How often do you work on something that scares you? How often do you take on a project you have never done before, or have to use a technique that is partly or completely unfamiliar to you?

I face situations like this regularly. We naturally tend to make things and use techniques that we already know and feel comfortable with. The problem is that when we stay there for too long, our development begins to slow down.

You can sometimes see this in artists who have been working in the same way for years. They stop experimenting and rarely step outside their comfort zone. Of course, working in the same style does not necessarily mean that an artist is stagnating. A style can continue to develop, become more refined, and change through small innovations.

But let’s return to the original question.

Is there a technique that scares you? Is there a subject you avoid because you consider it too difficult?

This happens to all artists. We easily fall into routines that we have developed over many years. That is why it can be useful to deliberately do something challenging every week or every month. The challenge might come from the subject itself or from the technique you choose to use.

For me, ink is one of the most challenging materials, especially when I work with a brush pen without making a preliminary pencil sketch. You have to make decisions carefully because the marks cannot simply be erased or corrected.

But if you are constantly afraid that the drawing might turn out badly, you will not get very far.

In situations like this, you have to let go of the idea of perfection. Trying to make everything perfect can freeze your hand and prevent you from drawing with strength, energy and spontaneity.

Working this way requires courage.

And this is often where real development happens: when we deliberately practice the subjects, materials and techniques that make us uncomfortable.

How often do you work outside your comfort zone? Is there a subject or technique that you have been avoiding because it scares you?