# Confessions, rants, vents, fears of the Artists



## JoetheBull

I am 32 and still can't draw any original characters I have thought up. I can draw still scenes from a cartoon very well, but that seems to be my limit. Sometimes I don't think I will ever improve no matter how much drawing I do. I have a hard time getting myself to practice drawing because of overwhelming self doubt, frustration, feeling like I am wasting my time with a childish pursuit that is possibly I am too old to attempt anymore, and that I have been beating a dead horse for more than a decade.


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## Aya the Abysswalker

I don't see myself as an artist even though I draw.


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## Narcissus

People tell me my art is cool and great and whatnot and are suprised why it's not what I make for a living
oh well
Have you guys ever seen yourself buying anything from me? Or are you always waiting for a special opportunity like birthday etc. to get a gift-ish drawing for free? 
People with money, declaring their appreciation, then saying the price I wanna charge is too high (even when I try to come up with a fairly "friendly" one)
If you don't like it, please spend 5 hours working on your piece and then try to sell it for 10 $, how will you feel and do you think you can make a living with this?


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## Narcissus

Enfpleasantly said:


> I was offered constructive criticism on one of my pieces recently, which I openly welcomed. After he gave his opinion, I was left thinking...what is right and what is wrong in art? Is there even such a thing?
> 
> My style in usually expressionism mixed with impressionism and bits of realism from time to time. The man who offered feedback was talking about a piece that bordered on the line of impressionism and realism. He said he wasn't sure which it was and then it dawned on him that I was going for that. Wouldn't that just be my style and that's that? Instead, he said I need to make it more obvious...either make it obviously realism or obviously impressionism, otherwise it seems like it might not be intentional. I took in his input and considered it, then looked at my painting and thought "no, this painting is exactly the way I needed it to come out".
> 
> This leaves me with the nagging question: Do I just keep doing what I do, sticking to my untainted style, or do I change it to fit certain styles of art? I know the answer that works for me. I will keep doing my thing because it's the only way I feel absolutely genuine in my art. Thoughts?


It's obvious people will have different opinions so you better stick with yours if you look at your own work and think it's exactly the way it should be. Heh... I attend some additional art classes and since I'm one of the more 'advanced' people there (not that I'm really great but there are many people who have just done the first painting in their life) I am often asked if I can tell them what I would do next (I dunno, maybe they feel to shy to ask the tutor?), and I always tell them "do whatever _you_ think is right and see if it works. If it doesn't, you'll try something else the next time you come here. See for yourself what's good and what's not, this is _your_ art!" because, you know, you can't please _everybody_. Personally, I think there is no objective right and wrong in art.

Btw. Was the person who offered you advice an 'art-savvy' one, like critic or teacher? Asking outta curiosity.


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## Macrosapien

my only frustration is that I just don't know how to get my art out there on a larger scale. it boggles my mind, but at the sametime, I have not truly tried to, others attempt to encourage me to do things, but I never do it. I am trying now.


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## leigha

Art has always been my thing. I've always loved drawing, I'm known as the artsy girl, I used to do extraordinarily well in art class without even trying at all. Except there's one problem — I'm beginning to loath it. I can't bring myself to do any drawing or art work outside of doodling during class. When I get inspired to do something, I immediately start feeling guilty for not doing a piece related to my school work instead, which squashes my drive instantly. 

Choosing art as a school subject is most likely my biggest regret right now. I need to have 6 pieces finished in a little more than three weeks and I have zero completed. Zero. I have plans, but I'm holding back from doing the final pieces because I feel unprepared, and the perfectionist side of me doesn't see the point of starting if I know they're just going to be horrible. It's my biggest source of stress right now, and honestly the thought of picking up a paintbrush makes me want to stab myself with it. I hate it _so fucking much_, and I really don't know what to do about it.


