why most art motivation tips don't work (and which ones changed my life)

[@EthanBecker70]

hey baby, did Ife's father have a point in the intro? Has a loved one told you, "you can't make it as an artist"? Did it crush your baby heart?

[@ivanastefankova1332]

Hii

[@ivanastefankova1332]

How u doin

[@Ktheperson]

Yeah I remember telling my parents when I was younger I wanted to make comics and they told me that I wouldn't be successful with it and that I should focus on getting a "normal" career. It sucked to hear that and I didn't draw for a while until I got back into it.

[@moonchild6469]

My dad just told me today that he would be proud of me if I were to become a doctor but I am dead set on becoming an artist no matter what. But yes, it did hurt a little when he said that I would not be able to make it as an artist.

[@doctordavid264]

I haven't had that situation since I've never considered drawing as a professional. I feel like the bar is way too up. I like drawing but I will study informatics since it's more "stable". I get artblocked a lot and looking at my skills rn, I just don't see myself with a good enough level to consider the chance of living out of art.

[@feraltuft]

That last part about showing your art to only the right people, really hit me in the feels thank you for that

[@EthanBecker70]

oh yea, that can really destroy my motivation

[@agamasraf9247]

@@EthanBecker70 Couldn't agree more, and again, sooo important point

[@repeekyraidcero]

Yes. I realized yesterday, that sometimes I draw things for "myself". Not for you, not for them, but cause I want to see that image or animation being made. Satisfying

[@EggleBear]

Yeah my mum was a fine artist / fashion student drop out. I’m more a character design / illustrator she doesn’t appreciate the artists I like (apart from classic Art nouveau artists) I wish I didn’t share my art with her because it’s always demotivating but I guess I do it to see if she actually gets impressed one day. 💔

[@nevbo]

Same here!

[@popcorn_showers]

I used to be motivated by the approval and acclaim of others. Then when it inevitably stopped coming I went through a lengthy period of just feeling drained. It was only when It became hammered through the dense layers of my skull that I found; huh, artists aren't being stupid when they say you have to love drawing for it's sake alone that I was able to learn to fall in love with art

[@dallleekah4035]

I also think that by getting your motivation through others' praise, you lose your own artistic desires, or at least shift them to meet other people's; basically you start making art that would make them happy, but art is and will always remain a medium of self-expression. I'm glad to hear you're learning to love art now, though. Keep making awesome stuff!

[@popcorn_showers]

@@dallleekah4035 That is quite true and thank you

[@tlanca]

I'm going through a similar thing with dance (competitive). Initially the compliments were coming through as I rose up fast, but I'm at a point now where I'm consistently a fun and good high level dancer, and though I keep improving, the compliments come even less. How did you hammer it in? Was there a breaking point where you started hammering? Did you change what you were looking for in the mean time or did you put love of the craft first and blocked out the other subtracting stimuli? Really any insight on your story would be vastly helpful.

[@pivotalpancake5454]

@@tlanca Yeah, I was wondering too

[@popcorn_showers]

​@@tlanca Thank you, it wasn't entirely a conscious effort that I ended up realizing. It was really that I just ended up putting in less and less effort into practice proportionate to how much people seemed to appreciate it less and less. You could say the motivation to draw and the lack of attention were inversely proportional. That dopamine hit was no longer coming. It then took self introspection for me to be honest with myself that I'd been mixing up the priorities. I realized that no matter how much you are praised it would never be enough. I realized that using art as a outlet to feel appreciated meant I would always want more and never be satisfied. It also meant I had to learn to be comfortable with myself as a person first, not to try and find value through the quality of my work. That's basically the process I went through to really begin to appreciate the craft for it's sake. I think its high school to blame really, at least in my case. At my school teachers drilled it into us that you are only worth anything so long as your grades are good and so long as your test scores are high. So i guess I carried that mentality into everything I did. Challenge is, in life there aren't really any teachers to coddle you and plaster a stickers on your forehead

[@kappathefish7171]

I love these newer videos where you get more artists on to talk about their different perspectives, it's so interesting seeing the wide range of artists out there. Being an artist with ADHD, motivation and commitment has been one of the biggest hurdles for me, and I'm still trying to tackle it, but I'm definitely taking the advice in this video, especially the "5 minutes a day". I don't want anything to hold me back.

[@averyholmes6286]

hey I’m in the same boat! We got this, never let the dream die❤️‍🔥

[@SapphireRavenmoon]

I'm the same, the ADHD artist struggles are real

[@constellation3164]

same here with ADHD!!!

