hmmm, I use the self-checkout system, because the cashiers take money and jobs away from the people who sell, build and maintain self-checkout equipment.

I believe this post is an excellent one! I am doing just what you said -- trying new stuff, or doing old stuff in a new way. No longer am I just producing work for my gallery (just one now because of the economy).

This year is being spent on doing the miles of canvas or paper (oil or pastel). Experimenting instead of producing. I always talk about "it's the journey, not the destination" . . . so now I am planning to practice what I preach.

Thanks for your blog and thought provoking posts. Marsha

Hi Clint- great analogy. Good or bad you hardly ever learn something new unless you try something new. You can always discard or simply not use what doesn't work for you. As for the self check out? Depends on how much of a hurry I'm in...

I recently received an EMAIL from a 94 year old retired business owner regarding a painting I had done. We've now become friends - an unexpected blessing. It was her youthful spirit, her vibrant mind and her willingness to email, which requires that she USE a computer, (something some people decades younger won't even attempt) that has been quite an inspiration to me. I brag about her all the time. I think that sometimes fear and sometimes pride prevents us from risking the "humiliation" of failure. Learning new things is good for the mind. Nice post.

This is so true! Doing something the same way just because of your comfort zone goes along with the confidence factor. Stepping outside of your box and having the confidence to do so in front of the masses takes guts...but usually achieves amazing results. Swallow the "pride factor" and go for the results you are aiming for.

Clint, this is a wonderful lesson we can all take to heart. As someone said in another blog post, trying the unfamiliar is when we have the opportunity to learn the most.

Mixing it up can be beneficial. Sometimes you need a push to do it. Other times it seems like the most natural thing in the world.

Clint, great article, great reminder. It has been said that the word that causes most fear in any language is "change".

I only wanted to learn to paint. I didn't envision the daunting task of learning computer skills, html programming (I know all of two bits of code!), advanced photography, PSE virtousity, carpentry, framing, gilding, marketing, newsletters (for which the famed html is needed), curating shows, book-keeping, taxation expertise, shipping, etc etc. I find I have to learn all those things, at least to a passable level -- and it takes time to learn! Had I known before... I might still have chosen to do it, as it is necessary.

So glad I didn't have to learn how to code a site, and instead have access through FASO to this easily manageable site with integrated blog, and a super support. And the fantastic newsletter with all the excellent advice from the team. I may fail in all the other things, but keeping an up-to-date site with sharp images is one thing that is very easy to do.

Because, the fear of changing and learning might have kept me from it, if I'd let it. And I'm sure I'd've come up with some really great and innovative and utterly logical and morally right reasons for not having to change. So I drag myself kicking and screaming into learning what I need to learn. And if I'm lax and lazy, why, then somehow Clint will know, and he will issue the perfect newsletter, kicking me started.

Thank you Clint, you help us to help ourselves.

To follow up on the comments about the self-checking. I don't use it because I bring my own bags - plastic bags are so very bad for the environment - and the machines are not flexible to handle my cloth bags!

I was one that was afraid of the self-check out, but after having used it once, I love them! Why suffer needlessly from the fear of not knowing how?

I've always said too that when the day comes where I think I've nothing left to learn, or don't want to learn more and try new things with art, then that's the day I should put down my brushes.

I'm with Walter, self check like self pump gas is about business cutting cost and service while the customer pays to do the work. It is the Tom Sawyer fence painting episode applied to retail. Ya gotta love American ingenuity and gullibility.

PS Could you post an article on how to take great pictures of artwork. Art is the hardest thing to photograph, I've always heard. If I don't have great photos of my work, I will never be a success.

This is what I learned from a book 25 years ago. It`s called challenging yourself, if you face something new and intimidating, it makes you want to back off and just go with the things you are used to. If you say, I accept this as a challenge, your competitiveness rises to the surface and you want to tackle it. It`s all in the adventure to me, I take different roads home, try more complicated scenery sometimes. Looking at many other artists works can spark a new interest into trying something new. Like they say, if you don`t try it, how would you know if you liked it or not?

Yeah, sometimes we are running so fast that we stay on "auto pilot" and don't realize it. Be it painting or anything else.. By the way, the self checkout lanes here only take credit cards. And only one store has them, one I don't go to...

I recently helped babysit for a 7-month old child who reminded me of the fun of learning. Who-hoo, everything was interesting to him! He already knows how to compliment too...his favorite toy of the evening was one of my greeting cards! 2nd favorite thing to do: look at his Dad's beautiful paintings. He spent time looking, touching, experimenting, taking things in and figuring them out. Those things just never go out of style.

Amen to that! I find myself braver and braver about learning new things with technology. The more you step into the unknown, the easier it gets.
The other day I wanted to archive some paintings on my web site and couldn't figure it out-I contacted tech support and had my answer in just a few minutes. We need to remember there is always
someone who can help us if we are willing to ask for help! This is true for the simple easy things like my question about archiving as well as the more complex problems.

Familiarity is not only overated, but it can become boring and stale. Once you get into the "habit" of going beyond the familiar it becomes easier and easier.
When it comes to technology, just bite the bullet and learn it. Yes, it's work..brain busting work for those who are not geeks by nature. But, it all builds on habit, repetition and discipline.
You can do it if you are driven enough or want more control over things.