRACTICE having a large family would be way too exhausting for a highly sensitive introvert like me.
ADMIRING SOMEONE DOESN’T MEAN YOU WOULD BE HAPPY LIVING THEIR LIFE
We can have great regard for some people and admire what they are doing with their lives, but know that we would be miserable living their lives.
SETTLING WILL PUT YOU RIGHT BACK TO WHERE YOU STARTED
You want to change your life, because you are unhappy with it as it stands. So as you create your vision, let go of self imposed limitations that will leave you settling for just a different variety of unhappy. Let go of “normal”. Let go of “reasonable”. Let yourself aim high. Let yourself dream.
YOU ARE ALLOWED TO KEEP ADJUSTING YOUR VISION
As human beings, we are changing, growing, and developing all the time. We are constantly learning new things about ourselves and the world. Don’t be afraid to keep course correcting and adjusting your vision, as doors open to opportunities you didn’t even know existed before.
EXERCISES AND ARTICLES FOR BRAINSTORMING YOUR IDEAL LIFE
For more help with creating a vision for your ideal life, check out the Self Discovery section of my website.
3. PUT THE LIFE AREAS TO BE CHANGED INTO PRIORITY ORDER
You absolutely CAN change your whole life, but you can’t change your whole life overnight. Whenever I have tried to implement too many changes at once or whenever I have tried to achieve too much in too short of a period of time, I have ended up right back in square one: overwhelmed, stressed out, and unhappy.
So put the problem areas in priority order and work on them in that order.
We all have our unique priorities in life and you should stay true to yours. In my own life, I have found that physical well-being has to remain priority number 1. If I’m tired and not feeling well, it’s very difficult for me to work on reaching any of my other goals. So sufficient rest, good nutrition, and regular exercise are kind of the foundation on which everything else in my life is built upon.
Here are my simple rules for how much change to take on at any one time:
WORK ON ONE HABIT AT A TIME
If you are changing a habit, work on ONE habit at a time. When that ONE habit has become automatic, work on the next one. For example, when my babies weren’t babies anymore, I wanted to start exercising again and improve my diet. I focused first on establishing an exercise routine. After a few months, it had become second nature for me to go for a run first thing every morning and only then did I start making changes to my diet.
DON’T COMPROMISE YOUR HEALTH OR RELATIONSHIPS THAT MATTER THE MOST
When working to achieve other life goals, only take on as much as you can without compromising physical well-being and relationships that are most important to you. For example, I’m working on changing my career at the moment, but it’s happening very slowly,.
4. LEARN HOW TO TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE – ONE AREA AT A TIME
One of the biggest obstacles to changing your life for the better is not knowing exactly how to go about it. This has been a reoccurring theme of my depression as well: I’m unhappy, but I don’t know how to change things. And when I don’t know how to change things, I start thinking it’s probably not even possible.
But here’s the thing. Whatever problem you are struggling with, someone else in human history has struggled with as well. Actually a whole lot of someones have likely struggled with the same problem. And some of those someones are out there talking about overcoming that problem. Or recording podcasts. Or crafting blog posts. Or even writing entire books.
Take advantage of those people. Learn from them.
Start with your life area priority #1 and research how other people have managed to make a similar change. Google it. Pinterest it. Order a book from Amazon. Check out the growing library of life change “how to’s” right here on Solutions To All Your Problems.
Some advice you run into won’t work for you, but some of it will. Keep what works for you and ditch the rest.
5. SET SPECIFIC GOALS AND CREATE DETAILED PLANS FOR ACHIEVING THOSE GOALS
You know what you want and you know how other people have gotten exactly what you want. It’s time for you to start taking action.
But action can be scary. It’s new and different and OMG what if you fail?!
Here are two things I have learned to do to make action less scary:
SET SMART GOALS
SMART goals are:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time-bound
For example, “to get in shape” is not a SMART goal. “To be able to run for 30 minutes three months from now” is a SMART goal.