[@taelisa_w]

Time Stamps: 1. Clear Steps 0:44 2. Realistic Goals 1:34 3. Draw Rough 2:30 4. Compare Wisely 2:55 5. Live (Touch Grass) 3:28 6. Breathe Art 4:28 7. 5-minute Work Day 4:56 8. Blueprint 5:47 9. Switch it up 8:00 10. Tell your story 8:26 11. (Bonus) Be Kanye 9:33

[@-S.L.]

Thank you!

[@zaisempai7267]

Thank you peep!

[@ecak6124]

I keep touching grass I still didnt get motivation

[@Silencer796]

@@ecak6124 eat it!!!!

[@grandisonarts182]

Meet Shawna Mills when she came to my community college for a small convention. I was an immigrant, and I wasn't sure if I was good enough to be an artist. She looked through my sketchbook and told me I was more than good enough when no one had ever said that to me before, and that changed everything for me. I'm so happy she's in this video. She's such a talented artist.

[@Gwenobbie]

I get the hurt about the ideas being received coldly. It's so sad that we can't share stuff telepathically! Nothing you pitch have weight... Only actual content you created to show it will conveys emotions and interest people.

[@rockon8174]

Yes. That is the point. Visuals communicate faster than words.

[@repeekyraidcero]

Music and Images can convey what language can never reach.

[@ivanav.3136]

i think the point of "having a good pitch" is for marketing purposes and industry standard. the producers/studio/people who want to fund & make your project with you need to know what and who they're working with. they need to know this project has a beginning and an end, a trajectory. it also helps them to know eho you are as a person, that you know what you want to create using concrete words & examples, and that you're very passionate with the project which can influence the others you'll be working with. another thing is mindset & pocessgwise, it's easier to make something simple (your pitch) to something complex (eg. expanded world building, lore, etc). with a simple pitch, artists & non-artists can project and imagine anything about your project, hence boosting interest for your project and more ideas to be created for it. obviously "super simple" is too vague, but simple to an extent is what i mean. it's there for a reason. more efficient & faster to use words than doing all the work of how many hours to create visuals & concept art; but unless the art is already there then ofc all the more helpful for your pitch to get greenlit.

[@nbucwa6621]

@@ivanav.3136 I also want to point out that pitching is not about weather you have a good idea but whether you have a sellable idea. Just because your idea isn't sellable doesn't mean that it's not good and vice versa. Creatives need to be careful not to get demotivated by being rejected during pitches. Its's not a true reflection of your work tbh.

[@bloodnessx]

Hence the praise that exist: actions speaks louder than words

[@29928]

the legend has returned, and with advice for the children, really appreciate this take care! :D

[@AxxLAfriku]

HELP MY!!! My muscles are too big! I am a big tall man and my muscles are even BIGGER! I use them to get views but they HURT so much!!! Because they are heavy. Do you have any advice, dear jerr

[@eevton5734]

@@AxxLAfriku bro you really even spam in Ethan Becker's comment section?

[@BigArch752]

The last of what Ethan said hit me hard, it's hard to get people to see the true nature of a big story unless it's shown but it still depends on the person. I tell myself to do better and the result will show but I don't overly push my limits subconsciously cause that leads to stress, anxiety, etc

[@matthewengland1321]

I’ve always wanted to write a fantasy comic series, but I have this problem where I come up with a story, intending to make it simple with short updates, but somehow while it’s sitting in my head, it turns into a large-scale epic fantasy adventure with deep lore and dozens of characters and it suddenly becomes really intimidating to commit to writing and drawing. I just can’t help myself.

[@lilowhitney8614]

That's a familiar issue. Try making a small comic about a moment or a backstory from it. It's a way to test the viability of the ideas as well as practice getting stuff finished.

[@studioalsar]

This is why I love this channel! Getting down to the facts. My father would mock me for "playing around on photoshop". I'm a multimedia editor now. I pay the freaking bills with my skills. And about the motivation part I totally agree with the blueprint and planning part! I literally wrote the whole story down (60pages on word) and then scribbled the comic pages small and see if it works. I let rest a bit and go over it. I have cut out and added so much and I'm so glad I did! I wouldn't be able to do that if I had done it, ya know, all complete. Now I'm just going through the motions to work on each page and it feels like a reward whenever I have one finished and my hubs peeks over my shoulder his eyes shining going yesss. He had read the story itself a dozen times but he stresses that seeing it, the expressions and all just makes it so different. I know my artistic skills are far from where I want them to be but I see myself improving. I'll need years to get the story done but I feel confident about it. :D Long story short: I love you guys, thank you for your insight!

