🧠 SCIENCE OF LEARNING (art) FASTER (my most important video yet)

[@YTartschool]

Hey bruhs this week we focus on our most useful tool, our brain! A lot of what I discuss is extremely simplified but I highly recommend you look up neuroscientists like Andrew Huberman who also happens to have a KZbin channel kzbin.info, fascinating stuff. Art concepts aside, I think it's important to understand how we learn on a fundamental level, I think we can all make some significant improvements once we know how it works :) I felt it needed more than a timelapse drawing in the background to properly communicate the concepts I discuss so the format is a little different than usual, hope you don't mind! Hopefully this helps! Have a good weekend or I'll tell your mom.

[@DesignOriented]

I was going to reply menioning Huberman. I could tell you had been watching his content immediately. And when you said "cocktail" I was like... bingo. I'm glad his work is making an impact. Good to see you're sharing it too.

[@eggman6605]

*Shifts anime nerd glasses* The advice is good but I think there should be some more info about what NOT to do. This is especially important for younger artists who grew up in the internet age. Apologies for the long read. TLDR: If you wanna learn good then neuroscience says get off social media, stop looking at memes and stop playing addictive video games. I'm a dysfunctional tech addict. Here's how to not wind up like me. Technically dopamine in this context is the motivational salience neurotransmitter. Basically the brain drug that makes you feel compelled to do something (wanting, desire,craving) and reinforces your behaviour. It squirts out into your brain BEFORE and AFTER you do something. When you see your phone and FEEL compelled to check notifications? That's dopamine. When you check your notifications and something good is there? Dopamine hit. See food and wanna eat it? That's dopamine. Eat it and it's delicious? More dopamine. The "feel good" feeling is a cocktail of other neurotransmitters and hormones. So when drawing: (See Sketchbook)>>>(Dopamine Hit)>>>(Draw)>>>(Good drawing)>>>(Dopamine Hit) = I should draw more. How this relates to learning and focus: The reason you're motivated to do stuff that doesn't actually bring you joy or meaningful results (games, internet, social media, drugs) and can't focus on doing boring, difficult stuff like studying or drawing is thanks to an overstimulated dopamine pathway in your brain called the mesolimbic pathway. It looks like a fishing hook in the middle of your brain. Look up the "reward system" on Wikipedia for more info. Gambling machines, social media (including KZbin's recommended feed), and video games (especially mobile free-to-play) are specifically designed to stimulate this pathway. Stimulating this pathway doesn't make you feel "happy". It makes you feel like "I wanna do that again." Before, it used to be: "Nice book, next book." Then it was: "Nice tv show, next episode." Now it's: "Nice meme, next post." The cycle gets continuously shorter. Dopamine hits get more frequent. Habits get formed with infinitely greater strength and speed. When you get dopamine constantly, it makes dopamine less potent. Like a drug losing its effectiveness. Video games don't feel so hype. Social media doesn't excite you. Drawing becomes a chore. Here's the problem: drawing is not "designed" to constantly stimulate that pathway. You will make mistakes and fail. Over and over. Failure paves the pathway to improvement. You will receive FAR LESS dopamine hits compared to addictive activities. The part of your brain that calculates whether something is "worth doing" is called the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). It talks with your mesolimbic pathway. Your mesolimbic pathway says memes, KZbin and video games are WAY more rewarding than drawing or learning, so why bother doing hard stuff? If your ACC gets that message ALL THE TIME... now you are screwed. Big time. Plus the fact that your dopamine receptors are numbed to stimulation? Double whammy. The fix? You have another dopaminergic pathway that talks with your ACC called the mesocortical pathway. This is the Yoda pathway. The master Oogway pathway. This is the pathway that allows you to override your primitive instincts and say no to immediately rewarding stuff. How do you strengthen it? Meditation and doing stuff that has a DELAYED reward. Cooking, exercise, solving puzzles, reading books, doing house chores or helping someone else out with a problem. You must do these while cutting down on addictive activities. Replace. Not add. There's little point to eating salad while also eating a family-size tub of ice cream. If you're still a teenager, your brain is super plastic. What you do NOW will affect the structure of your brain as an adult. If you let it get screwed up, it will be substantially harder to fix in the future. I know because I screwed mine up when I was young, and am suffering the consequences in my mid 20s. It is difficult to emotionally register how neurologically dangerous this new tech is, so let me make a comparison. In 1798 Benjamin Rush wrote about the dangers of tobacco. German scientists linked smoking and lung cancer in the 1920s. The first lawsuits against tobacco companies for causing illness and misleading public opinion didn't begin until the 1950s. It took until the 2000s for regular people to understand how harmful they are. Now, they kill 8 million each year. We only recently have studies on the effects of social media on the brain. Users perform worse on cognitive tests, especially attention, memory and multitasking. Their pre-frontal cortexes (the part of our brain that really separates us from other animals) are shrunken. My mum smoked cigarettes because she didn't understand how bad they were. Even though she quit young, she now has crippling arthritis. I was a heavy social media/internet user/gamer in my teenage years because I didn't understand what they were doing to my brain and now I have chronic depression, anxiety, and attention/focus problems. I hope this info helps supplement Marc's great advice and might help anyone who has trouble getting themselves to draw.