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## Macrosapien

callmeleigha said:


> Art has always been my thing. I've always loved drawing, I'm known as the artsy girl, I used to do extraordinarily well in art class without even trying at all. Except there's one problem — I'm beginning to loath it. I can't bring myself to do any drawing or art work outside of doodling during class. When I get inspired to do something, I immediately start feeling guilty for not doing a piece related to my school work instead, which squashes my drive instantly.
> 
> Choosing art as a school subject is most likely my biggest regret right now. I need to have 6 pieces finished in a little more than three weeks and I have zero completed. Zero. I have plans, but I'm holding back from doing the final pieces because I feel unprepared, and the perfectionist side of me doesn't see the point of starting if I know they're just going to be horrible. It's my biggest source of stress right now, and honestly the thought of picking up a paintbrush makes me want to stab myself with it. I hate it _so fucking much_, and I really don't know what to do about it.


whoa. have no expectation. that sort of takes the fun out of it. just feel the colors, probably you should just mix some paint together for a while, and get s a sense of the beautiful nature of mixing colors, it's like alchemy. just mix colors together, different spectrums, and feel the color, really feel it -- think of when you were a kid, and colored with crayons, painted with cheap watercolor. Then we didn't have such expectations. I'm only writing this because your frustration, I can feel it through the text. Breathe deeply, let it be fun.


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## Macrosapien

Enfpleasantly said:


> I was offered constructive criticism on one of my pieces recently, which I openly welcomed. After he gave his opinion, I was left thinking...what is right and what is wrong in art? Is there even such a thing?
> 
> My style in usually expressionism mixed with impressionism and bits of realism from time to time. The man who offered feedback was talking about a piece that bordered on the line of impressionism and realism. He said he wasn't sure which it was and then it dawned on him that I was going for that. Wouldn't that just be my style and that's that? Instead, he said I need to make it more obvious...either make it obviously realism or obviously impressionism, otherwise it seems like it might not be intentional. I took in his input and considered it, then looked at my painting and thought "no, this painting is exactly the way I needed it to come out".
> 
> This leaves me with the nagging question: Do I just keep doing what I do, sticking to my untainted style, or do I change it to fit certain styles of art? I know the answer that works for me. I will keep doing my thing because it's the only way I feel absolutely genuine in my art. Thoughts?


I've been there. few years back I was in the process of doing a piece, which before, a person who has 60+ years of experience told me that she liked it. when I worked on it more and brought it to her, she utterly destroyed it with words. Said it was bad, basically told me I should just throw it away, that it was a failure and move on to something else, as that is not art. It was the worst possible criticism, horrible. I was so deflated. She didnt even express what I could do to make it better, just throw it away. But she is this way, as she is very arrogant in her own work. She wanted me to paint things the way she does, she felt I wasnt free enough, etc. 

Imo, you should keep on doing what you are doing, while being mindful of his advice, as no advice given to help, should be tossed to the side. All because you are mindful of it, doesn't mean you have to follow it. At least he didn't try to destroy your piece with verbal insults, but you know what you want, and your direction is your direction. Sometimes I hate the rules people set up, the categories.. what they think an artist is... its why I call myself an Allegorist, it fits better, as I dont want to do typical art, its not why I paint, and if I could only do typical art, I would no longer do it. So, as the saying goes, "To thine self be true."


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## d e c a d e n t

It's been months since I thought of picking up drawing again, but I'm still struggling to find the motivation to start. :crying:


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## leigha

LookingGlass said:


> whoa. have no expectation. that sort of takes the fun out of it. just feel the colors, probably you should just mix some paint together for a while, and get s a sense of the beautiful nature of mixing colors, it's like alchemy. just mix colors together, different spectrums, and feel the color, really feel it -- think of when you were a kid, and colored with crayons, painted with cheap watercolor. Then we didn't have such expectations. I'm only writing this because your frustration, I can feel it through the text. Breathe deeply, let it be fun.


I want it to be fun, believe me. I wish I could just mess around and make pretty things and experiment, but I literally can't.

