How To Tame Artist Envy

[@MDCampbell]

The original post of this video would no longer load, so I am "rebroadcasting" it. For anyone whose seen it, thank you for watching! For those who haven't I sincerely hope you enjoy it! Cheers! ~ Mark

[@britshell]

I'll admit it artist envy is one of my biggest hurdles in art. I feel ignored more often than not. It hurts the most when I see a piece that's not that good get all of love. I start asking myself, what am I doing wrong, is my work just boring what? great video really helped me out.

[@KoriandrOfTheStars]

THIS WAS SPOT ON. When I was younger I had the same little bully. It stemmed from others telling me how my work "wasn't good enough" back then & being compared to someone who's work was "better". I internalised it and their beliefs unfortunately became mine and boy my eyes turned green. Fast forward and I'm finally able to afford good supplies, I practice even more until the dawns; I've snatched Envy's megaphone but she's still there on occasion. I got rid of her for good when I realised the expectations I had for myself weren't really mine, I was trying to be "the best" so others would finally think I was & stop comparing me! My low confidence boosted when I became an admirer of my _own_ work, when I saw value in my own creative style. I had stopped for two years....now I create like crazy again. I began looking to other artists for inspiration and tips and I used to be ashamed because I've never been able to afford school for it, but I believe that's just fine now. I _tell_ artists I look up to them, how great they are and I thank them for sharing. I spread encouragement to others who haven't reached my skill level. Because I was them once too, and I would LOVE to have had someone encourage me instead of feed that dang green eyed monster. 😒😒😒 This comment got too long 😂 Thanks for this video, MD!

[@MDCampbell]

"When I became an admirer of my own work." That's a great line and I'm going to use that in the classroom, to teach students to appreciate their own work! Well said and I think you so much, Koriand'r Of The Stars! I really appreciate your time and valuable words! :)

[@ProtonCannon]

I feel this almost every day and every time I see, someone better or just more successful than me. I feel defeated, destroyed, helpless and lost. I don1t know how one can find inspiration from the work of others, at bets the work of other only reminds me how much I am lacking and how much more I still need to learn, and since I also know learning is never over while I am alive on this world this is just an infinite spiral. I just slowly stopped looking at other people's art especially great artists art because I can't take the pain anymore, I do not want the feeling equivalent of being punched into the dirt and stomped on and laughed at for not working hard enough. Not working as hard as everyone else does.

[@APolice156]

I forgot to note about artist envy. I’m sort of known in the school I work at as being one of the artsy staff. I admit that I have felt envy when I watch some co-workers getting massive accolades for their efforts while I feel like a mushroom in the sunlight. But it has begun to grow for me as I discover that the envy is firstly born from a place of admiration (I respect these people, and love their styles). Secondly, I’m having fun discovering that these people are interesting! They have skills to teach me. As I do for them, should they want to know. Im metaphorically lighting the candles on my 44th birthday cake, and only last week I was finally able to create a caricature of my 16 year old son. It didn’t start out as that, but as in one of your other videos I just watched, I saw it through. It became my son, and I can’t explain how elated I’ve been. It’s been DECADES, and not only that, I MADE my model - you’d think I’d be able to draw him better/sooner. But it took me ages. And by see it through, I managed to create a simple, silly sketch that equates to a monumental milestone for my personal growth. Keep having fun, keep creating. 😉

[@MDCampbell]

"A mushroom in the sunlight." That's a great image and I totally understand it. Artsy-types are often not the loud, boisterous collectors of group accolades, though we desire it as much as those who are. I think the last words in your reply above say it all, forgetting about recognition and such - keep having fun, keep creating. Period. Well said, Andria Police! Thank you! :)

[@Kaotiqua]

I suffer this frequently. I have no trouble admiring and taking inspiration from artists who are of similar skill level, or who surpass me greatly. The trouble I find is that last one- when you see someone else, whose work is genuinely inferior, they've scritched a cartoon in ball point in a lined notebook or something... and it's met with hundreds of likes and praise, while my own, well-considered, fairly technical work is dismissed or ignored. You didn't really address how to overcome that particular inner demon, though you admit it may be the nastiest. Still a pleasure hearing your thoughts, and watching the way that you work!

