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I want some encouragement.


Odyssey

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(edited)

I'm not going to stick around here for too long, but I really want your guy's help -- what can I do to stop treating my own art like it's garbage?

 

I've been bullied a lot in general, but one thing that has been happening more recently is that people are making fun of me for the stuff I draw. Usually I would ignore this, but groups of people have been doing stuff like reposting my work without my permission and talking about why it's bad. Meanwhile, I see other artists who use similar techniques as me, and they get all of the love and the praise. Not that I'm saying that I'm a better artist than them, but I only mention this because stuff like this happens to me far too often. Pretty much whatever I do will screw up for me very badly.

 

Not only this, but I also have a really, really bad habit of comparing myself to other artists. I want to be like artists that I love, but the problem is that I never push my boundaries and learn new things. I still feel like my art is the same as it was in 2012.

 

So with all of that said, what do you think? I could really use the encouraging words, because the more people bully me the more I don't even want to make art anymore.

Edited by Odyssey
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You really ought to look at your earliest work, like take a long hard look at them. You'll see how far you've come. No matter how crap you think your art is, it is YOUR art, no one else can do that. Styles can often be similar and I personally think popularity boosts it even if someone else is doing the same thing :/ you could perfect your own style, it is yours and yours alone.  I mean I haven't done too well with my art myself but it's always good to reflect on your own achievements without any external input. Comparing yourself to others is really bad for morale, I do that too. I think these lines from Desiderata sums it up quite nicely:

 

'If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.'
 
Just keep you head with you and soldier on :)
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(edited)

Don't worry, I do the same thing to myself. I compare my art to a lot of other amazing artists and hope that one day I'll be as talented as them.

 

Don't worry, you just need to remember that you have to go at your own pace. Everything takes time and practice. I know that it sounds so boring and you may not be patient enough to take your time, but trust me. It took me three years to almost perfect my own pony style.

 

You'll get better with more time and practice, I promise! Just remind yourself every day. c:

Edited by Mettaton EX
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i've seen your art my friend and its beautiful<3

 

i had the same issue than you until i saw that there is no such thing as bad art because art is appreciated by the viewer and everyone has their different standards that a piece should meet before its good but i seen that its better when you draw  for yourself and not because of other people  art is  a way of expressing yourself and the way you express yourself is never really bad because it is your way of expressing yourslef 

 

the thing that is most important is that you ask yourself why you draw the art do you draw because you like drawing or do you draw because you want to be like the others who you admire and force yourself to try and draw the way they do i think its important that  you enjoy drawing in general and dont need to force anything in the process and if someone still doesnt like your drawing then its their problem and its better not listen them at all

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Heya @Odyssey!

 

It really sucks about the bullying deal, and the overly negative criticism you've been handed. :rarity: I know that kind of crud can be hugely discouraging, and I don't think you deserve any of it. I'm a believer in that stuff of that overly-condemning sort isn't worth listening to--maybe the more valid criticisms, but only if it can help you find the underlying ways you could improve; harping on issues or just straight up insulting someone's art tends to not be the helpful or meaningful type. Regardless, believe me when I say even the more amazing artists can have noticeable flaws in their work, and the only things that really matter are getting better and finding a way to enjoy/use what you can do right now.

 

...Pretty much everyone is guilty of comparing themselves to other artists, but some are more vehement about it than others. :please: I still sometimes come across a few artists here and there that I don't believe I could ever match, and young artists in the 14-17 year old range that put my work to shame and make me wonder why I'm even taking art seriously when they're around, haha. However, it's one of those things that I think people need to find a balance with. If you didn't compare your work with others, you'd lose your ability to find inspiration or learning cues. :grin: However, if you compare it too much, you can lose sight of the merits of your own work, and grow to dislike it. Too little, and you might go on believing your work is the best thing ever when it has really glaring issues that turn people away. It's one of those moderation things, sadly, and being modest about your art doesn't require you to hold it up to the harshest lights of comparison.

 

Anyways, umm... I will say that trying new things and stepping outside of your artistic comfort zone is very good for improvement. As is looking at other people's works for pointers and ideas of how to improve your own art. I know this makes it easier to look at the flaws of your own work, but if you go in with the mindset that improvement and experimentation (and fun!) takes priority over quality, you should be in pretty decent shape no matter the result. Personally, I've found my peace with things (mostly) by accepting my ability has limits, and I am firmly in the amateur level. :adorkable: All the amazing art I see around that would make me feel bad about what I can do, I try to relegate at something I could do one day. Right now, I can't, and that's fine. Instead, I look at what I can do with what I have, and really, that's quite a bit of useful stuff. I can create character designs, convey a little life to said characters, play with random ideas, study anatomy, and create a bunch of interesting-to-look-at sketches of various things. Heck, I can make people happy by doing art for them--that's been one of my strongest motivators for years. So long as I can make a project for my art, or find some way to use it that I like... I can't really feel bad about it in the same way. Though, that hasn't stopped me from taking months at a time off from art in the past, and being down on it sometimes. Comes with the territory I suppose.

 

Anyways. I think you're a great artist from what I remember of your work, and I think the best thing you can do right now is find out what you enjoy about doing art, or at least some fun way to use it. Whatever that is. :rarity: And, you may want to better convince yourself that your art doesn't need to be amazing to be well worth the time doing. Heck, I envy a few people I know for being able to just create freely, with little to no concern whether what they do has a point or not, or if it looks great at the end; they just have fun doing it or playing with new ideas, and well, that's something I wish I could do often, haha. Why not browse around and find a few things that just sound fun to play with, regardless of whether it turns out well or has a purpose? Or, maybe an interesting project you want to do for yourself, rather than for other people?

 

Good luck, all the same. Other people here and I will be here if you ever need to talk about anything~

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  • 4 weeks later...

My advice- Keep on drawing. You will get better with time. Don't post too much stuff until you are satisfied with your finished work.

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  • 2 months later...

I only have a phone available at the moment, so please understand that my reply is pretty short.

 

1. Try to push your boundaries, even if it seems uncomfortable. A failed attempt is better than no attempt and especially with creating art, you often have to try and try and try.

 

2. Comparing yourself to other artists is generally a good thing if handled correctly. Try to focus on a part of their work you admire, small aspects, and ask yourself whether you could take inspiration from that or create something similar.

 

3. The number of Upvotes, favourites, reblogs or whatever do not necessarily represent quality and shouldn't be a main goal.

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