How Drawing Ruined Everything (But also saved my art career)

[@alexandrawalters8953]

On page 5 of “Art and Fear,” is the quote I repeat the most: “The function of the overwhelming majority of your artwork is simply to teach you how to make the small fraction of your artwork that soars.” I’m glad your video came across my feed, you seem to be a kindred spirit ☮️

[@DannySabraArt]

@@alexandrawalters8953 thanks Alexandra. That’s absolutely true. I think in part this video is me trying to dissect the lessons I’ve been learning from this journey. We’ll see where it takes us shall we! Best wishes to you on yours ❤️☮️

[@sherryrogers426]

Thank you so very much for this video! I have been struggling since I closed my website. I am retired… But I have been struggling with work and wanting to go forth with my art. I recently started acrylic painting again after trying watercolor and just sketching and like you, it was not as fulfilling. I just need to create. And I’m going to find an art club. Thank you so very much. God bless you!

[@DannySabraArt]

@@sherryrogers426 God bless you too and thank you for your comment. I think it’s hard when we work at something and find out it doesn’t fulfill us as we wished. But I’m starting to learn that with those experiences are lessons that can point us in the right direction. And it sounds like you’re going the right way! Keep going!

[@FKAtibbs]

I feel like your issue may centre around intention, I am also going through a similar fork in the road along my art journey - what helps me is asking why I started. Remembering the initial feeling and embracing that as motivation has helped me. I no longer constrain myself to just a single mode of expression either, the important thing is that you are creating. That in itself is a struggle, a means of producing; be it photography, film, music, poetry. I don't turn any opportunity down! Submit yourself to that flow and it will work wonders. Acceptance and blessings brother. 🙏

[@DannySabraArt]

@@FKAtibbs great advice. And that certainly is a question worth pondering. I’m not sure I know why I started. I will give that some thought.

[@ravenlunatic5004]

Thanks for being real and taking the time to share your thoughts about the daily art "thing." I appreciate your ideas, experiences and the different angles I can be looking at to realistically figure out how to accomplish my desired art goals, even if they are only for myself. You have shared lots of real world intentions vs. outcomes and shifting during the process if necessary, all extremely valuable info. Thanks again!

[@DannySabraArt]

@@ravenlunatic5004 you are very kind. Thank you for this. I’m very much figuring it out as I go as well.

[@blubber6044]

I just found this channel at the best time just as I started thinking about giving up on art this video popped up in my feed. Been at this for a year and feel like I have gotten worse at drawing.

[@lustinger]

developing an eye for your own mistakes and being able to evaluate your work more critically is part of getting better. keep going.

[@DannySabraArt]

@@blubber6044 don’t give up! I’ll be honest, year to year I get better at some things and worse at some things and that’s been always shifting around ever since I started on my art journey. I still feel like I have no idea what I’m doing (and I probably don’t haha) but it’s all about the lessons you can learn and experiencing the creativity within yourself and the beauty in the world around you. It’s ok to take a break but don’t quit! In that book I mentioned in the video they say something to the effect that “you can take breaks. Great artists take breaks all the time. But you can only quit once.” Don’t quit.

[@DannySabraArt]

@@lustinger great point. Finding other artists to talk with can also help.

[@pamelasaralliartista]

Carissimo! Che piacere risentirti! 🙂 Non è una cosa da poco portare a termine un progetto che dura per tutto un anno! È un obiettivo grande perché a lungo termine! Complimenti per esserci riuscito! 🙂 È normale che tu adesso ti senta scarico. Chiunque lo sarebbe al posto tuo. È naturale ed umano questo. Il tuo progetto è stato veramente faticoso, lo sarebbe stato per chiunque. Non preoccuparti. Ricaricati. Fai soltanto cose che non ti creano impegni. Vedrai che andrà meglio. L'impegno è sempre gravoso, il piacere invece no. Fai le cose come ti senti e falle con piacere 🙂 Oltre che a sentirti meglio, le farai anche meglio. Se vuoi continuare a dipingere più spesso, avrei qualche idea che potrebbe esserti utile. Per esempio fare un diario, con la pittura. In cui non scrivi con le parole ma con le immagini. I diari sono di tanti tipi. Quelli della giornata, quelli emotivi, quelli dei ricordi, quelli dei sogni ecc... Puoi scegliere un diario che vuoi e poi dipingere su quel tema. Un'altra idea per esempio, è seguire un manuale di pittura. Dipingere gli esercizi che vengono menzionati nel manuale, semplicemente. Puoi fare quello che vuoi basta che ti diverti. Ti auguro un buon inizio! Ciao! 👋🏻

[@DannySabraArt]

È così bello sentirti! E grazie mille per le tue gentili parole e i tuoi cordiali saluti. È sempre bello sentirti! Anche tu mi hai dato dei consigli molto saggi. Non avevo mai considerato l'aspetto artistico del journaling, ma sembra un progetto molto divertente e interessante da perseguire. Mi piace anche l'idea di lavorare sugli esercizi di un altro istruttore, e questo era qualcosa che avrei voluto provare quest'anno, ma non avevo realizzato che potesse benissimo essere un mezzo per riscoprire la gioia di fare arte! Grazie per gli ottimi consigli e per i vostri gentili e generosi commenti. Ti auguro il meglio!