[@jannraquitome8495]

Please make a video about legs

[@eggman6605]

@Stringnet9fiver Dr K from the HealthyGamerGG channel recently did a few videos in understanding the role of dopamine+the reward system, and strategies for fixing imbalances. Andrew Huberman has some videos covering the topic. "How to increase motivation and drive" I think covers it. I'm currently going through his stuff since Marc recommended him. Cal Newport's book trilogy focuses less on the neuroscience and more about the productivity aspect. "Digital Minimalism" might be the most appropriate. Gary Wilson's book covers addiction to internet ¶0rñ specifically.

[@chadyonfire7878]

i sensed that its hubermans influence

[@jay5010]

"The most important factor when learning is your focus." My ADHD: I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that.

[@miiiwu1999]

god same (also hi fellow adhd asexual)

[@MartinoRosso]

me

[@SharpFaust]

Haha, same. I was just going to ask how this applies to people with ADHD, I spaced during some parts of the video but was still able to put it together. I mean, the information still applies to us, but we will still experience significant challenges in the process. The best I can do in my case is to make sure I'm medicated, and remember to utilize those techniques that therapists teach.

[@jay5010]

@@SharpFaustI'm finishing my second year of college now and I only got diagnosed a couple of months back, my doctor asked if I wanted to go on medication and I told her I'd pass for now. I avoid any form of medication like the plague whenever possible, so I decided I'd play around with different techniques to see if I could lead a somewhat normal and productive life without recurring to meds. I may cave and start taking them in the future, but I've definetly seen a big difference just by implementing new habits. The things that help me most with focusing are: -The pomodoro technique, and this applies to anything, not just studying, even cleaning! 25 mins of focus and 5 off. This really adds the urgency factor, especially if I'm doing something I despise doing. I know I can't stop before the 25 mins are up and that it needs to get done, so I'll power trough the task to get it done in as little pomodoros as possible. I find drawing quite enjoyable for the first 5 minutes before I get frustrated, but this helps. -If possible, use the 5 min break to go outside, get some fresh air, watch the birds/people, whatever. Just do something that requires low brain power and let your thoughts flow in, even if they are the mental equivalent of having 65 tabs open and not knowing where the hell the music is coming from. -Stimming, yes a lot of neurotypical people can't stand it, but who cares, right? For example, I have a little polished onyx stone that I love twirling around in my fingers. Nothing to do with it being onyx, I just love the texture and it adds that tiny extra bit of stimulation. Music can help too, just make sure it doesn't distract you further. -If you find yourself procrastinating, just press the start button in whatever pomodoro app you are using (or set up your analogue pomodoro), I find that the guilt of procrastinating with it on is enough to get me started. This is all pretty standard stuff that you have probably heard about before, but it works for me. Hopefully it can help someone else who never heard/thought of it. Best of luck!

[@ThatPash]

@@jay5010 Wouh, this is some tasty info you got there! Thanks a lot for taking the time to post that :D

[@aldamis8384]

Pro tip: if you practice before you go to bed, that skill will be learned faster than if you practiced sometime during the day.

[@andrei3586]

But you're already tired, i feel like you can focus more in the morning

[@MyNamesHunter75]

@cable Solution to your solution: sleep all the time but lucid dream and do art in your sleep! BIG SOFT AND WET BRAIN ACTIVE.

[@tiabenita7353]

@@MyNamesHunter75 wow great tip :0

[@mrs.quills7061]

If I do art before bed then I’m up all night wanting to create more. I focus and create the best first thing in the morning or afternoon.

[@PencilPower]

Also take a break after any session to do and think about nothing - Dr. Huberman talks about how this allows the brain to play back the process (in reverse for some reason apparently) and increases the ability to learn/neuroplasticity.

[@dkmbstudio]

Marc: here's how you learn Me: *watches the flower go bald*

[@Nierez]

Best art teachers I had during art school were bald. Marc is bald 2+2(?)

[@Brushcore_art]

Saaameeee

[@sahiru]

Me waiting for the head to shine.

[@animerman2017]

Can you summarize this video for me? I am computer student and bio doesn't get in my head.

[@BiratesoftheCaribbean]

@@animerman2017 -Neurons communicate creating links with each other -When you learn something new your brain physically changes because of that -The brain is like play-doh so you can re-shape it (learn new things) but it gets harder when you pass your mid-twenties -You have to practice constantly so what you learn actually solidifies in your brain otherwise the links between neurons get weak -When you first learn something new your first response will be stress -But it gets easier to manage that stress the more you do practice -Your brain will want to do something easier when stressed, so you have to focus -Focus is limited so the more you focus on unimportant stuff the less you have for the important stuff -You can extend or re-gain your focus -If you don't sleep well you lose all your progress of the day because sleeping is like a checkpoint for your brain to save it in the long term memory

[@_._._._._._._._._._._._._.]

