10,000 hours? Whatever.

It's a common rule of thumb that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert at something, but to Bobby, that's simply not true. In this video, he explains why he doesn't think you need to follow the 10,000 hours rule as he and Masae Seki share some ways to accelerate that process.
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[@Radgerayden-ist]

An underrated aspect to make art is experiencing things. If you're always working all the time and never experience anything, your work becomes soulless.

[@BobbyChiu]

Great point! After all, inspiration needs to come from somewhere, right? No better way to feel inspired than by going out and experiencing life! :) ~S

[@well-emachine1530]

Even when you know about all of the study stuff, still fells almost like magic when you see an idea being painted or drawn

[@BobbyChiu]

Totally! It's super interesting to watch artists create a painting from start to finish and seeing all the steps in between, and noticing how their process compares to your own!! :) ~S

[@nicolasolguin2195]

Hey Bobby sorry if it's not related to the topic. But this format of more realxing talk and soft music is really nice.

[@BobbyChiu]

So glad you enjoyed this format!! Thanks for the feedback! :) ~S

[@angiepen]

If you read Malcolm Gladwell, who came up with the 10,000 hours thing, he actually addresses that. It's not 10K hours of just random noodling around while you're mentally making up grocery lists. It's 10K hours of actual study and focused practice. Sure, you can phone in 10K hours over some ridiculous number of years, and then say, "See, it doesn't work!" But that's not what Gladwell was looking at. Also, he says a few times that the 10K hours rule is more descriptive than prescriptive. He looked at some specific situations -- the one at Juilliard is probably the most relevant to artists -- and said, "Okay, here's what's going on in this situation with a fairly large data set. I highly recommend getting Outliers out of the library if you don't feel like buying it, and reading at least the Juilliard chapter. Since that book was published, a lot of people who've never read it have commented on what they've heard about it from other people who've heard about it from other people who might've talked to someone who actually read the book. So they're working with a highly distorted version of what Gladwell said, then trashing him for it. His conclusion is actually very hopeful for anyone who wants to get into the arts. It's that except maybe in a very few cases, excellence isn't really about "talent," whatever that is. It's about focused practice, and putting in the time and effort. It doesn't matter whether you think you're talented at this point in time. Start learning, studying, and practicing, and you can achieve mastery if you do the work. The 10K hours was a statistical average; nobody's saying you're a clunky amateur at 9900 hours and en expert at 10K. But if a beginner is willing to put in the time and the work and the focused practice, they can get there, regardless of talent. And in fact that what people call "talent" -- what the staff at Juilliard called "talent" in the most promising of their students -- correlated 100% with the amount of time the students had put in to practicing their craft. If talent were a thing, there should've been some prodigies who impressed the instructors at that level after only 5K hours of practice, and some untalented kids who'd put in 10K hours but were still judged to be destined for back chair at the orchestra type jobs. But nope; the instructors' estimate of who was competent, or talented, or very gifted, varied with calculated lifetime hours of practice 100%. I find that wonderfully encouraging. I'm 57, and just started learning to draw about three years ago, and to paint about six months after that. I have no ambition to ever be a professional, but even as a hobbyist, knowing that I *can* get really good if I just keep studying and practicing makes it feel worthwhile.

[@SaSPonchICo]

Thank you very much. I will get the book.

[@BobbyChiu]

Yes I’ve read the book. The rule of 10k hours has been simplified as it entered the mainstream so this video is to respond to the over simplification of the ‘rule’. Good book. I also liked outliers, David vs Goliath from Gladwell.

[@umario992]

No, if you don't have passion you won't be able to put 10k hours into drawing.

[@pinemartin6604]

Malcolm Gladwell used the research of Anders Ericson to come up with the 10,000 hour rule. It was not original to outliers.