[@MDCampbell]

Thank you so much, Kaotiqua, I'm grateful for your time watching and your feedback. Yes, yes... the old "scritched cartoon in ball point" trigger. Sometimes, believe it or not, when something out there gets our jammies in a bind, it's best to simply turn away as though we'd never even seen it. This happens to me, even now. When I see people commenting on a poorly executed piece of art saying how "great" it is, I know they're being supportive, but not necessarily honest. Yet, as you suggest, the piece receives outrageous accolades, while the high quality work of others is dismissed. I will never understand how it works, so I just have to keep my opinion to myself and turn away. lol! Cheers! :)

[@PanRokador]

Oh man, I really needed it! I'm a really fresh artist who just recently began drawing again (digitally) after good 8 years and I'm still feeling lost. Art envy is like a parasite of artists and its influencing me horribly, hopefully not making me a toxic artist, but still igniting that burning guilt of not being as good, imaginative or creative like other artists I admire, especially Mahsira who's work was the reason why I broke my art block fee months ago. It was a motivation that shortly after morphed into envy and guilt, but I don't blame him, but myself. Thank you for your video, I believe I've noticed the source of my demon - not enough practice and study - which is choking me, so I can begin working on it! Again, thank you!

[@MDCampbell]

Thanks for your feedback and I'm really happy you found the video helpful. I know for me, that when I discovered the work of Malika Favre, I got that feeling inside of envy and that I wasn't good enough. It's a shame that our instinct is to feel that way, but, what I've learned is how to turn that feeling of envy into inspiration. I think, "well, if they can do that - can _I_ do that, too?" So, I'll try to emulate the work that makes me feel envy, which brings me closer to understanding how it was done, how the artist may have thought, and to realize my own limitations. I hope you are spreading your creative wings and allowing yourself to see that the choking you feel is only temporary and like you said, with study and practice, you will most definitely see growth and improvement. Thank you again and best wishes! ~ Mark

[@aesthetic1448]

I remember when I was in 5th grade and there was an artist online. She was in highschool and I was in love with her art. I had so much envy. I was jealous too! Though, now that i've practiced more and more, i realize that its silly to be envious and also noticed that- her art isn't .. The best😂😅

[@rashone2879]

Oh, thank you! What an outstanding video and relevant topic. I suffer from time to time from the creepy crawly artist's envy creature riding my back. I have to beat it down. I try to stand back from myself and take look, as you suggest, at why I'm feeling this envy. For me it tends to be (oh, this is embarrassing) when I see people who have a lot of money to spend on whatever materials they want, they have "studios", etc. I operate on a limited budget and do my creating in a corner of my LR. There's truth to the idea that money does help, but I am learning to chuck this whole attitude when it comes up. Artist's envy sucks off precious time from our art making and can set off acid reflux, too. Thank you for your wise observations and advice. I think I will watch this periodically.

[@randicommand2453]

Many times I've seen work that was excellent and told myself that I was never going to be that good. It has stopped me from not only entering contests, displaying my work, and trying to sell my work, but also from even doing work.

[@MDCampbell]

I can completely understand that. I hope you've been able to overcome it and jump in with all your creative spirit! :)

[@PastelPixie99]

i 10000% can relate to this

[@kevinknight287]

Great points! I myself being an artist consider the 'Law of averages'. 'The law of averages' dictates that there will be a large group of artists that are learning and maybe their skills aren't as strong as others. It tends to be a majority. Next we have a group that is decent enough, but still needs work and that group tends to be smaller. The next group are good and tend to be only a few, maybe a couple dozen out of hundreds. Then you get to the excellent which their are but a few and these people are highly trained and fully devoted. Also, there will always be someone better than yourself, one way or another and that's okay. In knowing that you should let that tension go. I also never like to compare artists because we are all like fingerprints. how can you say one is better than another. With all this I have known artists whose skill may not be the greatest, but they more than make up for it with perseverance. I find your videos helping me out quite a bit as an artist and I love your style!