My urgency: I bought a $70 graphic tablet out of nowhere without knowing a single thing about drawing and I don't want to feel like an idiot that waste money...

[@marcjavillonar3289]

You mean a pad? If it is a graphics tablet tell me what brand is I would love to buy one less than 100

[@_._._._._._._._._._._._._.]

@@marcjavillonar3289 Tablet doesn't mean it has a display, even a slab of stone can be a tablet lol

[@sahiru]

Lol i also buyed a graphic tablet and switching from fingers to tablet is hard.

[@clockfreak]

Omg 70? I spent like 20 on mines

[@wympir]

I spent $600 on my graphic tablet months ago, I still procrastinating :( When I try to draw something, I lose focus or feel sleepy. Maybe I'm AHDH.

[@notjinx3545]

Me who haven't draw for a month: thanks for the tip

[@eggman6605]

Check out my reply to Marc's pinned comment which might explain why you find it difficult to start drawing.

[@notjinx3545]

@@eggman6605 nah bro. I can draw portrait and other cartoony stuff. I'm just lazy to continue everyday

[@eggman6605]

@@notjinx3545 ... That's the point. You're not "too lazy", because I'm sure you're motivated to do other stuff like watch KZbin, play video games and look at social media. Your brain is motivated to do stuff. It's just been conditioned to be motivated towards certain activities more.

[@ougazu32]

I think that you rarely draw doesn't mean you will lose your drawing ability because I think all of your abilities have been recorded in your brain, so drawing every day does not guarantee you will improve faster, it will actually make you lose ideas and inspiration It's proven that I didn't draw for 4 months because I lost my pen tablet, all i did was watch people draw on youtube, then i drew again after 4 months, and guess what?, i draw much better than before!, feels like i have so many ideas for me to pour in my drawing, I become feel more focused and relaxed What I want to underline is that sometimes observation is more important than drawing as often as possible

[@Flip_0k9]

Pun intended when you said point?

[@glowtail3744]

Ah yes this taught me more things about biology than my science teacher

[@SplitWasTaken]

Than

[@everthingworld1437]

The truth has been spoken

[@mura_saki]

Art in general has taught me way way WAY more about anatomy than any of my bio teachers lmao

[@everthingworld1437]

@@mura_saki they just teach ya about the god danm cells like HOW ON EARTH IS THAT GONNA BE USEFUL

[@Barrakdraws]

Than*😟

[@boitahaki]

"After 25 though..." **Panic intensifies**

[@Hoshino2006]

I am after 30 though

[@generallygrateful1952]

"There are ways to have a more neuroplastic brain after 25 though" *kalm*

[@thepasserby3368]

I Feel the same. His talk about urgency is so-so.

[@IllyasArt]

*Me about to be 22* Oh god!

[@BabyKaleido]

We learned about neuroplasticity at uni, and adult neurogenesis does occur, but in two places only, olfactory region (like sense of smell) and dentate gyrus* of the hippocampus as far as is known. It sounds weird but they suggested taking notice of new smells, as olfactory experiences can result in neurogenesis, but that’s about all I learned lol. I am sure we aren’t entirely doomed!

[@thesunthrone]

I am so glad you put the emphasis on sleep that it deserves. Neuroplasticity is a very fascinating subject, and it is easy to lull yourself into false ideas on what you should be able to accomplish, then undersleep due to the stress and deadlines you've tossed on. I've read that a rule of thumb for neuroplasticity in adults is this - for every 8 hours of proper sleep, you get about 4 hours of deep focus a day. That's not a lot! This is why it's such a terrible practice for students to learn to just not sleep and keep going - it is counterproductive and even worse, it is dangerous. You are not just losing out on progress, you're impeding it, because once that amount of brain stamina is spent, you're just droning on, doing a subpar job, cutting corners and acting scatter brained. Do what you want, but you simply won't get past these limits (unless you're the 1% of the 1% genetic freaks that probably can, but are you truly competing with them?). This is also why "sleep on it" is such an important old wisdom - we need that sleep, not just to be able to perform basic tasks (modern human being is woefully sleep deprived), but to be able to be creative as well. I find that I always find solutions to my creative problems after a day or two of good sleep, even some naps (if added on top of that 8hr minimum, otherwise no point). That is why you need to be able to factor this in when figuring out a timeframe for your projects. I've always found that too short deadlines lead to subpar project, while giving myself seemingly double of what I think I need leads to great results, because there's plenty of time to rethink things and mull them over. I've just realized that I need this time, and now always factor it in when speaking with clients. As Marc correctly underlines, less stress = more focus!

[@vivvy_0]

what when i oversleep and still feel too tired for everything

[@garvitgarg3854]

I watched a neuroscience video of a specialist on art and he very much said the same things. You have done some very good research and thanks for the info and great content.This is much easier to absorb then doctor's podcast.

[@curtdc8779]

Huberman? Lol

[@katiecanine4548]

The arms are actually called dendrites (or axon Terminals, depending on which end you are), synapses are only the areas that connect the arms but other than that as a biologist I can say you did great research with this one. Also I am in love with whatever these little characters are, they should become your mascots! 🥰

[@GothiQhaQer]

So dendrites are the arms and synapses are the hands?