[@michaelmaglaya4809]

Wow this video hits home, I didn’t realize it until Bobby said it, “it’s daunting to have to start a whole new painting” I really need to have multiple paintings and projects going because I always dread finishing one and starting another, awesome vid!!! Short but powerful

[@BobbyChiu]

You are so welcome! Thanks for watching ~N

[@samreevesartist]

As far as the process for this painting, I just thought that Photoshop finally turned on the "make art" feature. 😄

[@beflyaudio]

I swear it looks like he's just revealing the layer :D

[@samreevesartist]

@@beflyaudio Yes. I think you are right. The painting is in layers with masks applied.

[@samreevesartist]

@@BobbyChiu Bobby is remarkable.

[@BobbyChiu]

Bobby here. lol... wouldn't that be nice to have a brush like that. In the video I mention that this is not a process video. I'm just revealing layers I made... so in a way, you still see the process of how I painted everything. I'll be sure to say it earlier in my videos next time.

[@commentatorJR]

having the actionable advice is why I keep checking out the social media. I am so happy to have found the Bobby Chiu stream. so grateful that Bobby puts out messages, advice, inspiration and tutorials. Art has become a tool I can use to relax, or de-stress and even join communities. Art really is for everyone, and Bobby provides a great welcome on in.

[@BobbyChiu]

Wonderful to hear! Thank you for the kind words, I know Bobby appreciates it. ~N

[@indianahoosier5794]

I agree. I'm 50 and have been creating artwork of some kind most of my life... but I have never devoted 100% attention to one particular part of the craft... sure, I can draw and paint... traditional and digital... but I could never compete with someone that specializes... working in various aspects of graphic design, marketing, web development, videography and commercial photography have made me a jack of all trades but not a master of anything... if you want to master anything... devote 100% attention to it and burn through those 10,000 hours as fast as you can... if i could do it all over again...

[@emilymiller5045]

I agree with you but the phrase makes sense if interpreted as communicating the fact that it takes a good amount of time to be proficient at a skill, whatever that looks like. People often convey ideas like that in overly specific ways that just aren't true.

[@BobbyChiu]

Thank you for your feedback. ~N

[@NicoleNageli]

So true!! I totally agree with how that mindset leads to how scary it is to start a new project when you just finished the last one! Personally, I think what the 10000 hour rule is TRYING to say is to prioritize volume over quality--that way, starting stuff isn't so hard and you'll improve so much faster than if you tried to make every piece perfect. I love this format, Bobby, great work!

[@BobbyChiu]

Those are some great takeaways!! You're right, doing things repeatedly makes it less daunting for sure, but you may not need 10,000 hours to do that. Thanks so much for your feedback and glad you enjoyed this format! :) ~S

[@AhmedAli-qw5vn]

The best video explained on 10,000 hours

[@BobbyChiu]

Glad you enjoyed it! :) ~S

[@inkvalls]

this was the most relaxing video I have watched in a long tiem!

[@BobbyChiu]

Thanks for saying that!! So glad you enjoyed it! :) ~S

[@TheLightFantasticArt]

It was Anders Ericsson who did the original research used by Malcolm Gladwell to come up with this somewhat random. The 10,000 hour figure came from the study they were doing with musicians enrolled in the Academy of Music in Berlin, and from interviews with those musicians, they estimated that BEFORE they started their education there, they had already invested an average of 10,000 hours of practice. That doesn't mean that you need an exact 10,000 hours to master a skill. It may take 20,000, or it may take less, it's variable. Another interesting study actually discovered that you can become reasonably competent in any skill with only a few hundred hours of practice, and that may be enough for a person to make the art they want to do.

[@jjj7790]

Also, it's music. Music requires more specialized muscle memory development and physical training than painting or drawing, which is closer to things we do every day in casual life and is less strict with technique. You can probably close the gap between you and a professional artist a lot faster than you could close the gap between you and a professional classical musician, at least in terms of technique.

[@lplando]

Yeah, agree on that last bit about how it feels “daunting” to start a new one! Because you came from a painting that’s 100% complete and then you’re faced with literally a blank canvas and you have to “slow down” and switch gears again. I recently setup a canvas for study and chose beforehand all the pieces I was going to study, and laid them out so I have space beside them to do my studies. Working on them one after the other, (like study A today, B tomorrow, C the next day) helped me move each of them forward faster. There’s less “inertia” to starting.

