There’s a saying in Spanish that roughly translates to “A parrot is still a parrot wherever you are in the world, and a fool will still be a fool no matter where he goes.” Basically, what this saying implies is that changing locations won’t change the person you are. I’d have to say that this is absolutely true because doing the same things over and over and expecting different outcomes is akin to insanity.

I would, however, counter that saying with, “It does at least provide the opportunity to grow in a new and unexpected way.” Some of who we are is nature, and some of it nurtured. How can it not be? The friends we choose and the people we meet mold us in new ways that without, we would not be the same. 

So then, it’s become clear to me that this excursion to Spain will be a life-altering event. I used to get up at 4:30 a.m. in the morning and get to grinding. I structured my life to achieve my goals. I’d read and listened to content that would re-enforce the kind of mentality I was trying to elevate to. However, now I’m quickly learning that it’s not going to be as simple to achieve here. Or at the very least, heavily modified. This is a part of growing as a person and an artist. It’s the whole reason for being here in the first place.

To truly grow and change, I’m going to have to adapt to this new pace of life. A fool will still be a fool wherever he goes if there’s no progress. One step at a time, as I said last time. And that’s what I’m doing as well.

Since I’ve been here, I’ve slowly gotten back into the swing of things. I’ve made some adjustments to my life and started working again. Yesterday, I made some progress on a new illustration with the insight I gained from the San Diego Comic-Con. And started on a new composition. There’ll be more to come.

We change as we grow. Sometimes in subtle ways and at other times in dramatic, big ways. Not long ago, I did color studies where I would play around with different analogous color harmonies. I also used different pens, crayons, or pencils to try out new processes. I put limitations on myself to make me more comfortable and confident with my work. If you’ve never put up obstacles to art making, I’d say give it a try. Especially if you’re in a rut and unhappy with your progress. There was an artist in the early 19th century who thought working with his dominant hand was too easy, so he forced himself to work with the opposite one. Just because he wanted the challenge and artistic growth. For me, the more I worked, the more I discovered. The more I discovered, the more fun I had, the more my art changed, and in small ways, so did I. 

People say that practice makes perfect, but for artists, it’s more like practice makes progress. No artwork is ever perfect. And as great as any artist is, there’s always someone better than you. Of course, that only matters if you care about that kind of stuff. In the effort to make better art, I believe you’ll become a better person, and that is progress in a positive direction.