[@katiecanine4548]

@@GothiQhaQer if you wanted to stay in that metaphore I would say yes

[@fredriksvard2603]

Actually

[@quinn_interstellar]

Thank you explaining cuz he erroneously called the arms “synapses” when it’s actually the axon/dendrites. The synapse is the SPACE BETWEEN the so called “arms”

[@kylemcdonnell86]

@@GothiQhaQer they're both arms but one sends and one reccieves neurotransmitters

[@ReallyRedPanda]

There's something so weirdly comforting to have it confirmed to me that no, it's not just you noticing that learning became more challenging at the drop of a hat, at reaching age 26. It's actually encouraging. This is a natural process that happens to everyone. But something becoming harder to do doesn't make it impossible, not ever, that I do know. I was just missing that key ingredient of 'urgency' like you said. And hey, knowing that *this* is how my brain behaves is giving me all the urgency I need outside of looking for work. Thank you so much for reshaping how I approach learning. Every tutorial you post is time well spent watching for me. 🙏❤️

[@tacticslc4805]

9:42 I love the character's expression, it's like looking at the clouds, brain off mode

[@starquake7061]

I'm already anxious and I turned 25 today so idea of not learning like I used to is terrifying! But they say those ADHD their brain age slower which might be good for me. But then again I've should have started learning things sooner I had a poor childhood and spent most of my teenager years dealing with mental illness. It's so unfair. :(

[@YTartschool]

Keep in mind 25 is the average, it’s different for everyone. Also, the more you love something, the easier it is to learn it because you get urgency for free ;)

[@leonbrinck1504]

This video has the educational value of a david Attenborough documentary, and the explosions of a micheal bay movie. Never thought it would work so well

[@Kentumatsu_skk]

This video really made me think. However, I am not sure if these things can help me with keeping focus, as my day schedule is not really nice. I work from 2pm to 10pm, so at morning and noon I am mostly busy with home duties, leaving little-to-none time between home duties and work, and after work I am simply too tired to focus on productive things (in this case - drawing). It is really frustrating.

[@letstestthisout2798]

Guess you just have to quit drawing man.

[@Kentumatsu_skk]

...or wait until i get back to morning shift

[@letstestthisout2798]

@@Kentumatsu_skk I'm in the same situation as you man. I quit drawing. I wish I could but I'm just too busy to but I do watch videos on art. Sometimes I think that if I took the 12 minutes I spent watching this video and just drew maybe I'd have the time.

[@katiecanine4548]

Maybe divide what you want to do into smaller tasks. Like Marc said in the video, if you want too much you won't be as effective. So when possible try finding 30 mins a day where you focus on little things like shading, checking out colour combinations, lineart, specific objects like Grass, clouds, trees, arms, heads...(of course depending on the Level of skill) And if you do this little task you will get progress in these 30 mins and it will feel good. And if you have the weekends free you can try making time for bigger projects then. I know it's hard but I think it's worth a thought if the alternative is waiting for better times.

[@JP-qb3ny]

Try to find a job where you can work on your drawing from time to time. I have a job where it can really get crazy busy and hectic but there’s also a lot of down time and most the I’m just getting paid to sit there and wait till things get crazy busy again. While work is slow and I’ve taken care of all the little things I start drawing.

[@Otis_.]

Sometimes I have that rage of considered inferior. To that I always say, crush them (other artists) underneath your boot. For one day, they will kneel at the sight of you. It is a comforting thought that my skill will pay off. Sometimes, anger is a comfort. Anger brings my goal closer.

[@nightj6593]

I love how Marc changed the thumbnail after posting his community poll. Watch them views skyrocket now lmao

[@Awesome-1001]

Cant help loving this guy. He is An entertaining content creator. Cracks me up with all those edits, The outros ending early. And most important, he is an amazing teacher, my art improved soooo much since ive subbed to this channel. Thank you so much. I better go sleep now, so ill remember to sleep tommorow xd.

[@dojakhalifa9755]

Me: drawing "turns out ugly" Me: ill never draw again

[@laos85]

Good art will never happen when you start

[@mrs.quills7061]

Even the best artists have art they dislike or hate. Part of the process as an artist unfortunately is to fail and have work that isn’t so great. Many creatives also deal with imposter syndrome too at times, but you have to remember it’s just creative pains. We all draw ugly or make things we hate, but that shouldn’t stop you. I know it can be super hard, but you shouldn’t deny the world of your creativity and art because of one failure. Use it as motivation to get better over time. Art is a process and a commitment. I highly recommend checking out the book big magic and the podcast art juice, those both helped me immensely at how I view my art and my mindset. You’ll get there, but you won’t get anywhere if you give up.

[@mrs.quills7061]

@@shreeeze it is brutal, but I think the reward is so satisfying. It’s crazy to see my art from just a year or two ago to now.

[@patriciajin6206]

@@laos85 Exactly!!!

