It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it

The Retune Blog - 22nd March 2024

A few weeks ago I did a life drawing class. I followed all the instructions and tried to do all the right things. I even put my hand before my face to try to measure dimensions and ratios. Yet what appeared on the page didn’t resemble what I saw in front of me.

There are certainly times in life when I become acutely aware that we thrive when we stop trying and just be. This was one of those times. Once I realised my drawings were not going to be classically good, it became fun and relaxing. In itself, that improved my drawings (to some extent!) but that’s not the point.

Thinking about this it reminded me of the Fun Boy Three and Bananarama song (title in the lyrics):

It ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it. And that's what gets results.

What comes across in the song is breaking the message down into time, place and style:

• Style - When we relax into doing something we develop our own style. It may not be traditional, but can become fun and has integrity. When you think of artists, you would have to say that for some of them when they found their own expression / voice / style, it was then that they became a real artist.
• Time - But, doing things your way isn’t always the right thing to do. It would be no good a surgeon rocking up to an operation deciding to go and experiment. As they say, there’s a time and a …
• Place - The best way of finding a way of doing things in a way that is just, well us, is when there is not much at stake.

So, whatever the context, if you want to develop your own style and swagger. Get experimenting in a safe and creative space. As for me, I think I’ve found my artistic style, and it’s one that makes me laugh every time that I look at it. Now that ain’t gonna make me an artist, but it is going to bring me joy.

Please note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from any qualifying purchases you make using the links on this page. This support helps us to keep Retune free and accessible for all.