Malcolm Gladwell wrote in the Outliers that it takes 10,000 hours to master a field. While I’m a long way from dedicating my 10,000 hours to sculpting, I do know that I improve every day that I’m in the studio.
Working Toward 10,000 Hours
Meet Emily, my entry in the PCAGOE Re-Do Challenge.
What people don’t often talk about in terms of self-improvement is that there is down-side. Upon creation of a new piece, a romance can blossom. The journey of watching an idea manifest in physical form is intoxicating. Yet, as one works toward their 10,000 hours, the rose-colored glasses that you see your previous work through become clearer.
As a result, I fall out of love with my creations as my sculpting skills improve. I am forever “re-doing” things that no longer make me happy. On the upside, when we voted in the Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy to explore “Re-Do” as a theme, I had no shortage of pieces to enter.
I chose “Emily as my make-over piece. I talked about the creation of the original piece, modeled after and Art-Deco era cigarette girl in this post last year: https://marieyoungcreative.com/art-deco-cigarette-girl/
Vote in the Re-Do Challenge
Voting is open through Dec. 7 and everyone who votes is entered in a prize drawing so head over to http://www.pcagoe.com and choose your favorite three entries. There are some really clever takes on the theme. Many of the artists even let you see the behind the scenes of their process on their blogs.
About the Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy: PCAGOE is a global group of polymer artists united through Etsy, an online marketplace for handmade, supplies and vintage. Members create amazing things using polymer clay, including jewelry, supplies, art, sculpture, functional art and home decor.
You know that theory about the 10 000 hours does not apply to polymer clay. Ha Ha! I’ve booked in more than that by my calculations and I still don’t think of myself as an expert because there is still so much I need to learn and improve on. But I have seen your progress and you should stand proud of it. I know I am! You rock with the sculpting and the color combos and all that jazz.
Thanks, Line! I look at “polymer clay” kind of like music. There are so many aspects that the 10,000 hours needs to be applied to each element, for example caning. It would take multiple lifetimes to master everything 🙂