[@animerman2017]

Can you summarize this video for me? I am computer student and bio doesn't get in my head.

[@cestarianinhabitant5898]

The idea of using urgency to increase neuroplasticity is honestly revolutionary for me, you're telling me you can literally channel your fears into something useful? God damn man, why didn't anyone tell me this sooner! I always thought motivation only really happened through ambition and that ambition had to be running towards something, but you're telling me I can get all the results I want just by running away in terror? Count me in! No shortage of fear in this madhouse!

[@guimecast8100]

I'm getting used to dream about drawing and it is really helping me to improve. It started all alone but then I realized that it was helping me. So I started inducing this state by taking at least some 10 minutes drawing or watching someone draw on KZbin before going to bed.

[@mrdoodle8229]

now whenever i saw smart people I'm gonna think how buff is their neuron arm^ω^

[@skyleyton3229]

Me too my friend 😂

[@darkfun2481]

Yup if you've seen Einstein's Brain it's so muscular that it became more tiny than an Average brain

[@maggier4806]

@@darkfun2481 that actually makes a lot of sense, i was wondering why his brain was smaller than the average one

[@mathieudelisle308]

A compilation of all Marc's oppening is needed

[@skyleyton3229]

Of course, lmao 😂

[@art.anemonejp]

Your videos are what gave me the push a couple of months ago and inspired me to seriously get into art, and so far it’s been the best hobby I’ve ever decided to take up. I have never been so deeply in love with art as I am now. The best part is that so much of what you teach (for FREE no less) can be applied to a lot of different skills and areas of daily life.

[@avab631]

This man just explained and fixed all my problems in a 13 min video. This was so helpful thank you!

[@KingFluffs]

I remember struggling hard on facial emotions until I spent a few weeks analyzing facial features and how they change when the characters emotion does and now I can do it all from memory (but I'll make a booklet too for myself so I can get a quick refresher whenever).

[@meiv_]

After watching the video, I realized that I had lost focus. Thank you for giving me understanding

[@meiv_]

Hah, just kidding. Rly thx. Very informative

[@maggier4806]

This is an amazing video. Psychology is such an amazing subject and I wish it was a required class in all high school curriculums! It teaches you so much about yourself and eventually you can conclude how to use your brain to improve yourself as a human being.

[@briezeee]

He’s right.. this is a very important video

[@danielrussell6961]

As an educator for the past 27 years, and who has deeply engaged in learning about neuroscience as well, I appreciate how you have taken the time to broaden your understanding of how the brain learns, conceptualized it for your own understanding, and shared that understanding with others.

[@victorfelix3354]

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G content. You're one of the best, Brunet.

[@InuPf]

I usually divide my "learning" schedule into parts... Practicing (in photoshop, with my tabs, etc, paper ) and studying (watching YT vids and taking my Udemy courses ). Plus, recently I've been trying the "pomodoro techinique", a friend of mine has been doing it for a couple of years now and he says it's amazing.. so I thought I'd give it a go.

[@rastagaming9000]

I m 22 and not worried about age. I learn the same way as I did before. 'hard way' Truth is you need to learn 'how to learn'. I had a problem that i overwhelm myself to much. Wanted learn fast. That idea just burned out. it take me time to realize that i need take things easy and improve what i do. I m still beginner.

[@koyotestudios4182]

this was a good one Marc, I have a bad habit of watching videos and drawing and I know it distracts me and understanding the science helps me know why I *have* to break this habit.

[@schishne7546]

that explains why i have been improving on so much the moment i was sleeping at least 7h...explains quite a lot now i was a depressed gamer before and barely slept...gave myself some caffeine, went through studying and fucked up...a close friend told me to value sleep way more and now i understand why....i gues i just got another brain expandtion

[@user-qb4on2qm7z]

Hey Marc, I have watched a lot of youtubers on my journey to teach myself art and you are by far my favourite. I feel like you have given me so much more than I could give you. The improvements I have made over this last year have been insane and seeing your videos in my recommended always gets me motivated to draw. Your videos and effort you put in them are appreciated. Thank you.

[@sarthakdravid8405]

I legit took notes during this no joke

[@avianc6870]

Hey guys! Meditating with intention is pretty much just like focusing on nothing and it really helps! If youre going on long drawing stints for say, a commission, even just 10 minutes of being in the present rested moment can give you enough mental rest to work better!

[@kelvinmilian4534]

This is legit the most wholesome way to tell people to sleep well anyone has ever conceived of. 10/10

[@theironrubberduck]

5:15Water is the redemption liquid. Drink some when you feel thirsty.