[@user-xn3rs7tu5w]

This is so beautiful it could almost bring me to tears. I’m 15, I have a lot of goals in mind and I really want to make my own graphic novel in the future. I’m working towards it everyday, seeing someone actually fulfill something like this even just through writing is serious motivation. I wish you luck stranger, you’re awesome

[@studioalsar]

@@user-xn3rs7tu5w you too dear fellow artist! Don't ever stop pursuing your dream. I stopped coz adult life but I got back on track. You go girl/gal!

[@user-xn3rs7tu5w]

@@studioalsar 😁❤️

[@yinssleepydiaries380]

Thank you sm! This really motivated me for my comic :)))

[@Axiasart]

I have to say, listening to all your recent videos about animation really makes me think that my ideas can be realised and are worth showing

[@studioalsar]

that 5 minute part especially. Just go for it! If you never start, you'll never know if it's gonna hit the right spot

[@harleyquinn7708]

I’ve definitely had loved ones tell me I can’t make it as an artist or just not understand a project I’m explaining. Which hurts. In my lil baby heart. But something I’ve been trying to get better at is self motivation. I’ll definitely be putting these tips into practice 👍

[@em8625]

Yo this is so full circle. The fact that I worked with Shawna before (she ended up becoming a secret idol of mine) and seeing her on the KZbin channel of one of my favorite creators! My worlds are colliding and I love it!

[@ChrisArtsTube]

That be Kanye section hit hard. I been in PJC since August '23, and I took like a 2.5 month break and I'm just getting back into classes again, because I felt like I couldn't get my story verbalized and my boards weren't yet refelcting my vision but I know eventually it would. So I felt like I had to scrap the story I had just to go back into rewrites and replan the enitre thing all over again. So hearing Ethan talk about that, I related to it directly because I felt like the student he was talking about, I know how that feels. Very validating. BTW PJC is great! it is exactly the challenge I was hoping for and gives me perspective other than just my own. It forces me to ask questions I wouldn't normally think about, on my own.

[@giovannigiorgio831]

The part about living is so true. Some of my best ideas have come to me when I was doing other things. It’s always when I’m trying to make ideas happen when my mind goes blank.

[@weeabooper]

The right people to share ideas thing is soooooo true. I joined a discord where I could explain this wacky idea I had without too much expedition or backstory and the reaction I got to it was so gratifying that I instantly got to work on it! I think it's a matter of wanting to be understood and knowing that there's someone else out there who would love to see your ideas

[@M0ssP1glet]

A penny for your thoughts: what do you do when you sit down, full of ideas and motivation everything planned out as smoothly as possible, you look down at your canvas, and your mind suddenly, instantly goes blank. I've heard a number of things for what causes it and how I need to "just get over" that hump and draw any little thing I can, but it gets so frustrating and I always find myself going back to my outlines over and over again (because planning is easier than finishing). Is it really as simple as "just draw?"

[@smelly4498]

it depends. in my experience, sometimes just starting to draw and taking off the pressure to make something special or unique or perfect lets me get into a state where i can create something i like. other times, your mind and body just aren’t in it that day. i usually try for 15-30 minutes to get myself going, but it’s also okay to give yourself a break and come back to it another time. it’s kind of like controlling a steam. you can’t force the water to stop flowing, but you can redirect it. and sometimes, the stream dries up, and that’s okay too. as long as you enjoy the process of creating, you’re doing it right :)

[@-kurow-7113]

That's what thumbnails are for.

[@pivotalpancake5454]

This actually happens to me, even when taking my exams! I study a lot of times, do some sample problems, but when the day finally comes, I still have a hard time answering and focusing.

[@ChandrewsArt]

Doing a little reference study as a warm-up helps me. And honestly, my drawings turn out better after giving myself time to warm up anyways.

[@elliart7432]

The "five minute work day" is so good for adhd, cause with task paralysis it can make drawing feel like this huge terrible chore, so it's nice for things with a genuine deadline to be like "just do _something,_ don't over think it, just _progress._ "

[@zephaniahdejene1746]

Yeah that part about being so creative you can't put your ideas into words hit me like a train Cuz it's something that most people watching theses videos have been through, it's crazy.