[@fernandofineart]

it was so soothing to listen to this ...i think it was ur voices and the music

[@BobbyChiu]

Thanks for watching!! ~N

[@karldarwin1253]

More of this content! Personally i like it.. Thing that we can relax and draw along

[@BobbyChiu]

Noted! Thank you for watching :) ~N

[@varuntulsyan2558]

This video made me smile so much!❤️

[@BobbyChiu]

So glad to hear that!! :) Thanks for watching! ~S

[@Raymondli0406]

Bobby breaking the myth, thumbs up!

[@BobbyChiu]

Glad you liked this one!! :) ~S

[@rtubiras644]

Is there any discount code for first timer on schoolism? I am really interested to try out to see how's it look like and if I can catch up with the courses.

[@DonVigaDeFierro]

10,000 hours is the required to become Craig Mullins, or Kim Jung Gi, or Norman Rockwell... In other words... a "Master." And K. Anders Ericsson makes it very clear in his research. But to become competent at a level that YOU are comfortable and happy with, you require far, FAR less than 10,000 hours...

[@Janreytendo]

This video calms my anxiety. Thanks man

[@BobbyChiu]

I’m so glad to hear!

[@carterehall]

i see it this way, if you make it to 10000 hours and you are still drawing not just studying and/or creating just drawing for the fun of it, that means more to me as I know I'm in it for the long run, since this art journey is a long bumpy marathon where there might not be a end, patience is very important as we work toward getting better at our art skill, working on our art style, growing a following, creating a game,story ETC ETC, still being an artist after 10000 hours has more value then being a pro after 10000 hours or that 10000th drawing being "good".

[@BobbyChiu]

That's a great point! Doing anything for 10000 hours definitely shows your commitment at the very least. Thank you for sharing that😊 ~S

[@krzysztofmathews738]

The big thing that has become a sort of ongoing revision to the '10,000 hours' model is the concept of "Deliberate Practice" which means blocks of time in which one focuses intensely on a specific practice, even to the extent of working at only half speed in order to fully be present with the nuances of the technique.

[@BobbyChiu]

Very true! There are so many other ways people can practice and progress without having to worry if they've put in their 10,000 hours or not. Thanks for watching! :) ~S

[@chokingbutterfly4796]

Hey do you recommend if i should listen to music if i’m learning to draw or is it better with nothing to listen to

[@BobbyChiu]

Hi there! Nancy here...I think it depends for everyone. I know Bobby can listen to podcasts and Clubhouse while he paints. If you can be productive and can focus on drawing while listening to music, then why not right? ~N

[@OfirWasHere]

Hi bobby, thank you, you are such a motivating person to me, sadly I cannot afford to pay for schoolism yet but I would love to in the future, also how did you blur the background so much, using the blur tool doesn't do much even when I am using it on 100% (I am using photoshop) btw thank you in advance and I hope you and Masae Seki will have a lovely week

[@BobbyChiu]

Thanks so much for your kind words!! For the blurring effect, you can try going to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur, and sliding up and down the setting to get your preferred amount of blur! Hope that helps😊 ~S

[@tonymiranda5675]

A got a cuestion about Schoolism I have used over a year, and now that i started collegue, i didnt used for like 2 months. Now that i got have time again i want to get back, but the page rejects my card. i guess is because the inactivity, I already send a email to the link that they show me 2 days ago to fix it, but theres no response. So should I wait more? Send another? Or there is another way? I really hope someone can help me

[@BobbyChiu]

Hi Tony! Sorry to hear about the payment trouble you're continuing to experience. I see that our Help Desk responded to you on May 4, so if you did not receive that response please check your spam folder or feel free to send another email! Hopefully we will get this issue resolved asap. ~S

[@tonymiranda5675]

@@BobbyChiu oh ok yeah it was on the spam folder, that's why I didn't see it Now I know what to do Thank you so much for answering!!