[@Kirious]

me at the end just focusing on how the flower petals kept disappearing without me seeing exactly when throughout the video

[@shayokami7410]

"Gotta get in those reps bruh" loved that xD I'm a psych grad and this is very accurate. I never took neurology, outside of what I learned in 101 and portions of other classes, but I can say that on a basic level this is very accurate and useful, just knowing this info. I can also say from personal experience, as a graphic novelist that now wants to illustrate their own stories, this is very true. When I go to write a draft for a manuscript or video, I could be dog tired and hungover, but I'll still manage to put down 2,000 words for the day and have it be well written enough. But with art, I could be sober and well rested but I'll struggle just getting proportions right for the mannequin layout and not get much past that, I just don't have the experience and conditioning with art that I have with literature, yet. I will argue that if someone is struggling with insomnia and it's affecting their neurological processing of what they've learned, it's more effective for them to find out the cause or causes of their insomnia and how they should solve it. No cause or resolution is the same, so take comfort in knowing that your own approach must suit you in the healthiest fashion.

[@freshmilk7122]

Learning is stressful... That explains why my head aches bad whenever I think of my research paper.

[@Raveress_Moss]

The focus explanation reminds me of an RPG Sort of like a mana bar or something

[@lexskennedy9715]

thank you for including these explosions they keep grabbing my attention back, I usually really struggle with watching educational videos

[@BeatrizAbou]

One thing I learned about learning is that it's easier to prevent things that distract you rather than fighting distraction. Not all things can be avoided, but at least the ones that you know will trigger procrastination and are things you can control. That and when you think you can't go on any longer, you should try to push for 5 more minutes (unless it's at expense of sleep), more than often those 5 minutes turn into much more time.

[@nyandoesthings]

When I sit down to draw I tend to close all my other windows. I've gotten a lot faster since starting to do that. If I can I also silence my phone.

[@ivanzisser2292]

One day I just give up on the drawing, cuz i was unsure about my future, but after most like 2 years without making art, I'm trying to learn again and improve all days. your videos are truly educational thank you so much for this information, I throught that my skills for learning where just dead, but now with this video I get hope again, I'm genuely happy

[@shanksh5321]

I needed this! This was really helpful, now I'm more motivated to improve my art and also you explain really good. Thank you, I'll give you another egg :D 🥚

[@nosferkg]

Superb content! I also noticed that simple walks or bike riding (in general any kind of “move your butt”) allows you to focus better. Keeping in shape lets you maintain this focus longer throughout the day.

[@3DFI_officials_]

I slept after watching this , so that I never forget this 😴

[@Chockitkat]

Goodness, can I just say I'm so grateful that I've met this channel? I have so much trouble with focus and skills for violin art... almost everything I did. This video reminded me of a chance where I was lost for my music. I was failing and didn't know what to do. I then went for a consultation, and the nice teacher who gave me advice that changed my life said this: What you need is not a consultation on (the topic/subject) but rather, life advice. At first I was a little puzzled. I thought that I was here to study music... so why did I get life advice? Even so, I'm so glad I stayed to the end, because however mediocre my result was, I improved from a D to a B in just one exam. In my country, that's at least 4 grades. You cannot believe how shocked I was when I witnessed the huge improvement! This video is the same for me. This life advice is honestly what I really need. I'm always so stressed about what to work on, what to improve on, losing and not getting enough sleep that this video really helped me, and as I was listening to this, I was actually drawing, and thanks to Marc, I'm more bold to try new things, ask for help, etc. So thank you Marc :) This chad right here just taught science better than my teacher as an art lecturer HAAHAH, once again reminding me of the time my violin teacher gave me advice for my art that pretty much changed my art life completely. This comment is so long, so thank you to whoever read this from start to the end, yall are awesome! :)

[@CautiousArt]

This video is great. it gives such a clear outline to the art journey and demystifies what can be such an obscure path for us all. If only someone could have made it this clear for me when I was starting. Thanks for the great work!

[@khmatrix]

*Me who procrastinated for years* Hmmm, should prob get some of that focus and draw again.

[@marcobrown1307]

Thank you so much for all the knowledge you give us for free! You've been SUCH a great help and its easier to retain the information you give us because you are very thorough. I've made a character for my short comic very loosely inspired by you, I wanna show you one day! Thank you again Marc! :D

[@animerman2017]

Can you summarize this video for me? I am computer student and bio doesn't get in my head.

[@laos85]

Art and scientist were always really related to each other.

[@yl6770]

the way i can apply this info to my uni course as well as my art journey... so glad i found this channel!!

[@zaidaliahmed7869]

finally a video talking about focus, and some management tips on it, there's hardly any good video on this topic, thanks for the vid marc :D

[@dustrose8101]

Marc: Get some sleep

[@netba_art]

it all makes sense now, a lot of times, I spent a day playing a challenging game, and proceeded to studying and learning art at night or later the day... I couldn't really focus at all... and I really have to work on sleep xD, that's a reason now to motivate me to sleep earlier. I get enough hours, but definitely not on time. really nice video! love the simplified explanation and animation playing making it easier to visualize :D

[@yamapishy9792]

saaame. ive been playing mmos for days to distract myself from an artblock but when i got back to drawing it became even harder... it makes sense now that i used up all my focus on gaming rather than drawing. gaming isn't really that bad but too much can have drastic effects hehe. i should limit my game time more.