[@IronPunkVids]

Ethan it so right. I start for a 30 min goal. Next thing I know, it's mid night

[@sodaghozt]

This video helped me so much. I now realize that i need to fall in love with my art again, and not solely depend on likes for motivation, as it's ruined me creatively. I'm now on a better journey. Thank you

[@darkhourse123]

Love the video, Everyone talks about certain struggles that I myself have been through trying to create new stories and new art. So it's nice to hear that other professionals have this problem and they have solutions to help guide themselves through getting the work they want. I really do appreciate you posting these videos and getting every artist experience with dealing with motivation and art block And how to overcome. it's really helpful, can't thank you enough. keep up the good work!

[@_n0ns0_]

I’m happy that someone from Nigeria made it on here, that just makes me smile That’s Adrian btw

[@livixsart]

as someone currently studying art, trying to be a professional storyteller, this helped so much. i've been losing motivation a lot comparing myself to other people and focusing so much on having a good end product, i forget how important the foundation work is. i need to remember to just take the time i need because everyone is at a different place artistically. your point about sharing your work with other people hit close to home too. i feel like i'm constantly thinking of new story ideas and it really does hurt when the excitement of sharing it isn't reciprocated. but that doesn't mean it's not a good idea.

[@SideBurns]

love this, I definitely regret telling ppl some of my ideas, bc it doesn’t always capture whats in my head.

[@JadyLester]

True, you've got to know who to show your work to. I get lots of "Yeah, that's cool." Even "Wow you're so talented" can feel discouraging, because it doesn't inform me about my own work at all.

[@shatteredscry]

This video floored me! I've been dealt some 'wild' motivation. My parents were so-so in the sense of motivating yet criticizing; which is a pretty fine line. Then there were friends and OTHER ARTISTS who were lackluster when I would fantasize about my future improvements. They would talk me down and say I would never reach those levels! And my partner has the 'thats cool' response. I've felt surrounded by so much weird motivation haha! I got to a point where I had to decipher how I felt about my art in the past few years. It has improved dramatically

[@jodyangel]

Thank you for the motivational talk. I started learning how to use Blender and getting back into 3D modeling, I noticed influencing me in my drawings as well. I’m seeing my characters and environment more like a 3D model. I’m definitely allowing myself to have fun.

[@agamasraf9247]

Showing your work to the right person is such an amazing point!!! It can totally kill my motivation and bring me down to a point where I don't believe in myself at all. The video made me understand who I can actually show my art to❤️ This art baby is so lucky to have you Ethan! You help me with motivation and for me it's the world ❤️

[@DilweedStudios]

"The right people to share with" I think this changed my whole world. Whenever I show my irl friends what I'm working on, they don't criticize it, but what I hate is that they don't like my style. I think you only have respect from people who know what you do.

[@queen_ch3rry]

Too true! When I show people what I really LOVE to do (cartoons and character design), they kind of just nod, and then say "that's nice but make sure you show them your real art" (the total realistic I USED to do). Yet other people who understand my preferred style give me the love and support that truly matters. It's unfair to deem what is "real art" and what isn't simply because someone doesn't understand a changed style and artistic point of view

[@DilweedStudios]

@@queen_ch3rry Dang, that reminds me of my friends who think video game music is not "real music" haha. Honestly at this point we just use it as a joke, but sometimes it still hurts. I feel you, it's hard knowing you shouldn't feel bad about it but you just do.

[@icywalrus4906]

I would like a 1 hour version of this please.

[@imberrysandy]

i was feeling burnt out this week, and i was trying to find pep talk videos this video came out at the right time 🙏🏽 ty

[@primax5503]

1:04 Love the way he holds the microphone knife lmaoo

[@SavageSlayer888]

This video helps me figure out stuff internally. It’s so relatable

[@melon0637]

I like reading and i learn a lot from reading, like different point of views, personalities, etc. And something i got from reading was, be your own friend. Have an inner friend that'll say "Hey, that's not shitty its actually decent." Or "Yo this is great, i like this a lot" Be nice to urself :)

[@pandemoniumonwheels6522]

The way they talk about their students is what I only hope to hear from my teachers and honestly it super uplifting.

[@rockwall_]

Like the vibes here but the intro was a masterpiece. Why are the 14 people in the comment section rn not talking about this.

