Learn by Doing
Yesterday I read a post I found in the Discovery Feed that talks about the concept of Master Studies, which is essentially the act of learning by copying a master work, usually used in the painting world. It's a short read, so if you have a moment you should check it out.
There's a connection here, between the idea of learning by copying others and the concept of learning by doing. By copying others, you are doing. By copying a master work, you learn what they did and how they did it, and maybe even why they did it that way. And by the action of doing the thing, you build neural pathways and muscle memories and you learn what works and what doesn't.
I am definitely a "learn by doing" type of person, so this idea makes sense. And since I'm already thinking about ambition and about getting better at my craft, the appearance of the post felt fortuitous. Maybe this is what I need. It's been months since I've really written anything other than blog posts, and I'm starting to feel rusty. Maybe taking some time as a copyist is what I need to get back into the groove, to rebuild the muscle memory in my fingers for crafting prose.