[@uyogi2373]

This is such a good guide, and not just for drawing. Used this info for the past few weeks while preparing for a very important test and it’s been working wonders

[@hippofeathers5479]

This helped a lot and gave me more confidence in the direction I'm going. I've only just recovered the ability to sleep after years of insomnia and the ability to focus and retain information is so NEW and was always such a struggle. Now I get why.

[@computeraccow]

it helps to understand that you should feel stressed when focusing, it means its working.. 6:11 thats good also 6:36 is good too The greater the challenge, the stronger the stress response. Don't overwhelm yourself, deconstruct the skill first. If the stress hormones get too high relative to your reward hormone, you quit. If you learn alot, QUICKLY, your reward hormone always gets higher, so you can focus longer, thus improving faster over time. Focus is kind of like your fuel to keep going. And urgency Without urgency, there's no learning (adults) Urgency comes from fear, but it doesn't have to come from fear either. It can come from ~love~ too (passion) Focus isn't infinite like neuroplasticity.. there's a limited amount every day. There are tricks to get more focus though. So here it is. Instead of taking a break looking at your phone or browsing youtube, therefore losing even more focus, and kind of defying the purpose of the break in the first place, defocus. Try to not focus on anything for a few seconds to a few minutes. Another trick is to reframe your approach to learning. Instead of looking at the big picture and increase your stress response as a result, try to flip that around and remind yourself of everything that you've accomplished today. However small that progress was, if you can identify that progress, that improvement, then its enough to give a boost to your reward system and increase the amount of time you can focus. TLDR, --> 10:42

[@whoareyou6985]

IM EARLY TO CLASS

[@xin2842]

I hope I get include in Marc's early like spree everytime he posts

[@blsnn04]

Yo this dude deserves more recognition. I got burnt out for almost a month now and binge watching his videos makes me want to readjust my learning process.

[@landijqs5844]

Thats why in TES oblivion you need to sleep, before you get a level up.

[@ibrhmylmz149]

You are one of the treasures on KZbin thanks

[@flipperflapper6682]

Me a 25 y/o guy who wanna learn how to draw: BUT HOW DO I FOCUS?! MY MIND ALWAYS WONDERS!

[@YTartschool]

Step #1: Eliminate distractions!

[@npchatesyou868]

@@YTartschool second step?

[@SubNorm4L]

You could practice meditation, it's a nice way to train your ability to focus

[@liber1993k]

So in a way i get why i learn so fast, i'm chill af when i learn anything new because it's like my stress level is almost 0, on the other hand reward gets higher and higher. With meditation you can increase focus. Worry about useless stuff troughout the day drains you, just relax and be chill. Don't worry too much about drawing goals, or anything, you are exactly where you need to be. Focus on the process itself, love the journey not destination. Mindset is very important. Just like nature, simply is, never hurries or slows down. It is exactly how it is supposed to be. Meditation helps big time with everyday focus, also pranic breathing, but at first you gotta do it consciously after a while it becomes natural process. Staying calm and relaxed in every scenario is not easy. Imagine your focus being "mental muscle", its has to be conditioned aswell. Oh and little secret, when you reach certain point, you regenerate focus faster than you drain it. Quick example, i've had quite mentally and physically taxing job working in metal industry, it was ezzy pezzy staying focused despite the shit going on, people rushing, having jams, whatnot. I kept my composition 99% time. When you are calm and relaxed long enough despite the situation it becomes part of you. Understanding psychology and yourself helps so much in whatever you do. Just remember, stop worrying, you will get there when time is right. Life isn't competition it's journey. Yours. :D Thanks Marc for awesome content.

[@shadowdemonaer]

For neurodivergent people, here are some tips that may help. I hope they do. 1. Objects in motion tend to stay in motion, but starting moving can be hard. Tell yourself instead "I will mess around with this for 5-10 minutes, and there's no pressure to make anything actually happen" because that's a first step towards moving towards something. If this is still too much, thinking of it like if you were deciding to go for a walk but couldn't make yourself go. You can break it down into smaller steps and instead of thinking of it as a list (which feels like a commitment), you can say "I'm going to get up on my feet. Well, I'm up, I may as well go to the door. Well, I'm here may as well put my shoes on. Well, my shoes are on I may as well go outside. I'm already here I may as well walk". Stuff like that. 2. Find a way to apply your current hyperfixation to what you want to learn. 3. Don't work all day at anything. Don't treat it like a job. After 8 hours of working it has been shown humans don't increase work quality. Also, 8 hour work days are archaic. Do what you can, and don't beat yourself up for "not finishing something". You don't know how big it is of a deal that you managed to get started and even make an attempt. 4. Failure is good. It means you tried in the first place and are making a blueprint for options to not try in the future towards getting the result you want. School taught you failure means you're screwed, but that is not how the real works. You are a person, and people aren't perfect. Failure is amazing. You can never say you failed if you didn't try in the first place. 5. If it's not working, don't force it. Walking away to go do something mundane like a menial task that's like a chore or something will not only help you get something cleaned up but it will free your brain of the task to work stuff out in the back of your mind. The best ideas I ever got were when I let myself get bored. Bored + movement + task you don't actually have to think about to complete = ideas. Ideas lead to innovation. Quit trying to force it. 6. Exercise the side of your brain that is trying to learn that skill. For instance, if you're struggling with math, go practice a new language. Math is also a language so this will boost your math score. Without any extra effort, I gained 70 points on my GED. Things in math I didn't understand before clicked for me. This will work for any skill. If you make connections in your brain, the ability to make new connections in the skill you want to learn will appear and you can start strengthening it more. Think of this like a video game where you are soft locked until you go do a quest real quick. If you are anxious about the quest, go do side quests for a bit and come back. If the quest was attempted but the boss killed you, go try something similar and beat that and when you come back, you will clear the quest and level up. This actually works.

