Hi. If you have some time, I would like some art advice please. [1] How to get back into art after a really long break and [2] How not to hate your own art/compare yourself to others? (depression aside here, I really want to be able to create games and art without hating myself/my art) -- Thank you, asmolboi
Hey, asmolboi! Thank you for sending these tough questions. These hit right home. ( ･ิ,_ゝ･ิ) For the sake of us struggling with these, I've consulted my grandpa-braincells: "[1] How to get back into art after a really long break"? Sometimes life just gets in the way and that's ok. What helps me to pick up the pen again is to have a specific project in mind that I really want or need to work on. Confronting the work station can be daunting, but it doesn't have to be. It would be nice to make it a place where returning to feels safe and allows oneself to let go.
A tip: Rearranging your desk or wherever you are creative can help make it feel fresh. Changing the circumstances in which you create might help too. It helps me to hang out with friends via Discord or take my sketchbook somewhere away from my desk.
"[2] How not to hate your own art/compare yourself to others?" Hm, the answer depends on how you deal with external feedback and how you view yourself among other creators. My thoughts: Social media makes us think we need to aspire to create or be like what's popular to be liked/relevant. That's not entirely true. It would be boring, if everyone did the same thing. Just like how you are most likely looking for inspiring content to enjoy in your feed, others are too. We only find outstanding things to admire if there are people who are brave enough to be different from the mainstream.
That gets us to style: You can always develop your style into something you feel connected to and proud of by studying topics/art that you personally like best. Do some cherry-picking of the finest things for yourself! :3
If you feel your skills are lacking, there is no way around honing your craft. Instead of panicking over how everything looks wrong, I like to focus on fixing one area at a time. If you make improvements, you will eventually like your work more (and people will compliment the results of your effort). This is a good base for you to feel confident in what you create in the long run.
Ok. This was long and took some time. But it felt very therapeutic for me to write this up and I'm grateful you let me have this thinking session. I wish you the best on your journey as a fellow artist. :)
