Do you go back and revisit old art? Not art you made as a kid, that’s pure nostalgia. I mean art you made a few months ago, or a year ago. Nothing too far back, that’s the key.
I taught English for years, and one of the most important tasks was to not just write, but to look back and reflect on the writing done recently to measure improvement, mark good habits we may have forgotten, and find new ways of solving the problems that stumped us not too long ago. Since moving away from teaching and toward my own art, I’ve found that those same habits I taught students hold true here as well. Creation is important, as is experimentation, but so is marking for ourselves how far we’ve come.
If you wanted to do this in a formal setting, maybe you’re laser focused on getting better or perhaps you’re taking a class, I’d suggest keeping a journal. It may seem strange, but reflecting on your choices during the process, after that process, and in reflecting on the finished piece later is instrumental in becoming a better artist.
Now since I am still teaching (just not teaching English), I went ahead and put together a little worksheet sample so you can see how I’d organize this. It has room for the name or year at the top and up to three art pieces. This might make a great layout idea for a dedicated bullet journal.
If you want the downloadable reflection sheet in .docx or .pdf, that’s on my Patreon page and available to patrons interested in following me for educational tools. I hope you find this helpful! If you use this technique, please tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or comment below. I’m very curious to see how people outside the classroom might make use of these materials.
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