Soccer in Random Places: The Dangerous Book for Boys and the joy of practice

With libraries and bookstores closed I’ve returned to my own shelves. During a session of pull-any-book-off-the-shelf and read game, I stumbled on this excerpt from The Dangerous Book for Boys.

Titled: The Rules of Soccer, it reminded me of the joys of practice.

Soccer is the example, but the idea of practice, daily practice, applies to any discipline:

It’s an old, old phrase, but “practice makes perfect” is as true today as it was hundreds of years ago. Natural-born skill is all very well, but it will only take you so far against someone who has practiced every day at something he loves.

Further reading:

How I practice at what I do – by Tyler Cowen

People who have not yet succeeded but maybe they will – by henryeoliver

Learn Like an Athlete – by David Perell

Four Panel Friday (on Saturday): Austin Kleon’s Keep Going

Nothing to see here…

With my comics tucked away in storage I relied on happenstance for this weeks post. I was flipping through Austin Kleon’s book – Keep Going, and then POW! Mission accomplished.

Kleon doesn’t consider himself a cartoonist but he’s drawn and posted so many of these he’s becoming dangerously close.

An incredible toilet read, Keep Going is definitely a must purchase.

From: Keep Going – 10 Ways to Stay Creative In Good Times and Bad

By: Austin Kleon

Four Panel Friday: J.R.R.Tolkien’s drawings of Entrances to the Elvenking’s halls

Ok. These aren’t exactly comic panels.

But the more I go through old books during this time spent at home, the more I discover “four panels” in other parts of literature.

Tolkien’s perspective and line variation are impressive. He incorporates straight lines, diagonal and curved lines, stipples, blacked out inks.

The man was non-stop.

From: The Art of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

By: Wayne G. Hammond, Christina Scull