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” It’s always important to have an idea of what you want to achieve next.”
~ Marco Bauriedel
Want to know how to learn a new creative skill?
Marco Bauriedel is a digital artist from Germany who mainly works in CGI, compositing, retouching, concept art, and matte painting.
But he didn’t learn all his skills overnight. In fact, Marco was even rejected from art school in the early days.
To further his career, Marco had to pick himself back up from this setback and learn lots of new software, such as 3Ds Max and Maya.
So how did he stay motivated to learn all this new stuff? And how can you discover how to learn a new creative skill?
The answers are all in this week’s new podcast interview…
How to Learn a New Creative Skill
Marco Bauriedel has been drawn to digital art ever since his father bought him a Commodore Amiga 500 Plus computer when he was just 12 years old.
And, if you’re wondering what one of these computers looks like, here you go:
In his last years of school, he got into programs such as 3Ds Max, followed by Photoshop.
He says: “I always had that feeling of ‘I can do this! I just have to be patient and learn.”
But how did Marco Bauriedel find the motivation to learn all these new skills? He looked at other artists who were doing the kind of work he wanted to create, and then tried to focus on getting similar results.
And if he got stuck? He just went back to another, more straightforward project to help him get his motivation back, and then returned to the more difficult task with a fresh outlook.
This approach has really helped Marco throughout his creative career. And it’s helped him learn all kinds of other skills, such as programming and even music production.
How to Get Started on New Projects
So how do you get started on a new project and discover how to learn a new creative skill?
“It takes time, but you should never be afraid to ask questions.”
Marco didn’t always have an easy time at school, and sometimes felt frustrated and even stifled by the education system.
He highly recommends watching the 2013 film, Alphabet, which argues that the education system in many countries actually stops many children from exploring their creativity.
And, when he was rejected from art school, Marco didn’t let this stop him. Instead, he taught himself the skills he needed to pursue a creative career and did things his own way.
He says: “You have to learn the stuff you need for the job first, and then develop from there. It’s always important to have an idea of what you want to achieve next.
“When I’m learning something new, I always like to break it down into smaller sections. And, the more I learn the smaller steps, the more I’m able to learn the bigger steps. You have to have fun to learn faster.”
Listen to this week’s show and learn:
- How to handle rejection and keep making art
- How to have fun with your art and how to learn a new creative skill
- Why drawing the human body will help you become a better artist
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Cheers,
Mitch
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Marco reached out after the interview and wanted to add the following to the conversation:
“A problem I think everyone goes through when learning is “trying to eat a piece that doesn’t fit in your mouth”. This causes negative feelings of not being able to learn or being stupid which in return takes a chunk of motivation away or even kills it completely (which is totally natural). The real mistake you can make then is to not reflect that you just have set the goals too high at this point.
Seeing that you don’t need to feel ashamed for that and just trying again with a smaller piece that “you can eat comfortably” causes a feeling of success and keeps motivation and interest up, which is the fuel of learning.”
So true!