[@Cafuch]

I didn't expect that everything he said at the beginning of the video on "why i get anxious blah blah" are so right and hit directed to my heart, also thank you very much for your information i appreciate it very much

[@henrypatuti7147]

Not haven't watched yet, but I already dropped a like

[@theironrubberduck]

Hopefully you’ll get your money’s worth

[@henrypatuti7147]

Totally man, all worth it

[@user-yt8ge7tn2u]

i wish i knew that when i was still in school (especially chapter 3). awesome video, thank you very much for uploading and helping people!

[@MAGICMAN_R32]

Sleep is very important *smiles with only 3hours sleep ,"Oops"

[@mikeoxlong1395]

Not if you're a manga artist.

[@paolamit4781]

Manga artists: *sleep is for the weak*

[@catnamedfeneuch7860]

imagine doing 20+(?) manga pages with a weekly deadline, even with assistants that's gotta be chipping away their health

[@annadreamsart9756]

Thank you for all you do. You are so so funny and make learning fun for me.

[@gladnox]

Ok. Now I just need to find out how to sleep/recover properly.

[@joshuashakir2772]

Can't believe I slept on this video for 7 months

[@chingzheng2856]

Just rewatched your art school anatomy tutorial today, Now with this video, great! I need a good sleep later tonight to memorize everything I learned today!

[@PheloniusBolognius]

I find when learning it's good to take a "visualization break" where I think "What did i learn" and then i think "Why did that matter and what will i ever use that for? this helps sorta consolidate and sort information and let's it digest,. I hope I can get to half as good as you! This content is gold.

[@franmatos8907]

its a bit like living like a monk right, self discipline, loved the video, thx

[@vellor9145]

Something that I usually mention when it comes to learning when older, is that when I went to uni, the very good performers were parents and around 30 to 40 years old. Cause they HAD to learn during the hours they had, there was no extra hours to waste or use.

[@poilapan]

You've managed to summarize the entire course contents of "Learning How To Learn" from Coursera into a single video, and do it well. Thumbs up for the effective lessons! Also, I notice the number of petals in those drawings throughout the video decreasing one by one 🌸. There must something symbolic of it...

[@bruh7895]

I love you and your big brain synapses

[@karthanok6859]

"Sleep is important" Me watching this at 7 am after being awake the entire night: *"oh... I should sleep now"*

[@mateyo9604]

This video is still very helpful even though I stopped drawing, I still want to learn other things and this video helps! Thanks

[@Pumpsuit]

Do you have a plan about the future? Or do you think your career has come to a point to stay? Let's see if you answer xD.

[@YTartschool]

too many!

[@Rico-jn9xo]

I've watched your videos for some time now and not even a year my art style and skills improved in 3 months I'm not good at it yet but I'm getting more and more comfortable with my art style and skills thankyou!!

[@azisyquia1652]

When Marc doesn't tell me to pay the fee of one like and one sub Me: I'll pretend I heard that

[@beewell1600]

started on 2020 digital, 15 hours a day... every day...im 34 now and i dont want to waste any time

[@Potchekansky]

"Sleep is absolutely essential to learning" I feel personally attacked

[@suibyaniswho4152]

Same

[@bitterbunn1831]

For those who have adhd and they still struggle with videos like this, it helps to find adhd videos or comunity learn about it and there are a lot of people who give advice in how to deal with it

[@timolica1974]

I love how this man teaches lol

[@wipes8997]

Honestly Mark, you’re one of the best art teachers in youtube. You break down workflows and pipe lines like no one else does. Keep doing what you do, you’re one of the greatest at it imo

[@gkfrey95]

My poor 26 year old play-doh brain :C

[@RaphaWasHere]

"driven by fear can take You far but there are tons of side effects". This líne gets and resume My whole life. Also neuroplasticity can play agains us like fear and atention can makes everything cronic. As RSI and other stuff that bother us artist. This is a must yo understand

[@mellysalazar4960]

Me: Drawing while listening Marc: Sleep Me: Aight, I'm done for today

[@GabrielFerreira-nd5hv]

>the whole video about using your focus wisely while I'm listening to everything checking other tabs and feeding my cat at the same time

[@DavaiPlays]

This episode looks a lot like a Adventure time episode rofl

[@bt8593]

I've learned most, if not all, of this over about 6 years (since I went back to uni and finished). This might be the most concise explanation of what I learned about learning. You might consider sharing this with Barbara Oakley!