[@tinhdraw5875]

hey, i just find it, thanks bobby

[@BobbyChiu]

Thanks for watching! :) ~S

[@weelyartwork5361]

Agree

[@BobbyChiu]

Thanks for watching!! :) ~S

[@mcil0115]

Is it hard to be a late aspiring artist? Is it possible to earn ? as there are more artist and those who start learn?

[@johnavila3790]

Of course! You can start at anytime, nothing is holding you back!

[@bakamono2630]

I sure definitely agree that it's not simply true. There are self learning AI that could back this idea up a human has complying flaws and possibly misunderstanding flaw you could say that the self learning AI would be better at trial and error than a human would which is another doorway to something possibly overwhelming inferiority in the future There's this game called DOTA 2 and there's this company called OpenAI, they made AI that thought itself to play through a lot of trial and error the AI destroying OG players like a piece of cake at this point i'm just rambling but uhhh someday in the future I think the future of AI could be used as a tool to use for creativity and the idea of having to master a particular action will be simplified to just understand these and create without stress

[@kozzietea]

10,000 is just silly. How do you even count that? lol Just do it and you'll get good. I wish we didn't put time on everything. Just live and practice, it will be okay :) I promise

[@BobbyChiu]

For sure! It's the quality of your practice, not the quantity that matters! Thanks for watching! :) ~S

[@didnt_ask_for_handle]

I was about to comment that the background art is a bit misleading with you revealing the layers. Maybe next time just do a slideshow of the process so it doesn't confuse new artist who think this is a process video

[@BobbyChiu]

Thanks for your feedback!! We will keep this in mind :) ~S

[@BobbyChiu]

Bobby here. Slide shows are boring to me. That's why I did it the way I did. I'll be sure to say it earlier in my videos next time but yeah... not into slide shows if I can avoid it. Thanks for the comment

[@Vizible21]

Why are good artist so underrated and artist who do the same fking face in every character gets 50 k views?

[@BobbyChiu]

Hey thx.

[@mikinitsunoru8211]

WHAT BRUSH IS THAT, GIMME NOW (its just a joke pls ._;)

[@BobbyChiu]

Haha! If only there was a magic brush like that!! :) ~S

[@36nibs]

I wonder if I’ve talked for over 10,000 hours🤔 i’ve definitely talk to myself for Waymore🤣😂

[@BobbyChiu]

😂😂😂😂😂 ~S

[@bovineox1111]

Sure, but 10,000 hours is over 2.7 hours a day every day for 10 years. The concept of being focused I totally understand but 3 hours a day is quite a commitment for a lot of people. I would say though, if you dedicated 3-4hrs a day you'd get good in a lot less than 10,000hrs

[@BobbyChiu]

Yes, that's a good point! The key is really to just be consistent with your practicing so that you can see constant improvement! :) ~S

[@kennynyc15153]

a former employer said that to me I was like who made that idea not another person lol he just didnt wanna pay me more lol great work man

[@BobbyChiu]

Oh boy, haha! :P ~S

[@kennynyc15153]

@@BobbyChiu :)~

[@RedGallardo]

10,000 hours if you have talent. 100,000 hours if you don't.

[@markjackson291]

Its bullshit. I've put in 10,000 plus and I have nothing. I wish pros would stop promoting the draw draw draw concept and doing endless life drawing and give some specifics. I fell into the trap of endless life drawing at university and endless observational drawing endless master studies endless hours and money wasted in cafe shops and all it has taught me is to be stiff. Its useless advice.

[@BobbyChiu]

While there are some artists who do well practicing the same things over an over, others simply need more variety in their practice! It's like Bobby said, sometimes he will start a new painting before he's done the one he is working on just to change it up because it's easy to become numb to the things we do repetitively. ~S

[@chitamule9040]

I've listened to a few podcast where they interviewed Anders Ericsson the man who's research got mangled into the 10 000 hour rule. Suffice to say there is no 10 000 hour rule his work got misinterpreted by people like Gladwell. Sadly he also does point out something you perhaps have discovered on your own judging by your comment, how you study matters. Hours and hours of the wrong practise can lead you no where. You need to find a good teacher who is invested in your progress.