[@B09B]

Thank you so much athan an amazing and quality video as always I’ve been waiting since your last one

[@brohofied2561]

The moment someone says to me "wow you draw?, nice" "that's cute" when they see my drawings the moment i understand they don't give a crap about it and i should not even waste my time showing them my works cause the only thing that can came out of their mouth is "do you draw people? can you draw me?" and my answer will be "FU@K NO I CAN'T" XD I have no motivation to reach any goal anymore, i failed the goal i set to myself and i don't even know if i want it by now, my only motivation is to keep doing one of the only things that makes me feel as myself, drawing...not good enough for a pro? well fine :)

[@highlyquestionable9802]

yeah i feel like when you show your works to non-artists they tend to be real dismissive, which is understandable of course but it just brutally kills any motivation and self-esteem one has as an artist. i generally avoid doing that for that reason.

[@siddiqsmouse5004]

Literal just introduced you to my friends yesterday and you upload today!! Awesome!

[@sweettea666]

This video kinda hit me deep.. and I don't think the information is new, I just only internalized it now

[@erixoliver]

He always know what and when to post something... Thanks for the much needed advices!

[@queen_ch3rry]

I really can't say enough how valid your last point was about sharing art to the right people. The whole part about "people wanting to keep you down in their muck" is SO relatable and what I've been going through for a while with someone I've actually considered a friend Whenever I share my art online, they not only typically ignore it (no likes, comments, shares, etc) but they also throw excessive praise on my peers which I have to see because we're in the same circle. The worst just this week was when I shared something I was very proud of, they entirely ignored it, yet my other friend posted and they went on and on about how "inspiring" and "I wish I was as good as you" when realistically I've been busting my ass learning and am safely on par with the "inspiring" artist While I excel in one part of my art and my friend, some other part, they believe I am "maybe" as good as them. Not only that, they asked me to do a paintover on one of their pieces, so they could understand how I'd do it but passed it off as "gross" when I shared what I'd do. Then don't ask what "I" would do, because I just showed you! I feel like this is some form of jealousy. They seriously can demotivate me a lot because of their toxic, odd way of dealing with things, which makes it even worse that many people in our fandom think they're incredible in spit of their at times destructive-to-others attitude

[@OluwadamilolaAkinayo]

Ifesinachi with his Martin Luther moment,so glad you proved your father wrong. You made him proud with them little pictures and not by becoming a doctor. Great intro,I felt that. Your storyboards here and on Instagram are inspiring as always. You doing good and repping Naija. Keep up the good work...👍🏾👏🏾🔥

[@daisycarbonell]

ah, man, I feel like tearing up watching this. it's so easy to feel lost and confused if you're even "doing it right" or if you'll even get to where you want, and it's honestly scary as fuck. this helped. thank you.

[@alma-wi]

THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU to ALL of you - and to MR. ETHAN for putting all this together. Before, I watched a Proko Video, which in this case was a mistake. Watching Proko's "best drawing exercises - Asking Pros" made me feel like I haven't learnt NOTHING SO FAR! Most of the mentioned exercises must be great for a PRO, but me, well, it shattered my hope to EVER master the basics. I do draw quite nicely (on paper) but I have never learnt the basics. At the age of 50y., after giving up ... lets say "very bad habits", after stepping back into society again, having decided agains sleeping rough and all, I tryed DRAWING - and was sooooo surprised, that unlike the last time I had tried, this time I could suddenly do stuff like copying THE mona-lisa painting (in pencil) etc.. BUT I DO NOT know how to CONSTRUCT a PROPER face or head! AND NOW, after watching YOUR video here, I got my confidence back again, and believe in myself again ... - MERCI THANKYOU GRAZIE Dank vielmals

[@Starkyrie]

I really relate to Ife's Father-son story and what slows down/ kills his motivation. Also what you said at the end about the vulnerability and fragility of sharing your ideas with others. Two things that get me through blocks/ doubt. 1. - my animation tutor said "a frame shouldnt look like a masterpiece because its gonna be there for less than a second and then its gone" and 2, No matter how much I think i suck, my passion and stubborness keeps me drawing. Right now I just do conversational animatics so I try to polish them up the best i can because theyre simple. But in the near future Id love to push my limits and do a great fight scene. And blueprints will help me with that. I would love to join your class Ethan - i dont know if this is just an excuse or not, but I find taking classes in the US difficult. Im on/ was on Steve Blums voice acting class but trying to manage working with others at 2am with housemates and neighbours was difficult! Thank you for sharing this video. Its great to see the vulnerability of people in the industry as it humanises you and doesnt make you Gods. Each one of your friends and yourself are relatable, despite our levels because we all havw something in common. We all fucking love to draw and tell stories. Sorry for the long comment x

[@mysteriouswolven]

This didn't show up in my subscriptions AT ALL it came up 4 days later in my suggestions. UGH. Great video! Sorry for being late to the party,

[@averyholmes6286]

thanks so much for these videos, I love seeing a bunch of different approaches to keeping motivation as an artist. honestly seeing other people going through the same struggles i am and keep pushing through makes me feel way less alone & it’s already lonely enough being an artist. thanks ethan!

