Traditionally, artists simply destroy the old stuff that’s not cutting it. Some painters used to scrape/sand down the canvas, and paint a new painting over it. Others would shred it, while others would burn it with fire – something that I figure happened to a few drafts of possible novels, too.
This reminds me of one of my early paintings that my dad got a hold of during a house move that I wasn’t present for. As much as I beg for its return, he won’t give it up. It’s rather bad, and it’s going to be destroyed before he’s even cold in the ground.
The theory being: Never let people see your worst work. Let it be water under the bridge.
As for the motivation, my assumption is that it’s mainly a dissatisfaction with the gap - understanding that improvement is it’s own reward.
My mentor used to tell me that painting will always be a learning process. There is no finish line.