CREATE PLANS WITH ITTY BITTY BABY STEPS
Big goals are scary, because they are BIG. They are GIANT and OVERWHELMING! But they become a lot less so, if you break everything into itty bitty DOABLE baby steps. Let’s take the “run for 30 minutes three months from now” example. Here are the first itty bitty baby steps one could take to achieve this goal:
WEEK 1
buy a pair of good running shoes
find comfortable clothes to run in
make a play list of music to listen to while exercising
WEEK 2
day 1: 3 minutes of running + 15 minutes of walking
day 2: 4 minutes of running + 15 minutes of walking
day 3: 5 minutes of running + 15 minutes of walking
6. TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR TIME
Making life changes takes time. If you want to lead a healthier lifestyle, you probably need to find more time for sleep, exercise, relaxation, and cooking. If you want to change careers, you probably need to find time for learning new skills. If you want to connect with your significant other more, you probably need to find more time for hanging out. And so on and so on…
Here are three ways to deal with the inevitable time issues:
START TIME BLOCKING
Here’s what I mean by time blocking: Start planning your days out in advance by writing down how you will be spending each half-hour block within the day. It sounds super simple, but it works magic in terms of helping you be more intentional about how you are spending your time.
STICK TO YOUR PRIORITIES
Always keep YOUR personal priorities in mind when you are setting up your daily schedule. When you don’t have time for everything, the things that are not TOP priority need to be cut. And yes, this means that you need to start saying no to some people and activities you used to spend time on.
SLOW PROGRESS IS BETTER THAN NO PROGRESS
Sometimes you won’t be able to spend as much time as you would ideally like on whatever life goal you are working on at the moment. When that happens, just do what you have time for. Remember that slow progress is better than no progress! Even if it takes you ten years to get to where you want to be, it’s better to get there in ten years than to not start at all and still be stuck ten years from now.
7. KEEP YOURSELF MOTIVATED
Making life changes is hard and takes time. How do you stay motivated to keep going?
In my experience, here are the conditions that need to be present in order for you to stick to it for the long haul:
YOU ARE EXCITED ABOUT YOUR GOAL
When you nail down #2 – creating the vision for your ideal life – it becomes a lot easier to find the motivation to take the steps you need to take. You will be EXCITED to do what you need to do, because this is something YOU ACTUALLY WANT. More than you have ever wanted anything else. (And if that’s not how you feel about your vision, then it’s back to the drawing board!)
YOUR TO-DO LIST IS DOABLE
The more you are able to break the tasks ahead of you into baby steps, the more doable they become. Set outrageous end goals, but break them down into itty bitty baby steps.
YOU HAVE A GROWTH MINDSET
Make the words YET, BUT your new mantra, as in “I don’t know how to do this YET, BUT I can learn.”
Yes, changing your life is hard. But it’s even harder to stay stuck in a life you don’t like.
If you’ve been in business for a while, by now you would’ve come across clients or prospects giving you the too expensive objection. Mastering the right mindset and believing in the value you’re offering is so important. Understanding how and why people buy is also vital to knowing what to say to the too expensive objection.
So what do you say in response?
Dealing with this type of rejection is always tough. It can make you question what you are offering. It can make you question your value, your entire business and can even make you consider lowering your prices.
Stop! Don’t change a thing until you’ve read on.
The worst mistake you can make is to try and cater for someone who doesn’t value what you’re offering. They are possibly not the right person for your business so here are some ways to respond to the question, “You’re too expensive.”
1. Remember: Not everyone is going to value what you have to offer.
Just because a customer says you’re too expensive, doesn’t mean what you have to offer is not valuable. It may just mean it’s not valuable enough to that customer, or not valuable to them right now.
Here’s what you can say:
“What budget did you have in mind to invest in xyz solution?”
“If I could help you with xyz problem, how much were you thinking that would be worth to you?”
2. Remember: You can offer them a reduced solution or added value
Don’t compromise on the value you’re delivering just to please a customer who uses this objection. Stay firm on your price but offer them a reduced solution to match their lower budget or offer an added bonus at the original price if they agree to do business with you.
Here’s what you can say:
“I wouldn’t want to compromise on the quality of what I’m offering so if your budget is $xx then I would love to offer you xyz solution instead. How does that sound?”
“My prices are firm however I would love to work with you. What I’d like to offer you is an additional xyz bonus as a free added extra to thank you for doing business with me.”