[@chinsaraban3465]

Perfect timing lol it’s my birthday.🙏🙏

[@flaminghotflamingonuggets6584]

Happy Birthday

[@EthanBecker70]

i love birth!

[@iyah8272]

i kinda relate to the second one haha and sometimes i feel so burned out :>

[@iyah8272]

but thank you so much for this ur so amazing 💕

[@lararodrigues7483]

This video is giving me a lot of motivation in a time where I'm losing it. I have a really big problem of thinking of a great project but never start it or never finish it, for many reasons(ho I can't do it because my art is shit, ho my story isn't that good anymore, or this is to ambitious for the tiny set of skills I have now). But I recently thought that now is the time to start something, and now I was having the biggest burn out because I what this to be perfect, so much so that I didn't get anything done. This video helped me a lot, thank you so much

[@doctorlatte2515]

Thank you for this video, It made me remember my long term goal for motivation since For a long time i was just focusing on the technical quality of my work for a specific job, rather than telling stories and putting my soul into my work, thank you so much.

[@bobstone8446]

Ife’s journey as an artist resonates with me a lot as someone who is from West Africa! Great work guys!

[@oz_the_archivist]

The "that's cool" bit with Ethan is SO relatable. I hate spending so much time n effort on art only to get such a normal response

[@aleiakim3747]

Thank you so much, Ethan and thank you to all your guest speakers in this video. This got real and honest and you all shared really valuable advice. I love your blend of realism and sarcasm on this channel. :)

[@xXxChamowitaxXx]

this one is a really eye opener, thank you all so much for the advice, much needed :)

[@samanthajeffers9339]

It’s crazy, I’ve been so burnt out lately, and you all uploaded a video about being motivated. Perfect timing

[@julieahn4126]

you know whats just as good as coming up with stories? listening to these stories! :D thank you for the knowledge!

[@annehmbar]

Thank you ethan for gathering all these people and extending your platform to them. It really helps to hear their points of views especially since they're professionals and seem to have the same struggles as us little baby brains :'))

[@lawnmower16]

9:45 Point #11 aged like milk 🤣

[@shinypigeongames]

I'm loving the round table discussion format! 🔪🎙, 🔪🎙, 🔪🎙! Recently I've been trying to be more intentional about connecting with other local artists on a more regular basis, and I've seen so much positive growth through that. So, thank you for showing your community of artists coming together to share their thoughts and to enjoy some good laughs 🖤

[@echomaki9647]

I'm listening to it while drawing , this is so fun to watch , I love you guys

[@nyoom9814]

You're such an amazing resources for what so many people are trying to do. I really appreciate the work you do for our benefit

[@nyoom9814]

love hearing from your friends too

[@Janehaver]

My mentor and co-artists have taught so much about slowing down my process. Super grateful to be in an art studio everyday with people I can bounce ideas off. If you can get involved in a local art scene, try and do it. It has made a such a difference in my art progress.

[@orjiekwechukwunyere5181]

I think this video inspired me to do something grate and work each day.thanks guys.

[@Ridgerian]

10:38 ''you gotta know the right people to share with'' Thank you!

[@CrimsonCoyoteArt]

This may not be the best place to ask, so sorry ^^’ what are your thoughts on the “MAProjects” (stands for Multi Animator Project) here on KZbin? Ex; What are some things hurting the artists in the community? What are some things helping the artists in the community? Are there any specific skills that could come in handy when participating in these projects? Or maybe anything to avoid? Are there any animators in this community that have professional level skill, or *could* have professional level skill? Context in case anybody doesn’t know what a map is: Multi Animator Projects (also sometimes called collaborative animation projects lol) are collaboration projects artists can participate in, usually involving some sort of theme, story, idea, or character. The host(s) or director(s) will post a MAP Call, and the participants can apply/audition to take a part. (Which is just a short clip of the song that they are in charge of animating.) There’s a lot more behind the senes, but that’s the basics of it. Once all the animated clips are done, the host of the project will edit them all together, and post it online! I would *highly* recommend checking out some of the finished projects, they are *beautiful*.

