My dad is very talented in drawing and painting. When I was
little, he tried to teach the basics of drawing to me. But I could never draw as
nice as he, and my likeness on the paper was never as good as his. I got
frustrated pretty quickly. I never regarded myself as artistically inclined,
and I was better at other things, so I switched my attention to them.
Years passed. Since then I only took a pencil if my kids
asked me to draw a little bird or a house for them. Both my daughters take
drawing classes, and we’ve got a drawing set for them – pencils, pastels,
watercolors, brushes, and drawing paper.
Come summer, the set still sits pretty much untouched. Last
week I decided that I want to give drawing another try, since I already have
all the supplies. I went to my local library and checked out a book on basic
drawing.
Here is how the author Sarah Parks introduces it:
It’s a common misconception that
you have to be born with artistic talent or that only creative people can draw
or paint. But in fact, drawing is a discipline just like any other, requiring
learning skills and practicing techniques. And your keen desire to draw gives
you the aptitude you need to study those skills and diligently practice the
techniques I’m going to teach you. When you’ve practiced them consistently,
you’ll really start to feel pride in your ability to draw. Suddenly, people
will say, “I didn’t know you were so talented!”[i]
It is amazing that exactly the same principle applies to
happiness skills! Even though each of us is born with a varied amount of “talent”
for feeling happy in different circumstances, there are different happiness
skills and techniques. When we learn about them and practice them, we improve
our own abilities and become able to feel better.
I’ve read the first chapters carefully, learning about
shapes, shadows and block-in techniques. First I drew a sphere, then a cube. And then I tried to draw from the photographs of pears and an iris from the book. And here is what I drew:
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It’s not an exact likeness, but now I have more patience,
and I really like to be able to draw nicely. And most importantly, now I know
that even if I am not going to be a museum-worthy artist, I can definitely improve
my drawing by learning some tips and practicing.
Very similarly, we can all learn tips, practice, and improve
our lives by becoming happier!
I describe happiness skills and techniques in my book Happiness the Jewish Way: A Practical Guide
to Happiness Through the Lens of Jewish Wisdom
