Miss Daisy Drawing

Tag: self-improvement

  • How Hobbies Rewire Your Brain: The Science of Growth and Motivation

    I’ve been watching the Winter Olympics recently, and I keep getting blown away by the athletes’ spirit and determination. Especially Su Yiming in snowboarding and Eileen Gu in freestyle skiing. They both won Olympic gold at just 17 or 18 years old. But what inspires me even more is what happened after their success—the setbacks, the injuries, the moments of self-doubt—and how they still managed to stand back up, return to their sport, and push themselves even further.

    Eileen Gu’s discipline and self-reflection throughout her training are particularly striking. Setting aside the controversy around being born in the U.S. and competing for China, her love for skiing and her reflections on growth are truly worth learning from.

    Maybe you’ve also noticed this: people who have hobbies—kids or adults—often carry a unique kind of charm. At first, we might be drawn to their talent, but what really earns our respect is their willingness to commit to something that doesn’t give quick rewards. Their focus, their patience through countless failures, and the skill that slowly builds over time… those things always move us.

    Today, I want to explore a question from the perspective of neuroscience and psychology: Why do we need a hobby we can continuously improve at? Whether it’s painting, writing, music, sports, or other creative activities—why do the most well-educated families encourage their children to pursue hobbies, instead of just drilling tests?

    First, let’s look at the most fundamental layer: the brain.

    From a neuroscience perspective, a skill-based hobby can literally reshape our brain structure.

    Most people think dopamine is just the “happy chemical,” but that’s a misunderstanding. Research dating back to 1989 shows that pleasure is actually controlled by hedonic hotspots in the brain—not dopamine. Dopamine’s real function is motivation and behavioral drive. When we practice, improve, and receive positive feedback, dopamine activates our reward circuit, making us want to keep going.

    This explains why the happiness we get from binge-watching, scrolling videos, or drinking milk tea is so short-lived—while a hobby that we can improve at can fundamentally change our mindset and temperament.

    Painting strengthens the visual and motor cortices and the hippocampus.
    Learning an instrument strengthens the auditory cortex and motor integration.
    Sports enhance the prefrontal cortex responsible for decision-making and thecerebellum responsible for coordination.

    In short: the more we improve at our hobby, the stronger our brain becomes.

    Secondly, from a psychological and philosophical perspective, hobbies help us reflect on ourselves. This is an incredibly important aspect that most people overlook.

    A hobby is never just about technique. At its core, it’s a psychological activity.
    For example, in painting:

    – A perfectionist will hesitate and repeatedly revise.
    – A people-pleaser will choose styles that “everyone likes.”
    – Someone with low self-esteem will criticize themselves constantly while practicing.

    No matter what the hobby is, it will eventually reveal your inner patterns. Competitive sports test psychological resilience. Music and art ultimately express emotion rather than technique.

    How we come to understand ourselves, gain self-awareness, and grow through our hobby—that is the true essence of having one.

    Finally, in a chaotic, fast-changing, information-overloaded world, a hobby helps us build a stable sense of identity. Maybe you are “someone who paints.”“someone who runs.”“someone who writies.”“someone who creates.”

    This identity is grounded, self-consistent, and can stay with us for a lifetime.
    People with hobbies are less likely to be overwhelmed by endless information or fall into emptiness, confusion, or anxiety.

    A hobby you can grow in is like a solid anchor—a stable pathway toward meaning. All it needs is your time and passion. A slightly steadier line, a cleaner sound, a smoother run… These small forms of self-generated feedback slowly build us into confident, grounded individuals.

    I hope everyone who is reading this passage can find you own anchor—a hobby you can continue to grow in soon.

  • Why Courage Is More Important Than Skill in Drawing?

    Today, I want to talk about something absolutely crucial in learning how to draw—yet most people completely overlook it. When it comes to drawing, learning to be brave is far more important than learning techniques. Many people think drawing is all about skill, but in reality, art is largely a psychological game.

    Have you ever noticed this?

    You watch countless tutorials, practice technique after technique…and still, your drawing doesn’t improve the way you hoped. You still don’t dare to create boldly. Behind all of this hides one deeply overlooked issue: our fear of the unknown.

    When we sit in front of a blank sheet of paper, we freeze. We panic. We don’t know where to start. Today, I want to show you how to understand this fear—and how to solve it.

    First, “fear of the unknown” is actually a very common psychological response. It’s directly connected to the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for emotions and danger detection. When we face something unfamiliar, unpredictable, or out of our control, the amygdala activates and throws us into a “run away” mode—even when there is no real danger at all.

    In short: we fear things whose outcomes we cannot predict or control.

    In drawing, this fear shows up in many ways:

    You don’t dare start.
    You worry you’ll ruin the page.
    You avoid drawing at all.
    You chase perfection and feel crushed when your art doesn’t match your expectations.

    All of this has nothing to do with skill. It’s a psychological defense mechanism.

    So—how do we overcome this fear of the unknown?

    The truth is, this isn’t something you can flip like a switch. You overcome it by understanding it, breaking it down, living with it, and slowly weakening its power through small, consistent actions. And this applies not only to drawing, but also to writing, content creation, and any creative field.

    Here are three ways to begin:

    Number 1. Start with action.

    Don’t wait until you “feel ready.” You will never feel fully ready. The only thing that defeats your fear is putting down the first line. Once you make the first mark, the second and third will follow. Every beautiful artwork begins as an ugly, messy sketch.

    Number 2. Start with exploration.

    Exploration itself is a form of courage. Try different mediums, themes, colors, and compositions. Many breakthroughs happen by accident—through experimentation. Only by exploring can you turn the unknown into something familiar.

    Number 3, Start with self-compassion.

    Strict education teaches us to avoid mistakes and chase perfection, which turns into self-doubt. From today forward, I want you to practice being kind to yourself. Just because a drawing didn’t turn out well, or a project didn’t succeed, does not mean you lack talent. No one becomes great in a single attempt. It sounds cliché, but it is absolutely true.

    If you feel stuck in your art—or afraid to start anything you truly want to do—it’s not because you are not good enough. It’s because you’re too harsh on yourself, and too afraid of the unknown and the possibility of failure.

    So from today on, give yourself a little more courage.

    I’m Daisy, a storyteller who records and shares art. If you enjoy my content, feel free like, subscribe, and leave a comment. And share with me—how do you deal with fear in your creative process?