Practice Makes Progress
On a recent episode of one of my favorite podcasts, the host recited a phrase that has stuck with me for several weeks: “practice makes progress.” If that sounded a little strange to you too, it's because that’s not the sentence we grew up with. The saying that I know actually goes- practice makes PERFECT.
However, as a musician, I’ve always disliked this phrase. In any form of art, whether it’s music or a visual medium, who gets to decide when we have reached a state of perfection? Was the piece played technically perfect? Maybe my opinion says you should have played the exposition a little more quietly. Sorry, not perfect.
Did your sculpture capture someone’s face incredibly well? Well, I think the nose is a little out of proportion. Sorry, not perfect.
Isn't it a part of being human to admit that we are imperfect by our very nature?
Progress is all about moving forward and making improvements, while perfection is more about being flawless.
When you're making progress, you're working towards a goal and trying to get better over time. You might mess up along the way, but that's okay because you're learning from your mistakes and making adjustments to improve. Progress is something you can measure by looking at how much you've improved over time.
Perfection, on the other hand, is about leaving no room for improvement or error. It's like when you try to get the perfect score on a test. You want everything to be just right, with no room for error. But let's be real, perfection is hard to achieve, and sometimes it can even get in the way of making progress.
When it comes to our students at RiverFront studios, I’d actually like to emphasize the word PRACTICE. Without dedicated time during the week to improve our craft, it will be hard to make progress on the goals we have set. That’s why we have students practice on their instruments in class, or try a new skill over and over again in the art studio. We are making progress together, and we want you to do it at home too.
It's important to find a balance between progress and perfection. You want to set goals that are challenging but achievable, and be okay with making mistakes along the way. Remember, progress takes time and effort, and with dedicated time for practice, it's the little improvements that count. We encourage mistakes - that is where the real learning takes place!