I chose art (along with 7 other subjects) at the beginning of the last school year to do for a really important exam, which is in May. On top of the exam, we also have these project things called school based assessments for some subjects, and for the art one I need to choose a theme and make a journal on it (which has to include 10 sample pieces, an interview of an artist, critiques on their work, and tons of other shit), and I also have to do 6 pieces. Oh, we also had to choose 2 expressive forms — I chose painting and graphic design. I originally chose painting and drawing, but the drawings had to be from observation and that didn't quite work with my theme, so I stupidly changed it to graphic design, which I've never been as passionate about but chose because it made the most practical sense. I chose a theme to do with the local culture, because the examiners like stuff like that. Another stupid mistake, because now that I'm actually doing the work I'm realizing that I don't even _like_ the theme that much. So now I'm stuck with an expressive form and theme that I don't even like that much, but it's too late to change them so I just need to force myself to do the work. It's the opposite of inspiring, hence my frustration and growing hatred for the subject altogether.

I don't know. Maybe when it's over I'll be able to enjoy it again, but right now it's just a source of stress for me. Thanks for the response, though, and sorry for the long rant. I know I sound melodramatic as hell haha. Bear with me.


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## hal0hal0

callmeleigha said:


> I chose art (along with 7 other subjects) at the beginning of the last school year to do for a really important exam, which is in May. On top of the exam, we also have these project things called school based assessments for some subjects, and for the art one I need to choose a theme and make a journal on it (which has to include 10 sample pieces, an interview of an artist, critiques on their work, and tons of other shit), and I also have to do 6 pieces. Oh, we also had to choose 2 expressive forms — I chose painting and graphic design. I originally chose painting and drawing, but the drawings had to be from observation and that didn't quite work with my theme, so I stupidly changed it to graphic design, which I've never been as passionate about but chose because it made the most practical sense. I chose a theme to do with the local culture, because the examiners like stuff like that. Another stupid mistake, because now that I'm actually doing the work I'm realizing that I don't even _like_ the theme that much. So now I'm stuck with an expressive form and theme that I don't even like that much, but it's too late to change them so I just need to force myself to do the work. It's the opposite of inspiring, hence my frustration and growing hatred for the subject altogether.


Hey you. Sorry to hear about all that. It sounds overwhelming and I can relate to what it's like to be doing something that doesn't speak to you, plus with deadlines and a checklist of things you have to tick off. Now, I don't know what the requirements are for all these things, nor can I tell you what to do or what will work, but I can at least toss out a couple of ideas and observations; see if they help. I'm also going to mention @mimesis because he might have some advice for you as well (he usually has something to say about just about anything, at any rate ) and he's got more experience in the art scene itself (I'm in healthcare of all things, and while I can definitely identify with a lot of your frustrations, a variety of perspectives and someone closer to your field can be helpful).


You mentioned perfectionism earlier. How is this a barrier for you? Do you have a idealization of how you want things to turn out and is the fear of it not turning out the way you want what's creating a mental block? Do you view the grass as greener on the other side (i.e., "if only I had picked this theme instead or if only I had chosen this medium instead")? I think Fi-doms in general are prone to desiring a fulfillment of ideals or idealization of their passions, to the point that they can be very hard on themselves, so I think letting go of that perfectionism can be very beneficial to IXFPs.
RE: Having fun. I don't always agree with that, TBH. Not with *forcing *yourself to have fun if you just don't feel like it, at any rate. False positivity is meh, kinda overrated, how people always tell you to "just think positive." If you are pissed and frustrated, well then, BE pissed and frustrated. If you can channel that energy into your work, it's at least a starting point. These processes are very often iterative.
Tough shit. <<< OK, sort of a jackass way of putting it so I apologize for that, but sometimes, work is work. Period. There are times where you just have to tough through it. Even in the arts, entertainment, etc.. I have to prepare a patient case presentation in the next 2 days for a disease state I've barely heard of, in a career path that really wasn't my choice to begin with. There are a thousand things I'd rather be doing. TBH, I'm kinda jealous that you've chosen a path where self-expression IS possible (in another life, I would've been a journalist or a english professor), because in healthcare, there's even less chance to show off your individuality.
So what. If it's not perfect or what you ideally want in the here and now, so what. If it doesn't turn out how you want, so what. You still have to put in the work, but are your expectations holding you back? If circumstances are imperfect, will it kill you? Will it be the end of the world?
Do you get trapped in your head? If so, why is that?
Practical advice: It sounds like you have a bajillion things to complete. Just take baby steps and don't bite off more than you can chew. Focus on one thing, like say, that interview or just one portfolio piece and say hey, I'm just gonna focus on this one thing for now, get SOMETHING down. Don't think about all the things you have to do, just focus on that one. And if that one thing is still overwhelming, then hell, do half of it. Get it down to where you can say: Hey, I can manage doing that. It's not a lot, but it's something.
Don't worry about getting it right the first time or all the time. It's that perfectionist streak once again. Even if it's total garbage, get something down. It is so much easier to edit or refine an existing bit of work than it is to totally start from scratch.