[@MaryArts]

10:15 this! I need someone, I need a team, which is just vibing with me. I tell them my idea, my story, and they get like: Heck yeah, lets do this. Like lets go. But everyone just looks at me and like: yeah, thats what you/we do. It is the same as talking passionatelly about your favourite manga/book/show and the person in front of you just says: yeah that's nice. Or you are just philosophing away with mindblowing ideas and you have no one to join in, like people don't want to waste their time on thoughts that lead to nowhere. Why not just lay on a meadow and fantazising about backbags that can fly you to school? Or a world in which mermaids and intelligent fishs marry each other? For creative people something like this is our life. We need feedback even when it is not something you might pursue further

[@gearmore9923]

A bunch of awesome people giving awesome advice!

[@keller6663]

Really felt that last part my own mom would often throw comments about me working hard just caus she in a low place, this realy make you realize the real and fake people around you

[@lawrencesuzara8073]

IF I DIDN'T STOP MAKING DIGITAL ART 10 YEARS AGO, I WOULD BE A FAMOUS ARTIST BY NOW. Could be a long comment ahead, but hear me out as I hope this short story pierces through every young artist getting demotivated right now. Exactly 13 years ago, I started exploring digital art after watching cgsbgs videos here on KZbin. He does super photo-realistic digital paintings and I really got inspired as a high school student aspiring to be an artist. So I started off with a mouse, carefully observing every speed painting I can watch on KZbin. I would even go as to play and pause videos just to imitate every stroke and line the artist does in the video. I saved up enough lunch money to buy myself an XP-Pen drawing tablet. I was super excited about creating art. I was so addicted and inspired that I was able to digital paint 10 characters in a day. I looked up to ArtGerm, Sakimichan (before she started lewd paintings), TamplierKnight, and Alex Negrea. I would watch their live streams and get involved in Q&A's because I am obsessed with their success as an artist. I wanted to be like them. I was super active in the digital art scene in DeviantArt back then. I even secured commissions and got some praise every time I post art. I even got to mentor two aspiring artists who would always watch my live stream. I would also always join drawing contests even just for some llama rewards. Man, those were the days. But, staying too long at DeviantArt and seeing daily deviations from exceptional artists, you can easily get insecure with the wrong mindset. Back then, my gravest mistake is that I would always compare my artworks with others. I would create something, then I'd look at ArtGerm's work, and I would be heavily demotivated just for the fact that his work is much more beautiful than mine. I would see that Sakimichan gets a ton of favorites and comments while mine would only get 3 to 5 comments per deviation. I would always compare, compare, and compare. I told myself, I've been drawing almost everyday for the past 2 years "why am I still not famous?!". That was my downfall. My insecurities and comparison to others led me to drop the pen and not do any digital art again for the next 10 years. IT WAS MY GREATEST REGRET. Forward to 10 years, I saw a friend of mine on Facebook posting an artwork he did from the year I stopped creating art, and another with an artwork he does now. Man, the artwork he did before was much worse than the artwork I was already creating at that time. Now, he's frequently commissioned by Blizzard and Magic: The Gathering. The only difference between us is that in the last 10 years, HE NEVER STOPPED. I started picking up my pen again, and I find myself relearning stuff that I have already almost mastered before. I was creating better art before than my recent artworks. I looked back from where I was 10 years ago. I remembered that I had frequent commissions, a few people that do not follow me praised my art, and personally, I was actually doing well as an artist. I was just overshadowed by the need to validate my artwork with thousands of likes and attention that's comparable to the works of ArtGerm. The insecurity killed my art journey. I should've compared my artwork to my other artwork and seen how I've progressed. That would have kept me going on. Now, I always ask myself, where would I have been now if I never stopped creating art? I could be living the dream that I have always dreamt of ever since I did my first digital art using a mouse. I WISH I NEVER STOPPED. So, if you're feeling demotivated because you think you're not as good as the others who have already established themselves, just stop that mindset. Think about how far you've come. Don't make the same mistake I did. Keep going forward and appreciate whatever praise you get even if the praise is just coming from yourself. Once you start creating art for your own satisfaction and not for others, you will never tire out from making art.

[@DanWako]

I appreciate the random stickers in random places that keeps popping in and out every 10 sec.

