They say practice makes perfect and that’s likely because we often times learn by either making mistakes or creating experiences. No doubt about it. Sure, we can sit and think about how things “might” happen and imagine the potential outcomes. Through application, we truly see what the results can be and reveal important insights that will benefit us.
Personally, I learn by seeing and then doing. Just simply imagining scenarios in my head or reading about them doesn’t close the loop for me. Learning as much as possible about a craft with different variables is key to success. Screen printing is one of those crafts that’s different every time. Spin the press, mix an ink or create a design… it won’t be the same twice.
Learning is the foundation of knowledge and is by all means, necessary. Just learning without any practice involved however, can easily become a slippery slope to low key procrastination. Procrastination is a sneaky vice that can rob us of our desire, progress and success. If we spend our time hiding behind learning and don’t actively practice… then we aren’t really making any progress. It’s just theory, until we put it into practice. How else do we move forward?
I’ve found that one of the most important keys to getting better at what I do, is to remain proactive. Active means “doing something.” and the prefix, pro – means “before.” If you’re proactive, you make things happen, instead of waiting for them to happen to you.
In the screen-printing business, I’ve discovered many things. One big discovery is that I might think I know what’s going to occur because I’ve done it before. Frequently, I find solutions to situations that I haven’t previously encountered. In a business where time is often very important and deadlines are what drives production… It shouldn’t be a shock that things aren’t always the same. There are so many factors that go into the sweet science of printing. That’s what forces me to keep learning, preparing and applying what I learn. I can never learn enough. I can’t P-R-A-C-T-I-C-E enough.
The internet is a wonderful tool and there is endless information to help grow my knowledge. I’m trying to discover new things as frequently as time allows. If I’m not applying what I’ve learned… the knowledge isn’t being properly harnessed.
The takeaway is this > Find something you’re interested in, learn more about it, and challenge yourself. The next step is to do something with what you’ve learned. Try to look ahead and think about what may be on the horizon… not just what’s in the rear view. Do it. Don’t doubt it (or yourself). This is especially important if what you do is something that others rely on you for as a trusted resource.