And... I'm just thinking, but is there any way for you to channel that frustration into your work? I'm not sure what goes into the grading, how strict they are, what they are looking for, etc.. Self-reflexivity and self-referencing are very often times a good starting point... they get the juices flowing, I've found. For instance, we used to have these writing activities where the goal was simply to write without stopping, and the purpose was to get the creative juices flowing. It is very often times that initial momentum that is the hardest to push past (although... it depends. Sometimes you just gotta whip yourself, LOL).


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## mimesis

@_callmeleigha_

For graphic art you could discuss sleeve design...(I give some examples of 80s and 90s but then again, that's where you may score some points with your teachers, for whom it may be more familiar :tongue: )

Vaughan Oliver (4AD Label, Cocteau Twins, Dead can Dance, Pixies)
4AD week - Vaughan Oliver discusses the sleeve art of 4AD / In Depth // Drowned In Sound
Vaughan Oliver's favourite 4AD artwork – The 4AD Records designer shares his favourite album covers – Time Out Music















Peter Saville (Factory Label, Joy Division, New Order)
Sleeve designed by Peter Saville v.1.6.5










Tomato Design (Underworld)
Tomato. Applied Art & Design


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## knife

Trying to make it ...

Literally the only things anybody's ever paid me to do since I got out of college are write stuff and lift boxes (often in refrigerators!) So by this point I'm pretty much giving up on vanilla societal advancement -- the only thing trying to follow that chasm-infested optical illusion of a straight broad path has left me with are _more _bills that I can't really pay. Still, people are paying me to report stuff.

So I report stuff.

Trouble is, people don't pay me _enough_ to report stuff. I need to find more people to pay me to report stuff, and more stuff to report. People don't realize how much research goes into writing. Or how draining interviews are. They are work, you know.

I was reading Terry Pratchett's _A Slip of the Keyboard_ the other day, and in it he has this essay about Neil Gaiman (you know, that guy who wrote _The Sandman_, _American Gods_, etc.). So the first time they met was in the mid-80s when Pterry was just getting started, having had success with the very early Discworld novels, and Gaiman was a freelance journalist who had, and I more-or-less quote, "that sallow face of someone living off the chicken wings at media functions" ... Just try. Try to do your own thing ... :dry:


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## leigha

hal0hal0 said:


> Hey you. Sorry to hear about all that. It sounds overwhelming and I can relate to what it's like to be doing something that doesn't speak to you, plus with deadlines and a checklist of things you have to tick off. Now, I don't know what the requirements are for all these things, nor can I tell you what to do or what will work, but I can at least toss out a couple of ideas and observations; see if they help. I'm also going to mention @mimesis because he might have some advice for you as well (he usually has something to say about just about anything, at any rate ) and he's got more experience in the art scene itself (I'm in healthcare of all things, and while I can definitely identify with a lot of your frustrations, a variety of perspectives and someone closer to your field can be helpful).
> 
> 
> You mentioned perfectionism earlier. How is this a barrier for you? Do you have a idealization of how you want things to turn out and is the fear of it not turning out the way you want what's creating a mental block? Do you view the grass as greener on the other side (i.e., "if only I had picked this theme instead or if only I had chosen this medium instead")? I think Fi-doms in general are prone to desiring a fulfillment of ideals or idealization of their passions, to the point that they can be very hard on themselves, so I think letting go of that perfectionism can be very beneficial to IXFPs.
> RE: Having fun. I don't always agree with that, TBH. Not with *forcing *yourself to have fun if you just don't feel like it, at any rate. False positivity is meh, kinda overrated, how people always tell you to "just think positive." If you are pissed and frustrated, well then, BE pissed and frustrated. If you can channel that energy into your work, it's at least a starting point. These processes are very often iterative.
> Tough shit. <<< OK, sort of a jackass way of putting it so I apologize for that, but sometimes, work is work. Period. There are times where you just have to tough through it. Even in the arts, entertainment, etc.. I have to prepare a patient case presentation in the next 2 days for a disease state I've barely heard of, in a career path that really wasn't my choice to begin with. There are a thousand things I'd rather be doing. TBH, I'm kinda jealous that you've chosen a path where self-expression IS possible (in another life, I would've been a journalist or a english professor), because in healthcare, there's even less chance to show off your individuality.
> So what. If it's not perfect or what you ideally want in the here and now, so what. If it doesn't turn out how you want, so what. You still have to put in the work, but are your expectations holding you back? If circumstances are imperfect, will it kill you? Will it be the end of the world?


I'm used to my completed work being of a certain standard, and I feel like it's expected to be of a certain standard (especially compared to some of the others in my class' work), so that pressure is discouraging. And I know that I should ignore everyone else's expectations and not compare myself to others or whatever (although I kind of need to, since art is marked on a curve), but that's just what I'm feeling right now.

To be honest, part of me regrets choosing a path where self-expression and being creative on demand is necessary. I'm jealous of people that excel at subjects like math and science because they're so impersonal, and it's so much easier to access that part of the brain when you're stressed out, in my opinion. I think by now I've decided that visual arts really isn't a field I want to go into. I may change my mind once I can just do it for fun again, but right now I really don't see myself pursuing it as a career. 



> Practical advice: It sounds like you have a bajillion things to complete. Just take baby steps and don't bite off more than you can chew. Focus on one thing, like say, that interview or just one portfolio piece and say hey, I'm just gonna focus on this one thing for now, get SOMETHING down. Don't think about all the things you have to do, just focus on that one. And if that one thing is still overwhelming, then hell, do half of it. Get it down to where you can say: Hey, I can manage doing that. It's not a lot, but it's something.


See, I've been trying the "take it one step at a time" and "if that one thing is overwhelming then just do half of it" thing, which is how I've ended up with a million plans and almost no completed pieces. That's my problem right now.



> And... I'm just thinking, but is there any way for you to channel that frustration into your work? I'm not sure what goes into the grading, how strict they are, what they are looking for, etc.. Self-reflexivity and self-referencing are very often times a good starting point... they get the juices flowing, I've found. For instance, we used to have these writing activities where the goal was simply to write without stopping, and the purpose was to get the creative juices flowing. It is very often times that initial momentum that is the hardest to push past (although... it depends. Sometimes you just gotta whip yourself, LOL).


Honestly, no. The theme I chose really doesn't leave much room for me to be personal, and I've never been very good at doing that either way. I've never used art as an escape or a way to get my emotions out like a lot of people do. Writing and music, maybe. Art has always just been about having fun and making pretty things. If that makes sense. I don't know. It's not that I'm not passionate about it, but it's not, and has never been an emotional outlet for me.

Thanks for your response, though. I came in here just to get it off my chest, but I appreciate the advice.


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## leigha

@mimesis thanks for the references! I'll look into them. I'm not sure if I'll be able to use them for school, but they seem useful either way.


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## Mutant Hive Queen

I have times when my inspiration is just totally gone, and I can't motivate myself to make anything...

I hate that I have them. That I have to pull myself back. It's really kind of horrible.


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## leigha

Honestly my artistic process at this point is just a lot of crying.


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## knife

Right now I'm wondering if I need pain to create. If I'll kill myself artistically by becoming comfortable.