3. Remember: Any objection is a positive sign the client has bought into the idea.
People buy emotionally and then justify with logic. This is a very normal part of the buying process. The fact you’re getting a logical objection is actually a really good sign the customer has bought into the idea of your solution. This knowledge gives you the ability to continue to work with the customer on their needs and help them see you can solve their problem. Focus on the importance of them finding a solution right now.
Here’s what you can say:
“I know finding xyz solution is really important to you. Can you tell me more about why it’s so important you find a solution to xyz problem today?
“I understand it’s important for you to find the right solution right now. How would it feel if I could help you find a solution to xyz problem today?”
4. Remember: They may not be your ideal customer and that’s ok
Not everyone is going to be the right customer for your business. You can’t possibly have a solution for every single person and you shouldn’t try. Stay true to what you are trying to accomplish and focus on the right people who will value what you have to offer.
Here’s what you can say:
“I really believe I can help you with xyz problem and I would love to have your business when you’re ready. If your situation changes, feel free to get back in touch.”
“I wouldn’t want to compromise on the quality of xyz solution, so I’m afraid I can’t lower my prices. If a lower cost alternative is the main priority for you I understand but I’m afraid I can’t help you at a lower price.”
5. Remember: You are solving a very real and current problem for them
The most compelling reason someone will become your customer is because they have a real and current problem they need solving. Focus on uncovering the problem and providing them with the right solution.
Here’s what you can say:
“You mentioned you wanted to solve xyz problem. I am confident I can help you. What would it mean to you if I could help you with xyz solution?”
“How important is it for you to be able to find xyz solution today? If I could help you immediately, would that be worth the investment?”
Conclusion:
Dealing with the ‘too expensive’ objection can be frustrating but when you understand how and why people buy, you’ll see it’s not all bad. This objection is the customer telling you they’re not quite there yet but if you respond in the right way, this objection can be overcome.
Life is filled with turbulence–illness, fights with loved ones, and global uncertainty. These moments of fear can provide a chance to grow closer to loved ones, gain wisdom, and pause to reflect on all the good things you have. The storm always ends, but when you’re in the middle of it, feeling overwhelmed is natural. No matter what struggles you face, these tactics can help you manage turbulent times.
Find a Distraction
When life is challenging, you sometimes need a distraction to keep going. Not everything you do needs to be meaningful or educational. It’s fine to veg out in front of the TV or lose yourself in a romance novel. Video games can keep your mind from wading into darker places, and solitaire can keep your mind sharp. So figure out which activities feel most immersive and least stressful to you. Then embrace them as helpful distractions.
Put Yourself on an Information Diet
It’s natural to feel anxious about changes in the world around you, whether you’re fretting about political shifts or natural disasters. Over time, the steady stream of fear and bad news can erode your mental health. If you’re already doing all you can to stay safe and make the world around you a better place, you don’t need to be clued in to every changing political tide or new depressing headline. Go on an information diet if bad news is affecting your mental health. Filter your social media feeds. Turn off the news. Stay away from message boards and websites that make you feel bad. You do not need to know about every bad thing that happens in the world.
Get Moving
Exercise remains one of the single best things you can do for your health. It reduces your risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and strengthens your immune system. Exercise is also a powerful antidote to depression and anxiety. In some studies, it’s just as effective as psychoactive medication. So kick your immune system into high gear and burn off negative emotions with a quick walk, jog, or swim. If you need to calm your anxious mind, try something like yoga, which encourages deliberate, slow movement and contemplative breathing.
Talk to Someone
Bottling up your emotions during times of suffering doesn’t make them go away. In fact, doing so may even be bad for your health. There’s no shame in talking to someone. Being willing to be vulnerable is an important skill that can deepen your relationships. Most people who are feeling scared or anxious act out those feelings in other ways, such as by being impatient or controlling. When you voice your feelings instead, you may become kinder to loved ones. If you don’t have a loved one you feel comfortable talking to, it’s time to reach out to a professional. Therapy is like healthcare for your mind, and you don’t even have to go in person. Therapy apps such as What’s Up? can help you master better communication and relationships skills in the comfort of your own home.
Be a Little Selfish
You don’t have to spend every second of every day supporting others. Instead, heed the advice that’s on every airplane safety pamphlet. Put on your own mask before helping others. You can’t donate from an empty account, so take some time every day to do things that make you feel good. It may feel selfish, but it’s not. Your life and happiness matter, so make them a priority.
