Are you a Grassquit or a Bullfinch?
Caribbean Bullfinch. Image credit Regani
Male Black-faced grassquit. Image source - Mikko Pyhälä
What do these tiny little birds have to do with how good you are at art and taking art lessons online ?
Well, let me introduce you to the Bullfinch and the Grassquit, two tiny sparrow-like birds from the Caribbean. Both bird species are almost identical genetically speaking, they live in the same environment and are alike in nearly every aspect except one: personality.
The Bajan Bullfinch is the equivalent of the house sparrow in Australia. It's bold, brazen and quick to explore. It’s clever, fearless and opportunistic. The Black-Faced Grassquit however, is skittish, deeply conservative and afraid of nearly everything.
Scientists studying the two birds devised a test to measure their intelligence. They placed seed inside two differently coloured cups and measured how long it took each bird to work out which colour cup had the seed. They then switched the cups, and measured how long it took each bird to relearn the new pattern.
So, which bird was smarter, the Bullfinch or the Grassquit?
Well, scientists don’t know. You see, here’s the thing, the boldness or fear of a bird may affects its problem-solving performance. Birds that are faster at solving tasks may not necessarily be smarter, they may just be less hesitant to engage in a new task.
While the Bullfinch was a quick study, the Grassquits took their time, were slower and more wary. But eventually the Grassquits mastered the test and ended up being more accurate at the task than the Bullfinches.
So how does this relate to your ability to make good art?
Well, are you a Bullfinch or a Grassquit?
You may be like a Bullfinch, a “naturally gifted” artist who can draw or paint anything without formal training or attending art lessons online. You pick new mediums up quickly and apply what you learn straight away. You dive in and seem to create masterpieces every time you paint.
But perhaps you’re more like a Grassquit. You may be slower to learn, fearful of failure, scared of being “no good” and this holds you back in some way. But in the long run, you could actually be better at art than a “naturally” talented artist! How? Well, the success of the Grassquit is based on two things:
Grassquit’s observe, they sit back and learn from others. If you’re a Grassquit-like personality, you will benefit greatly by learning from an art coach, particularly in a progressive, regular art class like Artory’s art lessons online. You can observe the teacher’s technique and feel confident when you actually put brush/pencil to paper yourself. I recommend a daily or weekly practice like doing one of my Daily Drawing program in the Artory Academy.
Grassquit’s need to feel safe before embarking on a new activity. If you’re a Grassquit-like personality, you need to enter the “learning” mindset before you start making art. Set your intention at the start of any art-making session and reassure yourself that this is a space and time for learning not mastering. It's ok to make mistakes. When we learn, we are never perfect. Rather, we are shaping our ability. Art classes, whether in-person or art lessons online, are a safe space where mistakes can and should be made. This is how we allow our brains to learn.
So, are you a Grassquit or a Bullfinch? Let me know in the comments below.
Anne x