[hypnowave]

'cause they'll only know what you let 'em see
and all the things that i know
that your parents don't
they don't care like i do

hi hello i am finally back with an art piece,, wheezes
this isn't plot relevant art or anything, i just needed a warmup.
light vent/ramble incoming, i just need to get things off my chest haha

i feel like i'm struggling a lot with my art lately; i've always kept the mindset that i draw primarily for myself and that i shouldn't push myself to improve beyond a natural pace. trying to do too many ambitious pieces or understand the fundamentals of art usually stresses me out and i tend to self-deprecate as a result. on the other hand, i feel like i'm not going anywhere with my work and that i'm betraying myself by not striving to improve and optimize how i draw. what takes me 3 hours can take other artists 45 minutes. that's not to say i'm antagonizing other artists, especially not when i want to learn from them!!

i just tend to put a ton of pressure on myself. i want to allow myself to simply enjoy my work, because i'm a hobbyist and not working towards being a professional (especially since i'm already under stress from uni and whatnot). i hate being stuck in this rut sgdnsfdhsdf

ref

[VampireReaper]

*big virtual hugs*

It takes you the time it takes you , improve at your pace cause rushing it won’t help any . I adore your art and your one of my fave artists . Like I love your style so so much and honestly I like seeing your art pop up in my feed all the time . Work at your pace for you cause that’s the best thing you can do . If it takes you longer that’s fine cause that’s what works for you . In the words of Oscar Wilde “be yourself everyone else is already taken”

[fika.]

god your art is amazing.

sometimes when you're in a rut, you just need to ride it out. don't view yourself as the villain here. sometimes the things we enjoyed no longer serve us that joy. reminisce back to what got you started in art. make pinterest boards of art you love. find your inspiration again. nothing is a race. you do this because you love this. it's easy to say "don't put pressure on yourself" so i'm not actually going to say it. putting pressure on yourself is what allows you to grow as a person. embrace it. but, the important thing is to not beat yourself up over it. set yourself realistic pressure. i totally believe in you!! <3

[Silver Pandorica]

Wow, I love this!! Honestly, I understand exactly how you're feeling. I feel the same way about my art, especially about comparing yourself to other artists. Just remember that everyone goes at their own pace, and that it's okay to struggle! That's the only way you can get better, after all. If you find yourself getting super frustrated with a piece, put it down and walk away for a bit. Clear your head and come back to it with a fresh perspective. And even though you might not see it, you are improving. I'm not sure if this would help you or not, but sometimes it helps me to go back and look at my drawings from a few months or a couple years ago. It reminds me that even though I feel like I've been going nowhere, I've still come a long way.
Your art is awesome rey, and it always puts a smile on my face to see it in my notifications. I can tell you really love your characters, and you always come up with such cool ideas! You're honestly a huge inspiration and a joy to myself and many others. Don't pressure yourself! I know, easier said than done. But you're strong and you've got this <33

[wizard teeth]

your worth is not determined by your productivity or output, you are an amazing artist period. ive struggled with this myself,, I'll go dormant for weeks or months and then feel really bad about it, but ive learned that if i want to enjoy art as a hobby i have to be gentle with myself about it! validation from others is nice to hear, but validation from yourself is whats most important. I love seeing your art pop up in my notifications, you got this rey!

[sodafarts]

in a box...,,..,boxed in,,..,,OHHH I GET IT I THINK MAYBE

this is...,.,.,the curse of being an artist dkhakjghsk
since our art is something only we can do, theres a huge weight on our shoulders to improve
bc its like......very individualized n personal, so if i dont improve myself no one can do it for me u know??
our styles n skills n art stuff has taken YEARS to develop, so whether we know it or not were always pushing ourselves
but it gets hard when u see another artist that has something u admire/skill u want
bc then all u see is the finished product, u dont experience the practice n time it took them to develop that
so it feels like theres a deficit i guess?? like "if u can do -this thing- , why cant i?!!"
bc it probably DID take them lots of trial n error, hours of practice, observing other artists, etc to get to what ur seeing now!
so yea i get what u mean about the time thing </3

but at the end of the day where u are now isnt the product of a 45 min vs 6 hr drawing
its all years n months n hours of just.....DOING art n practicing, sketching, doodling, observing, thinking
so its a long process for sure, n it's never really done unless u just straight up quit art which....not allowed <3
try not to psych yourself out!!! your art is AMAZING n is developing literally every day!
right now u can look back art ur art from years ago, n this time next year u can look back at where u are now!
there's sure to be huge differences with both, its just the process <33
the hardest part is that it takes time......like watching water boil makes it seem like it takes longer??
but if u dont scrutinize it as its happening n developing n just keep goin then before u know it u hit ur next goal!! :D

idk....if that made sense rey im sorry for dumping askjhdgk
MORAL OF THE STORY......you arent holding yourself back, everything takes time, n a ton of artists myself included DEFINITELY can relate with this aksjhddksj <333 ily

[OHHAILTHECHOOKOFLIFE]

Hey dont be so hard on yourself okay?

