Thinking About Practice and Impressions of Overnight Success

Earlier today I recorded an episode of the 2 Minute Practice podcast with Jerzy Drozd. Core idea of the show is that it's worth trying things and getting experience through practice even if it's two minutes at a time. The other key part of the premise is that it's relatively easy to find two minutes to try.

We talked about how practicing looks and feels different depending on where you are in skill building.

• If you're starting out it looks like bravely trying something new. It feels like being in a beginner mindset.
• If you're very skilled practicing it looks like magic. It feels like stretching and playful wandering.

That second example, when we watch someone who's built up a lot of skill they can make something look easy.

Even knowing this I had an assuming luck/overnight success when I saw that video of a guy with cranberry juice on a skateboard a few months back. I saw that clip and smiled to tears. The right thing to see on a stressful day.

I bookmarked it and thought how fun, coincidental, and interesting how something can get so much attention so fast. Seemingly instant. Like an overnight success.

Weeks passed and I realized I wanted to share that clip with a friend and I totally misplaced it. Thought I bookmarked it but nope. Then out of curiosity I was scrolling through that Instagram search view, which I do once every few weeks at the most. Then I saw that skateboarder. He was hanging out with actors Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong and I had a "wait-what?" puzzled-spark reaction.

Then I explored a bit and learned Nathan Apodaca (@doggface208) has a ton of videos where he sings, dances, lip-syncs, acts, and plays around to make entertaining clips. He's incredibly practiced. My noticing his work alongside lots of other folks noticing his work one day isn't the interesting thing. He's practiced a lot and some folks like me just happened to notice one day.

Observations on practicing.

• Practice builds something but not always an instant result.
• It can be the incremental build of new capacity and skills in you.
• It can be the metaphorical sawdust your practice leaves behind.
• Practicing in public can lead to a product others will find useful.
• Then there's the things that take time outside of the public view. Putting your practice to work and sharing a finished product instead of the practice.

For more thoughts on practice, check out the 2 Minute Practice podcast at Lean Into Art or in your favorite listening app.