Owls are awesome. Though seldom seen and often under-appreciated, these birds are some of the most interesting avian species around.
There are more than 200 species of owls in the world, divided into two families: Tytonidae, including the heart-faced barn owls, and Strigidae, which includes more typical owls.
All owls are predatory, but their prey is diverse, with some species hunting frogs, others fish, and others prey on large mammals. Some swoop down silently onto their prey, others burrow underground, and some wail and screech like a witch in the night.
Here are eleven of our favorite owl species from around the world.
Barking owls are one of my favorite owls; not because of their appearance, but because of their unusual call… a high-pitched “Woof, woof! Woof woof!” The first time I heard one, I wondered who was letting their Pomeranian run around the campground.
Barking owls are found throughout Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia’s Molucca archipelago. They have a broad diet, feasting on everything from small mammals, like sugar gliders and bats, to birds, beetles, and moths.
Spectacled owls are native to the American tropics, from Mexico down to Brazil. They favor old-growth rainforests, where they feed on small mammals and invertebrates. Adults have a dark, grey-brown head and neck marked with distinctive white “spectacles” around the eyes. Juveniles are even more distinctive, with fluffy, all-white heads and dark circles around the eyes.
Though not currently in danger, scientists suspect that the spectacled owl will soon experience a large population decrease as a result of deforestation and degradation across its range.
Pel’s fishing-owl, found in sub-Saharan Africa, has one of the most unusual diets of any owl. The species preys exclusively on fish and frogs snatched from the surface of lakes and slow-moving rivers. (And scientists once observed an owl catching a baby Nile crocodile!)
To aid in hunting, they have minimal feathers on their lower legs and small spikes on their footpads. These adaptations are similar to diurnal raptors, like the osprey, that feed on fish or other aquatic prey. Pel’s fishing-owl is also one of the world’s largest owl species, with a wingspan of 60 inches and a weight of up to 5.2 pounds.
If you’re a lucky North American birder, you might catch a glimpse of a northern hawk-owl in winter. This owl species is found across the northern latitudes of North America and Eurasia, occasionally erupting southward in winter, much like the snowy owl. Northern hawk-owls are one of the only diurnal owl species, sometimes hunting small rodents and birds by day while other owls are fast asleep. Due to its remote habitat and low population density, scientists know comparatively little about the northern hawk-owl.
Africa’s pearl-spotted owlet wins the cool camouflage award. You might think they look rather ordinary, until you see the two dark, white-rimmed patches on the back of the bird’s head. These false eyespots mimic a pair of eyes, which scientists think both confuse prey as to which way the bird is looking, and also discourage predators from sneaking up on the owlet from behind. The species is found in wooded savanna in Sub-Saharan Africa, and it often hunts by day.
The barred eagle-owl has a rather arresting stare, with protruding black eyes, a yellow bill, and two horn-like tufts protruding horizontally from its head. (They remind me of a very grumpy, potentially menacing version of a Furbie toy.) Found in Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo, these large owls are thought to mate for life and be highly territorial, occupying the same area for years. They have a variety of calls, from hoots to what one birding guide describes as “strangulate noises.”
The Oriental bay-owl of Southeast Asia looks like it walked out of a horror film. Related to barn owls, it has a heart-shaped face with chestnut-colored vertical markings that run through its dark eyes. Relatively common, they feed on small rodents, bats, birds, lizards, frogs, and insects.
The world’s smallest owl, the elf owl, is only the size of a sparrow. The species is found in Mexico and in the US states along the Mexican border. Elf owls live in woodlands and deserts, where they often nest in woodpecker holes or natural cavities in trees or cacti. Elf owls feed on invertebrates and migrate to the southern parts of their range in the winter. (Two other tiny species, the Tamaulipas pygmy owl and the long-whiskered owlet, are about the same size as the elf owl, but weigh a bit more.)
Spotted wood owls are one of the few owl species with such a distinctive orange facial disc. Their eyes are dark brown and their white chest and stomach are marked with thin, black bars. This Southeast Asian species favors open forest, plantations, and even parks near human settlement.