[@bornagain7718]

Following your KZbin journey and all of your advices really changed my perspective on all of the industry. Great video as always keep being you. It's all about the shapes.

[@jankokaludjerovic5503]

Thank you guys for the video. It was what I needed to move out from this depression I felt in by starting to think that I am not good enough. Very good advices that I will start to implementing in my life immediately. Love you all.

[@lance12tt]

I needed this I got. Few stories that’s been in my head for some years now an I’m just starting to learn to let them out, I started with putting it on paper first then got stuck , so now I’m writing out my scenes first and building my story before I draw anything thanks for this video guys thank you

[@kiokik7457]

This was very helpful. Shooting too high and others not seeing what I see really are the two big motivation killers for me. I’ll try smaller projects and be more careful who I share them with during the early idea stages.

[@thesunthrone]

The "5 minutes a day" approach is how I wrote a 140k word draft of a novel over a year. I'd just wake up early before work and sit down for five minutes, just a few words. That was the rule to chalk it up as a daily win. Sometimes I didn't write anything. Most times I wrote much more, and that consistency and lower expectation was what got me going and finishing the whole story, proving myself I can do this monumental thing. And the added benefit of doing it in the morning was that I was thinking about it throughout the whole day, it was always in the back of my mind. Same goes with art, you gotta step away from the canvas because spend too long on something and you stop seeing the flaws - but if you step away and return, you catch the mistakes early.

[@magpie1466]

You and Sinix design man, other KZbinrs go into detail about technique but you and Sinix get me to actually draw!

[@haze7948]

Love this raw uncut

[@xanderholland6086]

My question is, whats the been the most successful way of getting the story out there. I got stories oozing from my pores but doesn't mean anything if I can't find a person to read it.

[@diklonius93]

Ha, so that "I'm not good enough" feeling never goes away, does it? And even at a high level of drawing you still think your work is not good enough, you could do better? Apparently there's no limit to perfection.

[@artofchuks]

Great intro from Ifesinachi! Glad to see you among these greats!

[@dcrbdh]

My day job is a clinician/ mental health therapist. Let's talk anxiety (aka the fight/flight/freeze response). The response is designed to keep you alive during life threatening situations and there are a ton of physical changes that happen to your body as a result. This response is costly on our bodies energy, how costly depends on the degree of stress we are feeling at the time . We lose motivation/energy for things we have/want to do. Struggling with a piece of art? That can take a toll when maybe art is your livelihood, or your constantly comparing yourself to others and telling yourself that you suck. Regaining motivation isn't really about giving yourself a pep talk (depends on how you do it), it's about reducing the role of anxiety in your life and/or changing beliefs we have about ourselves and our art.

[@zanettilla]

I really love what you are making lately, wish you the best luck on everything

[@dziankolack9331]

Thanks for this Ethan. Really nice to hear all these pros opening up.

[@MashedPotatoes690]

I'm currently not making art, but I'm preparing a lot. I'm currently studying a lot of books about past arts to gather inspiration and especially motifs and ways to express certain things. Lets first figure out what I can steal together instead of banging my head at the creative process.

[@JiovaniDivine]

Yo this vid brought me so much peace🙏thank you

[@asteroid1100]

HE CAME BACK we missed you- thank you all for these advices because they were all so important and real. You are all amazing ^^

[@spetsnazmelayu2011]

needed to hear each and every one. cheers, ethan. you have created a wonderful community and energy.

[@WillowRoseArlen]

This was so good! Thank you for sharing this conversation, you've got me so inspired now. 😀

[@alexmangru4946]

The one thing I know in life is if you have a talent any talent but we're talking about art, if you have a hidden talent own it, better it and love it because the opinion of others doesn't matter, it can be positive or negative that's human nature, but at the end of the day be proud of your talents as it's a gift from God.

[@TiagoMonteiroArt]

Thanks, Ethan. I was needing advice like this.

[@Ghost-lt4sf]

I really really needed this. Pretty damn thankful to everyone in this video!

[@Playm4ker]

Ethan you have helped me a lot thanks.

[@DirkvanBoxtel]

You guys are all fucking insanely amazing. Thanks for kicking ass so much and sharing experiences. Helps heaps.

[@wanderingcat308]

Out of all Art tip videos, this actually helps

[@mu4784]

This video makes me feel less alone

[@marketasvobodova5827]

This was actualy so so helpful... guys. Thank you.