[@pamelasaralliartista]

@DannySabraArt Prego Danny! 🤗 Auguro il meglio anche a te! Buona fortuna per tutto! 🩷👍🏻

[@DannySabraArt]

@@pamelasaralliartista Grazie!😀

[@EarthLab_USk]

In art like in any other task to see some advance we need routines and discipline and that is always hard. Work with other people and have clear objectives everyday may help to keep the routines :)

[@DannySabraArt]

@@EarthLab_USk yes good points! Thank you!

[@KIWImike69]

Danny, I draw daily. Is just drawing out of my imagination considered as “making art”. Thanks. I loved the video.

[@DannySabraArt]

@@KIWImike69 absolutely it is. It is to me! Some people have really high flying ideas of what is and isn’t art. And maybe there are discussions to be had on semantics and specific situations. But I think what you do absolutely is art. Keep going!

[@DannySabraArt]

@@KIWImike69 I think I want to answer this question more in depth in an upcoming video. Watch for a shout out!

[@sujanithtottempudi2991]

I never put any challenge to myself..i just enjoy art

[@DannySabraArt]

@@sujanithtottempudi2991 I feel like I’m going to try this approach for a while and see how it’s different from daily art making.

[@AaaaNinja]

Yeah drawing and doodling isn't very fun but looking at it is fun. I have a lot of fun looking at it, but there's nothing to look at if I don't put in work. Is delayed gratification where the problem comes from? Is it uncertainty? Is it expectation? Was Inktober successful because all of those things were addressed?

[@DannySabraArt]

@@AaaaNinja that’s a really great point. I actually never enjoyed drawing my feet but when I look at some of those pages I actually like seeing a page filled with feet. I also see improvement which I enjoy. I think you hit the nail on the head. It is delayed gratification and expectation. I find the more I eliminate expectation the happier I usually am. I think because I had expectations to finish paintings and do plein air a lot, the pencil sketching felt like a failure. But I’m retrospect, it wasn’t.

[@sujanithtottempudi2991]

I do daily art for 45 min ...whatever gets done ...even a fraction of a painting thats fine...i thoroughly enjoy this time than 4 hr continuous

[@DannySabraArt]

@@sujanithtottempudi2991 that’s a great way to do it!

[@DollfieMew]

I do art as you said .... along with my emotions. My emotions and feeling is the driving factor. If I'm not creative I feel like I'm going crazy inside lol. I don't have to use dicipline or challenges or push myself because it comes naturally. Though I only do it for fun. Not trying to be a professional here. I think if I was determined to develop a lot of technical skill or sell my art that would be a whole different situation.

[@DannySabraArt]

@@DollfieMew I wonder if that has been part of the struggle for me. When I started I had only aspirations to paint for fun. After a while people started asking to buy or advising me to sell. Likewise posting on KZbin makes you feel “professional” even if you aren’t really. And I do sense that selling the little art that I have and also pursuing the push to get more technical skill has probably contributed to a sense of discouragement and a lack of that spark. I’ve thought of maybe painting again and not showing anybody. Or making sure some of my art never shows up online. I’ve also thought of ceasing selling art. This past year I didn’t sell a single work anyway. We will see. But on the other hand the idea of getting to travel to beautiful locations to paint really sounds amazing. Maybe I can still do that without selling. I don’t know. We will see

[@DollfieMew]

@DannySabraArt Either way you choose I hope you find contentment and fulfillment. I also have been having people tell me I should sell what I make. I think they mean well, but they seem confused when I explain that would be not only a massive undertaking but also would defeat my purpose and joy in what I do. I think you have some good ideas there. I have thought of doing sketchbook tours on youtube but I know that's like opening up a whole new world. You would really have to have tough skin I think. And internal boundaries about what your art is really for. For me it's ultimately for myself. Definitely enjoy your practice if you can!

[@DannySabraArt]

@ great advice. Thank you. Sounds like you know your path! Don’t let anyone knock you off it!

[@sujanithtottempudi2991]

Does self critique or critique by others help?

[@DannySabraArt]

@@sujanithtottempudi2991 I would say it hasn’t helped me too much but maybe it could!

[@sujanithtottempudi2991]

At work whenever i have time i sketch and draw only...that helps improve

[@DannySabraArt]

@@sujanithtottempudi2991 it is good to have it handy and be ready to do it whenever you can!

[@aaronncz]

How it ruin so: don’t draw but draw but not that much but more but…. Come on man, we do we need to make videos until we can’t even make decisions and evaluate them.

[@DannySabraArt]

@@aaronncz I’m not sure what you mean my friend 🙂 What I was trying to convey in the video was that My goal was not to draw but I ended up drawing for months. It made me hate drawing and I wanted to quit art. But then a friend pressured me into doing inktober. I didn’t want to do it. I felt even worse. But then completing the challenge made me learn lessons I could apply to my true goal of painting. So in that way I consider that falling into a meaningless sketching routine which I hated and created a sense of meaninglessness was “ruining” things for me. But recontextualizing drawing by doing inktober and seeing how with some Guidelines and reshaping my goals I could apply the lessons I learned there to start painting again and I started to enjoy art again after months of hating it. So in my mind the drawing I did in inktober also helped me not to quit and give up forever. Does that make sense? 🙏👍

[@sujanithtottempudi2991]

Anything in excess is toxic

[@DannySabraArt]

@@sujanithtottempudi2991 that’s also true. I think it’s hard to know where the limit is