I am also just drawing for my own pleasure, and often think I'm not improving and compare what I draw to others. I especially understand what takes me 3 hours can take another artist 45 minutes. I spend so much time on my drawings, sometimes to end up thinking it's not good enough to post. There's so much I feel like I need to learn which I don't know how to tackle yet, and honestly am scared. I promise you aren't the only one who feels this way.

Sometimes drawing can give more pressure than pleasure. However, do remember that drawing can give us joy too. Like when you finish a piece you are really proud of, the boost in mood can be unreplaceable

Just draw what you want, when you want. Because we will support seeing you as an artist grow. Use the pressure you feel and take it as a drive to overcome it. I know you can get past this, and the serval other artists who are stuck in the same hole :'D

[hypnowave]

not gonna quote since there are some pretty long responses here but,, i appreciate y'all's comments so much, aaa :"0c

@DemonReaper gosh, thank you,, i know i've said it a couple times but it really does mean a lot to me that you enjoy my work so much! 💙 i've always improved the most when i don't actually worry about the process as i go through it, so i'll try not to forget that fact as i continue to be the best version of myself i can be.

@fika. YOU'RE SO SWEET AAAA?? i'm honestly amazed by how you're able to tell just what to say to someone... "don't view yourself as the villain here" really got to me, i tend to see myself as an obstacle getting in the way of improving at a rate that's much higher than what i can feasibly achieve. it's hard not to view it as a race sometimes, especially now that i've been drawing for a decent chunk of my life, but i guess that's why it's all the more important to continue reinforcing the idea that i'm doing this for myself to make me happy, haha. thank you so much for the kind words and support, it means the world to me 💙

@Silver Pandorica hey, thank you SO much for mentioning the whole "looking back and old drawings" thing!! i decided to pick up mspaint again since i usually use it to sketch without the pressure of having to make art that performs well like on oekaki. i got to scroll through a bunch of doodles from around september of last year and i'm honestly pretty amazed by the improvement there. i suppose finished pieces are a little harder to compare because i go through so much work refining them; with lazy doodles, the difference is clear as day! the pen feels a lot more comfortable in my grip now.
tangent aside, i'm so happy i could inspire you!! thank you so so much again for your words aaa 💙

@priimordiial i can definitely relate to that - i feel like university is going to pull me away for a decent amount of time and that does pain me, but i have to remember that sometimes taking a break and going through a mental "hard reset" of sorts can be a good thing, haha. thank you so much! 💙 i'll do my best to keep in mind that while i do enjoy external validation, my main goal always was and always will be to do whatever makes me happy

@sodafarts CAN I JUST SAY SOMETHING ABT THE WAY UR LIKE "BOXED IN.... I THINK I GET IT........." REALLY MADE ME LAUGH HEHE. i literally love that entire infodump so MUCH im glad you could get ur thoughts out dawg. i can't believe i genuinely forgot that art is more than just the amount of time needed to draw it, but also all the years of practice that precede it..... i mean i always use that as a counterpoint whenever people complain abt commissioners underpricing artists and whatnot but somehow when it comes to myself i just FORGET IT ENTIRELY?? wheezes. thats why i cant rly deal with art platforms like instagram LMAO its so curated and u only see the best of people's works and it makes me feel very incompetent because i see my imperfections but not theirs. waaaa
I JUST GOTTA LIKE... rewire my brain to not WORRY so much and just strap in and enjoy the ride bc thats when my improvement rate goes off the charts lmao. constantly pushing myself to do cool and dynamic stuff without giving a damn about whether or not it'll even LOOK GOOD in the end!! aaaaa!! dammit soda ily and ur art and ur everything so much thank u for ur ted talk mwah

@OHHAILTHECHOOKOFLIFE it's so, SO incredibly reassuring and validating to hear that from you - i really look up to your work and the amount of detail, flair and personality that goes into your pieces just blows me away 💙 you're definitely right in saying that the sense of accomplishment upon finishing an art piece is unlike anything else - it always feels so good to look back and go "omg i made this!!" because nothing in the world can replace it.
i wish you the best of luck in overcoming the things you struggle with as well! thank you so, so much friendo ;D;