Is drawing as easy as pie? To the untrained eye, maybe. But it occurred to me recently that because I can crank out a quick drawing somewhat quickly- I might make it seem as though drawing comes easy. I guess it does but then one also needs to look at the amount of paper & pixels I've gone through in my life to make it look easy. Sure, Michael Jordan can make a free throw but then someone also needs to point out how many countless baskets he shot in the gym training for that moment.
The same can be said for making art. It looks easy (and fun) to some but it's also taken a lot of work to achieve some level of competency. While it might look effortless, it has taken us a lifetime of observation, practice, practice and much much more practice than we care to talk about. For those of us who do it professionally, all of that practice also has to have a resolution and we have to be good enough to get paid for our skills too.
So next time you think some things come pretty easy to people, ask them how many countless hours they've spent practicing their craft.