One of the world’s most unique owl species is close to home — the burrowing owl. These pint-sized owls are found in open habitats in North and South America. (In the US, you can see them in the western states and Florida.) Burrowing owls are diurnal, and they nest and take shelter in burrows dug by mammals, like prairie dogs, or tortoises. The owls will use their claws and beaks to enlarge burrows to suit their needs. They also don’t mind people, and are quite comfortable near human habitation, even nesting near airport runways or road medians.
The endangered Blakiston’s fish-owl is the largest owl species on Earth. This bird is found in far eastern Russia, northeastern China, and northern Japan. (It’s also possible that they occur in North Korea, but the political situation has prevented scientists from surveying for the species.)
Blakiston’s fish owls have very specific habitat requirements, preferring boreal forests with old-growth trees that have cavities for suitable nesting. They also require nearby streams that don’t completely freeze over in winter, as fish are one of their primary food sources. They are strong enough to catch and kill salmon and trout two to three times their weight. The IUCN estimates that only 1,500 to 3,700 birds remain in the wild, and their habitat is threatened by logging and road development.
When you’re first learning to tap into your feminine energy, it can be hard to know how to begin your journey. Because feminine energy isn’t about striving or proving your worth, the path to femininity isn’t always direct. While I can’t tell you what you should do to connect to your inner femininity, I can share some simple, peaceful rituals that have been supportive for me. Consider trying any idea that feels inspiring to you.
TeaMy morning cup of tea is one of my favorite parts of the day. The scent of tea leaves and bergamot rising into the air. The taste of cream and vanilla. The heat permeating my hands. Everything about making and enjoying tea encourages us to slow down and pay attention – two skills that are essential for connecting with your feminine energy. As someone who never developed a taste for coffee, tea gives me a little gentle caffeination to start my morning (or in the case of herbal teas, something soothing to wind down with in the evening). Drinking tea feels gentle and unhurried – a tranquil way to care for myself and enjoy the present moment.Morning RoutinesWhen I take the time to get clear on my desires, quiet my mind, and move slowly into the day, everything works better. You don’t have to create a complicated morning routine. Just set some time aside for yourself to be still and reflect. I like to journal about what I’m grateful for and what I desire in the mornings. I know from experience how hard it can be to prioritize time for yourself in the mornings. Whether you’re preparing for work, trying to get your family fed and started with their day (or both), mornings can feel like the beginning of an infinite thread of obligations. And if you’re tired in the mornings, waking up earlier than normal to make time for yourself feels punishing. There’s no one right way to approach your mornings. I would encourage you to remember that if you aren’t feeling good, no area of your life is benefitting from your full magic. I’ve found that, even if it feels selfish at the moment, focusing on my needs first allows me to be the best version of myself for the people around me. I like to integrate into my own mornings, including gratitude, manifestation, affirmations, and journal prompts. BodyworkIf you exist as a woman or feminine person in the world, chances are you sometimes feel like your whole existence is about giving to others. For me, treatments like massage are an incredible ritual for connecting with my body and allowing myself to be cared for. The experience of intentionally receiving care from someone else can be deeply healing. As I’ve manifested more abundance in my life, I’ve committed to having monthly massages as one of my self-care practices. I am so grateful to the talented and supportive massage therapists who help me to relieve stress and feel like my highest self. Of course, massages and other bodywork can be expensive. It’s definitely not a service I’ve been able to afford at every stage in my life. But I’ve found that I can often find local businesses that offer reasonable rates on bodywork services if I do a little research. I’ve also learned that prioritizing caring for myself makes my life more abundant in all ways.JournalingJournaling is one of my favorite and longest-standing feminine practices. I’ve been journaling in some capacity since I was five years old. Whether I’m making mood boards or reflecting through writing, journaling allows me to be creative while processing my feelings and building dreams for the future. If you’re new to journaling, you might find inspiration by using journal prompts. I offer free journal prompts on my resources page. Even after years of journaling, I still use journal prompts to direct my thoughts and encourage deep reflection in my practice.MeditationAs someone who was raised in a spiritual community, meditation or silent reflection has been a practice I’ve engaged in for most of my life. In my childhood and teenage years, this took the form of private prayer and devotional time. As I’ve gotten older, I tend to meditate on my favorite affirmations or desired feelings. While there are endless ways to approach or understand meditation, I think of it as clearing the waters of my mind. If you’ve ever stood in a muddy river or pond, you know that moving around in the water stirs up silt and debris and that the more you move, the more opaque and cloudy the water becomes.When I’m going through life this often feels like the perfect metaphor for my brain. All the thoughts, activities, and planning in my head stir up my mind until I feel overwhelmed. Meditation allows me to still the waters and let the debris sink to the bottom. Stillness gives me space to connect with my authentic self and clarify what I truly want.
