The Art of Practice
I grew up swimming very competitively, so much so that I had to drop after-school art class in 6th grade so I could swim 6 days a week. In my mind swimming and art could not be further from each other, watercolor seemed the only thing they had in common. This is the story I told myself for a long time. It was like a Venn diagram that did not touch, there were no overlapping skills, techniques, and especially the type of people that are artists vs athletes. These worlds were in violent disagreement with each other, and I had to choose.
Fast forward many years. My goggles have been hung up and I am working on a new illustration in my studio and listening to the Rich Roll podcast. He was interviewing the museum director, Heidi Zuckerman. They were discussing an event she was participating in, where artists and athletes walk 100 miles together. They went on to discuss how art and athletics both need practice, discipline, and focus to improve, and succeed. It was not a light bulb moment but more of a shoe-hitting-my-face moment. The results are very different but all the skills involved in accomplishing something in art and sports are the same. I felt like that Venn diagram of myself was coming together for the first time and almost completely overlapping.
As an artist, I am still reaching for the results I want, and now realizing that I have done this before, has been comforting, motivating, and calming. I have practiced something day in and day out for years, I have experienced all the results possible (high, low meh), and I know the only thing I can control is showing up daily to practice. It is more watercolor than water this time but in essence, it's the same skills.
screenshot of Catherine Breed swimming along the coast between SF and Half Moon Bay-Sept 2022.
A few days later, I found out that former Cal swimmer, Catherine Breed, was attempting to swim the 27 miles from San Francisco to Half Moon Bay. One of her friends on the support boat was posting real-time videos of her swimming. It was a September day and the water and coastal cliffs were gorgeous, so I took a few screenshots. Yes, she became the first person to complete the swim (full article). I wanted to draw this swim to represent and remind myself of the new story I was not telling myself about athletics and art and simply the art of practice. I need these two worlds to combine to support me in my artistic career.
