Learning to Unlearn

I've been experimenting with abstract paintings. It is something I both love, and have found ridiculously challenging all at once! I think this is because I have to 'unlearn' a lot of things. Things that I got taught at art school, as well as the expectations from others and myself, that have built up over the years. I have to unlearn that realism is the 'ultimate artistic skill'. I have to unlearn the comments from many people that claim 'their toddler could have painted that', (but they didn't did they now Gerald, so shush). I have to unlearn the inner voice that compares my learning of a new style, to the masters of it that I see held up as shining examples..... Yes Picasso is a freaking genius, but I'm just a chick at home trying something new with paint, and that's jolly well ok too! We're not going to be good at everything we try, but mastering a skill shouldn't be the only reason to try anything new. I can be a crap abstract painter, but I'm learning something new and enjoying it in the process, and that is definitely worth celebrating and learning! So I'm off to unlearn more well meant, but ultimately annoying hindrances to me -maybe- becoming good at abstracts, but definitely having fun in the meantime.