Know your tools As with any other art-related practices, it’s ultimately going to be up to you to explore different supplies/techniques so you can arrive at your personal favorites.
However, what you should know is that you can go far with limited and inexpensive supplies. So don’t get overwhelmed with the large variety of papers, pencils, erasers, etc. out there, and go for the basics.
For my quicker sketches, I usually like to prepare the following: a) Three different pencil grades (usually HB, 2B, and 6-8B) b) Drawing/sketching paper or sketchbook c) Soft rubber graphite eraser d) Basic metallic sharpener e) Zero eraser
These are optional, but useful if you want to start drawing more realistically: f) Blending stumps or tortillions g) Kneaded eraser
In terms of paper, it’s useful to start noticing how different thicknesses and textures affect your process, as well as the outcome of your drawings.
2. Start with simplified large shapes and forget about details until later This is huge! When we’re just starting out drawing, we want to get into the details right away and spend hours working on a drawing just to find out that it looks off at the end.
It’s absolutely imperative to learn to visualize your subjects (whether your drawing still life, the human figure, a landscape or anything else), as combinations of simple shapes like cubes, cylinders, rectangular prisms, cones, etc.
Learn to tune out all the smaller shapes and intricacies until after effective proportion and placement of individual elements in regards to each other, has been achieved.
I’m serious! Don’t even start adding details, textures, shading, or anything of the sort, until your base outline sketch is solid.
Once you’ve gained enough practice creating basic outline drawings, I highly recommend looking into shading techniques that will allow you to start creating a believable sense of three-dimensional form.
3. Learn how to hold your pencil for drawing purposes It can take a bit of time for the beginner artist to get comfortable holding a pencil for drawing purposes. This is only natural, as we’ve been trained to hold pencils and pens a certain way since we started writing.
When we’re writing, we need to be able to create neat, legible letters right-off-the bat. On the other hand, when we’re drawing, we start by laying down imperfect lines and we refine them along the way (that’s what our erasers are for!).
These are two very different activities and we have to make that mental switch necessary to change our approach depending on what it is we’re doing.
There are many different ways of holding a pencil for sketching purposes and there isn’t one that is necessarily “better” than the next. It’s going to depend on what you find most comfortable at each point of the sketching process once you have a bit more drawing practice.
Have in mind you’ll usually switch between different hand positions and grips throughout your drawing process. However, generally speaking, you want to position your hand further away from the tip of your pencil.
You also want to move your entire arm as you draw and not only your wrist (as you do when you’re writing).
Try to relax and draw loosely! If you’re too tense, warm up by drawing different types of lines and shapes. There’s absolutely nothing to be nervous about, especially if you start out with light lines that you can easily erase (as you always should).
Always start lightly, and move on to darker values as you refine your sketch.
Have fun with it and throw perfection out the window! Fearing you’ll make mistakes and striving for perfection will keep you from creating art, which will keep you from making progress.
Don’t ever fear the blank page and, remember, with every sketch you make you’ll get better and better.
4. Develop your observational skills and hand-eye coordination through using references
Drawing from both photographic references, as well as from life, is absolutely essential for progress to occur. Especially when we’re looking to develop high levels of realism.
Using references allows us to develop our observational skills and our hand-eye coordination. It’s also impossible for the human brain to hold on to all the visual information that a photograph (or seeing something directly) can present to us.
Even if you’re intending on developing a cartoonish style in the future, studying how things actually look like in real life, will help enhance your work and make it more effective.
5. Make sketching a habit
Out of the five tips I’m mentioning in this post, getting into the habit of sketching regularly, is probably the most important of all. Oftentimes we make excuses, telling ourselves we don’t have enough time to draw.
However, it’s a matter of reminding ourselves what’s important to us, getting our priorities straight, and setting aside the time.
If you want to get better at anything in life, you have to do it consistently.
Autumn 