In animation, we all understand what it means to take into account forward momentum; things naturally move foward in space and time. As a body in motion travels, it goes along a path of action in a direction where its weight falls foward which is then anticipated by the planting of a foot ahead of the body just in time to catch itself. If forward momentum is lacking there is no advancement, when there’s too much it becomes too difficult to maintain balance and the body falls. When our weight is “slightly” forward, we can maintain both balance and forward propulsion. Moving slightly forward is living with control.
“The more opinions you have, the less you see.” — Wim Wenders, Filmmaker
Of course, what I’m getting at here is the psychological step forward, something much more difficult for the human mind to both understand and apply in practice. We prefer to hold onto things. Such is the brain’s capacity: it’s a collector/collator of data, a memory bank capable of both storage and recall of information. Unfortunately, the holding on of old data — and all data is old — can sometimes hinder the individual not to mention the fact that memory recall in humans is highly suspect in general. But faulty memories aside, knowledge is generally useful until it isn’t. Having beliefs and opinions is a perfect example of that. It’s indeed hard to let go of the “hands that hold” — our self-conscious mind is both adept and addicted to holding on to what we think we know. Many people experience this as the constantly chattering brain that never rests.
“We cannot live authentic lives unless we accept the constant presence of risk.” —
Anne Dufourmantelle, Philosopher
A noisy mind is very harmful for the artist and prevents him from trying new things because what is generally recalled by the brain is fear, insufficiency and anxiety — all that rational data is just an excuse. But to make art, we must accept a certain amount of risk, logic be damned. That’s what art entails, making something new. It’s what going forward always entails — a dive into the unknown hoping we might still land on our feet. But artists need this. It is, in fact, what makes us uniquely human: in exploring we discover, in discovery we live and learn. If we skip this process and go right to finished product there would be no human involvement. There would be no joy or meaning and hence, no real happiness.
“No one ever said it was going to be comfortable to be a human being.” — Terence McKenna, Ethnobotanist
Of course, this was never supposed to be easy. We will fail. That is guaranteed. But through trial and tribulation we learn to do. We begin to understand. We don’t jump in the water, we never learn how to swim. Working with students for almost two decades, it’s easy to see that the only way a person can learn is by the dual application of intense study and attentive doing. We need to learn the concepts and then apply them, often over and over again. Afterall, quality practice makes for quality performance. Competence only arrives when knowledge is fully incorporated and called upon into action only when necessary and applicable. All skills are intuitive. Rather than being a burden to carry (via obsessive thinking or memorization), the techniques and intelligence he’s acquired become as weightless as the sky; he’s free to make art that connects.
“Don’t try to make the right decision (which you can never make), make the decision right.” Dr. Ellen Langer, Psychologist
Sometimes, our goals are not always clear, our visions incomplete. This is normal. It’s a sign we’re taking on something new and challenging. Truth is, we never know for sure if we are doing the right thing, in art or in life. It’s actually impossible to do so most of the time. But what we can do, is do things right. This is where the foundations of learning matter. Having a solid workflow. Owning a dutiful and moral mindset. Focusing on solving problems instead of fretting about them. These are things that the true artist turns his attention to.
“Human beings are not at the mercy of mythical emotion circuits buried deep within animalistic parts of our highly evolved brain: we are architects of our own experience…. Emotions are not reactions to the world; they are your constructions of the world.” — Lisa Feldman Barrett, Psychologist
Moving forward will always be emotional. Your mind will ensure that you feel uneasy or scared. But know this: your attitude is always within your control. We only need to re-focus. It helps to think of your mind as a handheld camera — you choose where to point it, you choose what level of focus. When you realize this, even the seemingly scariest things aren’t so scary. Whether it’s learning a new skill like anatomy or animation or even how to build a better relationship, no task is too daunting when the mindset is right. Just do it in a manageable way; keep your momentum slightly forward, towards that untravelled road, one step at a time.
“Henceforth, I postpone no more, whimper no more, need nothing. Done with indoor complaints, libraries, querulous criticisms, strong and content, I travel the open road.” — Walt Whitman, Poet