In this episode of The War with Art, we welcome painter Eric J. Drummond — a figurative artist trained in classical realism at the Florence Academy of Art.Eric builds his work slowly and deliberately, committed to beauty, discipline, and craft in a culture that often rewards speed and noise. He also happens to be the teacher of our own co-host, Eric Vedder — which makes this conversation personal as well as philosophical.We talk about what it actually looks like to begin a day in the studio — the rituals, the warmups, the sharpening of pencils and clearing of distractions — and why starting is often the hardest part of any creative practice.From there, the conversation moves into deeper territory:The tension between tradition and innovationFollowing rules vs breaking themWhen technique becomes a cageWhy your weaknesses might actually become your voiceEric reflects on his time studying in Florence, the insecurity of leaving that world behind, and a pivotal piece of advice he received: your weaknesses will become your strengths.We explore what that means across disciplines — painting, music, writing — and why the very flaws you try to correct may be the thing that makes your work singular.This is Part 1 of a three-part conversation.Stay tuned for Part 2.Timestamps00:09 — Introducing Eric J. Drummond 02:05 — What starting a studio day really looks like 03:09 — The hardest part: beginning 04:25 — Blocking in, bravery, and not getting precious 06:11 — Writing equivalents and creative rituals 08:54 — The sacred side of routine and warming up 12:28 — Discipline, the gym, and incremental growth 14:59 — Classical realism and the tension of rules 17:08 — “Your weaknesses will become your strengths” 18:43 — Flaws as style: Tolkien, Pontormo, and vulnerability 21:53 — Control, improvisation, and creative fear 25:23 — Tradition vs pushing the needle forward 27:04 — Moving beyond imitation