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## Brian1

If I want porn, I know where to get it. I'm just sick of competing for artistic attention, with the "artistic nudes", on deviantart.


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## Fleetfoot

I can't really deny it anymore, as much as I try. I am an artist.

I don't think I ever wanted to be an artist, but everyone says I should be.Maybe it's because I take opportunities to draw, which I enjoy doing. And then bam. Everyone's in shock and awe, saying "Where did this come from?! I didn't know you were so talented!" Even going through art school, people were incredibly impressed with my talents, and sad to see me drop out. 

It's almost like I'm afraid. Over the past several years I started putting my self-worth based on monetary gain and financial worth, and knowing the stigma of "starving artist", that basically puts my self-esteem at "worthless". 


Maybe it's because I try and take too much merit in DeviantArt likes and social media, which seems to be an art in of itself getting yourself out there. If I don't get enough likes, it's probably shit art, right? Why bother? Social media merit = Cash nowadays. 

But from all the feedback I get from people who do see it, maybe I could succeed financially. And enjoy the work I do. I can't know until I try though, right?


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## Coburn

#notanartist


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## leigha

After attempting to use acrylics to do a piece for the first time in over a year (and for what I'm 96% may have literally been the second time in my life from what I can remember) I've realized that I don't know how to use it properly and I've run out of time to learn. So I'm just going to have to start over completely in watercolour, which I know will be ten times less painful and stressful for me in the long run, but also kind of makes me want to rip my face off, considering the fact that I have exactly 3 days left to finish 4 paintings.


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## Brian1

I'm trying to enter a contest about the color Red. One of the ideas is heat. I started out trying to do love, without it being pornographic. That was hard. So, I fell back on a Pink Floyd theme in Pompeii. I wanted to show lava destruction, boiling lava, I casually threw red paint, in the middle. Then I painted two hearts one on the left, and one on the right, and the long strip of red paint is in the middle. It looks like a phallus. And I threw in a rendition of Mt. Vesuvius. I threw an early rendition with just the phallus penetrating a large sun. Pink Floyd sang the song Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun. As it so happens, Pompeii was celebrating the Vulcanlia festival, for their crops the day before the eruption. Vulcan fertilizes the crops, and, is a symbol of male fertility. This was all stuff I learned after the paint was down on the canvas, and it started out extremely surrealistically. So, I'm learning an awful lot about male fertility and, Roman Religion. 

When I put the painting facebook, the people who liked are women friends of mine. Jokes aside, the penis, the sun, the heart, give life, and helps it to be born. Pompeii, is a symbol of death, and, destruction. So, there's themes of birth, death and decay, and the people who made Pompeii famous again, are Pink Floyd, and they made Dark Side of the Moon, which is about those themes.


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## Katanatsu

I guess one of the main things I'm afraid about my own work is that sometimes I worry about what other people think, rather than myself. For example, I might leave a tab open on a button that submits the work. Like ... what if I accidentally make someone angry or offend someone? I don't really want people to hate me. However ... I guess the main feeling I fear is the feeling that nobody cares about your work. It's happened countless times that I've shown a friend a piece of work, and all they do is shrug it off and continue on with whatever they're doing. It hurts a lot knowing that even your own friends don't even bother saying a word about something you put so much effort into ...


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## Kaspara

Late-Night Confession: I hate it that I can never enjoy my work as much as my clients/collectors. All they see is the cleverly cobbled-together image, not the shining, crystalline perfection that remains locked inside my mind.

--Kas


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## Macrosapien

I'm really bothered right now, frustrated, and sort of mad at myself. I use my computer for references, not to copy, but just to get an idea of what somethings like look, so as to create my own in my work, by that I am referring to scenery, the life of a snake, etc This is only for coloring, which would be my own, but just to see the life of something. but my motherboard burned out. And I decided to just upgrade everything, build it myself. but I am all afraid to spend money, but I have like 8k in the bank. I dont understand myself sometimes. i just dont get it, and i want to cry LOL. its been a long time, and i really want to work on the piece i was doing and bring it to completion.


