We all used to draw as kids. It was easy back then, no matter if you used color pencils, a stick, or your finger on a steamy window. But even then you might have noticed that some children drew better than you. Not that you knew what "better" meant-all you knew was the sweetness of praise. Whenever you heard someone else being praised, and your own work ignored, you felt worse and worse. Eventually, you gave up on drawing. Why would you continue if nobody cared?Now, whatever the reason, you want to come back, but it seems so scary. Those children who never gave up are working as professionals now, and their art looks almost magical. How could you possibly bridge that gap? Will you ever catch up on them?The answer is, nobody knows. But it's not them you should be catching up on. There's your dream about you drawing what you want, in any style you want, without being constantly critiqued for your mistakes. That "future you" should be your ideal, because becoming as good as him or her is what depends on you, not the skill/determination of others.Once you set your future self as your point of reference, you'll be constantly progressing. Being better than yesterday is your goal. Doesn't it sound more possible than becoming as good as someone else in no time? If you agree with me, join me in this great quest. I won't show you how to draw-you wouldn't even want that! Instead, I'll show you how to learn to draw. I'll lead you through four big stages that you'll reach at your own pace.This is stage one. If you've wondered how to start after such a long break, here you'll find the answer. I'll present a set of exercises for absolute beginners-some of them you may find obvious, but it will only mean you're a bit more advanced than you thought! Ready?When you decide to learn something, the right attitude is far more important than all the textbooks in the world. I've already given you one piece of advice-compare your skills to your future self, not to others. There are more, so read this part carefully before starting the exercises.Perfection Doesn't ExistWhen you set up your goal, it may look completely plausible. "This is me today, and this is me when I reach the goal," that's what you imagine. There's a certain way to go between these two points, and it seems like something you can do. However, you miss one important point-your needs change with you.Today it may seem so amazing to be able to draw a stick figure, but only because you can't do it yet. Once you reach your goal, it loses its power and you're looking for something else, something stronger. You can't want what you already have. That's why you may whine that you can't draw a stick figure as if it were some worthy skill, and someone who can draw a stick figure whines that they can't draw a real human.There is no point where you'll be good enough. That's how we're constructed, so just accept it. You'll never think of your skills: "I'm a great artist and I don't need to learn anything else, I just do it for fun at this point." It's not going to happen! There will always be something you can't do, something that would complete you... and once you get it, that new thing opens your eyes to a new world of things yet to learnIf there is a way to be perfect, it's to stop trying. You must understand that no matter how good you are at drawing, it will not make you a better, more valuable person than you are now. It's also true from the other side-no matter how bad you are at drawing, it doesn't make you less worthy. This brings us to another point: Do It for Yoursel