Recently, my Youtube feed fed me with Art videos. And, one of the creator that I started following was Viyaura. I was particularly inspired by her 24 hours challenge, where she challenged herself to draw a webtoon, or a manga and many more.
So I decided to try a 24 hours challenge on art myself. Not drawing any webtoon, or manga, but rather to be a “Professional” artist for 24 hours — i.e. trying to make some money out of art. So I started a stopwatch, and started doing some art stuff for 24 hours. When I stop for a rest, I stop the stop watch. So while it is a 24 hour challenge, it took a few days (because I didn’t do 24 hours straight. LOL).
Anyway, I am not going to go through what happened during the challenge. In short, it didn’t go too well. You can watch more in the video below:
But while the challenge didn’t do too well, there are a number of things that I learn from this challenge.
Watching is Entertaining, But not Doing
Watching, listening and so on are all PASSIVE. They are all sorts of entertainment to pass time, while feeling engaged, when really, we aren’t.
I watched Viyaura draw easily, and thought maybe I could do it. But the moment I actively try to do it, I start to dread the process. Coupled with my lack of basic art skills, the 24 hours was really not enjoyable. In fact, I took almost a week to clock the 24 hours required by the challenge.
And I was reminded that I really did not like art, since young.
When I was in school, art was a subject that I tried to do at top speed so that I can get it out of my way, as soon as possible. In secondary school, when art was a subject with a score (rather than the A, B, C, grade, etc.), I merely pass it. This subject is the type where you will pass just by handing in stuff, and I simply passed because I handed in stuff for all assignments and exams. When we get to choose subjects in secondary 3, I remembered I was so glad there was no more subjects that I didn’t like — like art.
My lack of love for art can also be seen in how I treat those preschool art homework that my kids bring back. Preschoolers’ art are 95% done by parents and 5% with kids. The aim is parent- kid bonding. And I really dislike those little things like making a “car” with bottles (the caps are wheels), and so on. There were so many of them, and how I hope I could just buy a finished product and submit them. I was thus, soooooo glad there is some age gaps between my eldest daughter and the rest. After her, the art are basically 95% done by her, and the rest by the preschoolers. And, she is way better than me.
How I happily forgot my inability and inaffection for art just because I was entertained by artists.
In short, I’ll continue watching artists work as entertainment. I won’t do it, since I don’t enjoy it.
Freedom of Being my Truth Self
While doing the art challenge, I digressed. In the end, I digress till I can only forcefully say I followed the theme. And there’s no object. Since it’s only me.
And this reminds me how fortunate I am that I am not longer working for corporate. I remembered once I was trying to force my way through a solution that is feasible and easy and will definitely see the project through, and tried exploit the ambiguity in the “standards”, to meet requirement. In the end, my idea was put down. Some people commented I was just trying to force my way round with ambiguity of the standards. I suspect they just didn’t want the project to go through.
Now that I’m no longer working for and with others, whatever idea I have, I can materialize it when I want. And I really love the joy of retirement, where you can have the freedom of doing what you want the way you want with no interference.
Yes, I can do my own projects after work in my own way even if I were working, but now, every single day, I get to be in such freedom. And someone with a personality type of an ISTP, this is awesomely wonderful. I can be my true ISTP self most of the time.
Focus on Strengths
Art is not my strength. And a simple piece of art will take a lot of time and effort from my part. However, if I were to focus on things that I am good at (and am interested in), probably, the time taken to do them will be way shorter, and more fulfilling.
How life of retirement should be like
My art challenge turned out to be more than just a test of drawing skills—it became a lens through which I could see the beauty of retirement. In retirement, we finally have the time and freedom to try things we’ve never dared to attempt before. It’s a chance to explore interests that weren’t possible when life was dominated by work, deadlines, and other people’s expectations.
Trying art reminded me that it’s okay to fail, to digress, or to simply discover that something (still) isn’t for me. Retirement gives us the luxury to experiment without pressure, to play with ideas, and to pursue what brings us joy—even if the results aren’t perfect.
This is the essence of retirement and I should be embracing it, since I decided to retire — doing things because we want to, not because we have to. Whether it’s taking an art challenge, learning a new instrument, or simply reading books we’ve never had time for, the experience is rewarding in itself. The journey matters more than mastery, and curiosity becomes its own reward.