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## Coburn

Advice needed: sent a script I wrote to an old friend who wants to potentially produce it (it's a short). 

She went ahead and re-wrote about 70% of the script. Most of the changes are not good. They drag the narrative down in trivial plot devices aimed to create false tension.

Any recommendations on how to present this to her?

Note, she's an INFJ. Is normally a very good storyteller, but her work on this is just...bland. Below her normal caliber of work.

Also, I am under the understanding that this is a collaborative effort (since I would help produce), so it's not like I sold it to her and she has full rights. I have an equal say, but I want to be fair to her.

Basically, I have a feeling she's going to have a hurt ego over this...even though it was originally my script and she had no problem telling me how much she enjoyed re-writing it.

I'd like to be professional, but her changes are sub-par as narrative visual storytelling goes. 


Ugh.


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## Macrosapien

I think I need to change my avatar its really bothering me.. makes me want to paint so bad.


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## Arzazar Szubrasznikarazar

One thing I hate on DeviantArt, a thing that happens more and more often are people who fav works only to get attention. They fav anything they see. So insulting.


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## Jamie.Ether

I love art but I hate the art world. I'm becoming incredibly disillusioned. 
The scarcity of authenticity and originality is overwhelmingly scary.


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## Notus Asphodelus

If you want authenticity, work for yourself. Make your own work at your own time instead of being pushed around by your employer.


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## Macrosapien

LuvGen said:


> If you want authenticity, work for yourself. Make your own work at your own time instead of being pushed around by your employer.


i WISH i had an employer to push me around, as long as I was doing art... as my main career. /cries


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## Derse Dreamer

Nothing in art is original, it is the same ideas + principles blended to make something slightly different. Or at least that's what my artist sister says to me. Hm. :?


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## Mr. Svante

I see sadness as my strongest motivator.


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## Arzazar Szubrasznikarazar

I'm starting to think that free art is cancer. Why should people enjoy art for free when we can't enjoy food, computers, etc. for free?


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## Arzazar Szubrasznikarazar

Had a nasty run in with a Polish T-shirt, mug and stuff printing company.

I made two sample orders from them and both were defective. A cup had a large spot that wasn't covered with paint. They agreed to send me another one but haven't so far.

A bag, according to the online preview was supposed to look like this:
http://i.imgur.com/zOIAL8l.jpg

What they actually made was this:
http://i.imgur.com/LRCT1dem.png

The colours look faded. They don't have machines for high quality printing but they present it as if they were able to print with high quality colours. Also, they do a lot of marketing bullshit like talking writing special letters about how it's printed especially for the receiving person and how one should wear it with care and pride and other bullshit.
Such people make me sick. They are cancer of society.

I complained about the quality of printing and they dared to claim that it was printed correctly! Disgusting scum.

It completely ruined my mood as I have planned to do local promotion in my city but I have no company to actually manufacture and sell my stuff. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU...


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## TTIOTBSAL

If there is a fear in anything I do, and in particular artistically, large term, it's that I can't do better, can't go beyond, and improve, and that even more as a being and surroundings, than technically.


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## untested methods

That "oh thank _goodness_" moment when you finally come up with a title that isn't obviously half-assed.

Also:


> Response times will vary. We read every single submission that adheres to the guidelines. If you are one of those writers that can't stop checking your inbox for the verdict (and which kind of writer isn't like this?), perhaps you can find some consolation in the fact that the later we reply, the more we like your work and want to mull it over. Sometimes we might reply as late as one week before release if decisions are tough.


I guess every day in June I don't hear back is good news... right? Right?


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## Macrosapien

i colored the snake somewhat in my piece, but I am trying to figure out how i want to proceed with the color, which is ridiculous, because I can't figure this out, and I know this is only going to waste time. I just need to work... if i put the brush to the canvas, it will do it all by itself. something in me knows, which my analytical mind gets in the way of.


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## Surreal Snake

Haiku Voltaire

Our wretched species
How they prey 
Voltaire


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