[@MDCampbell]

Thank you, kevin knight! You make awesome points! I learned a lot about that "law of averages," going from a small suburban high school and being a class artist-type to being a nobody at art college, where my style looked like child's play compared to the fourth and fifth year students I was meeting. Having "art envy" was putting it mildly, back then! lol! I'm sincerely grateful for your feedback and enjoy hearing from other artists. Thank you for taking the time to watch, but also express your perspective. It really means a lot! Cheers and thank you for the kind words! :)

[@APolice156]

I know that the video is sped up, but watching you do all the tiny shading lines is simp,y mesmerizing. I love it. I also enjoy these chats you do. It’s good to listen to. Thank you!

[@MDCampbell]

Thank you, Andria Police. I appreciate your kind thoughts and time watching this one! Glad you liked it! :)

[@yujinrodriguez1594]

This is exactly the advice i was looking for! I can’t say I’ve internalized everything from just watching it once, but I’ll definitely return to it whenever the green monster starts boiling again. When I was typing in the search bar I was thinking how shallow it is of me, to expect a youtube video to be the cure of all my artistic problems. But this video was so concise and helpful, beyond what I expected. I especially love that you suggest alternative ways of taking in these negative thoughts, instead of just denying or trying to get rid of them. Thanks for this video!

[@jj48bf41]

OMG, thank you for this video. I have to show my son your video because what you said is so true. Two years ago I was feeling down because I didn't win a contest. Now I know why I was feeling down. It's not because they was better it's was me thinking I was better. No, I still haven't won a contest but it doesn't matter anymore because I'm having fun. Thanks for a great video.

[@MDCampbell]

Thank you so much, Wendy cline! I've had the same feeling when I've lost out on jobs that I really wanted. Most times it's because I'm underbid by someone less experienced, and I get that awful twinge of jealousy. Then, I remember to let it go and move on. Not easy, but a must. :)

[@barbbell6291]

Truly timely for me. Your description of envy is so very helpful to me, learning to admire other works with an open heart and mind can be so freeing. Nobody gets in my way better than myself! Thank you so much. I will watch this video often to refresh my thought patterns!

[@MDCampbell]

Thank you, Barb Bell! I appreciate your kind thoughts, and your time watching! :)

[@navysteel]

I stopped pursuing art professionally and focus on it as a hobby. That helped lower my expectations so I can focus on having fun.

[@MDCampbell]

So true, Sterling! I set out to be a professional musician, but life had other ideas and I fell back on art as a career. Music has been my hobby ever since! :)

[@drbettyschueler3235]

Been there; done that. It even made me stop drawing and painting for awhile. I was returning to art, after a very long hiatus, due to illness, and it seemed like the whole art world had changed. I was totally overwhelmed by the quality of work that it seemed like everyone and their dog was doing. My illness caused a significant loss of fine motor control so my artwork looked quite childish to me. My specialty had always been 3-D, multi-media art, but I really didn't have the space to continue doing that so I was trying to limit my artwork to pens, pencils, and watercolors. I also enjoyed graphic design, but, again, my lack of fine motor control made it very difficult to turn out a decent work as my lines were all wobbly and I couldn't get nice crisp edges with my fills. But the worst problem was trying to turn out completely unique works as it seemed like my creativity had left the building. So I stopped trying and gave up. I couldn't make the transition from a professional artist to being a copycat devoid of original thought. By one of my friends kept encouraging me to putter around with art just for the fun of it. She enjoyed adult coloring books so, when I was confined to bed again, for awhile, I did some coloring and I soon found my interest in art returning. I have no idea whether I will ever be a professional artist again but it no longer matters to me. I'm just going to do the best work I can, with the skills I have left, and enjoy the process of creating something uniquely mine.

[@MalamikArt]

Oh gosh, this is such a great topic! We need to concentrate on supporting each other; as artists we are all in this together.

[@MDCampbell]

Thank you, Malamik Art! That means a lot! Cheers! :)

[@LillenArt2]

How can you tell if another artist is jealous of you? How do you handle another artist being unnecessarily aggressive, competitive, talking negatively about you, constantly trying to make themselves look better than you?

[@JoseMeeusen]

Thank you so much for this video, Mark!! Seeing all those fantastic drawings makes me feel so insecure about my own work. I want to participate in Inktober, for the first time, mainly to overcome this insecurity and your words are such a big help!!!

[@daliaabdelshafi]

Those words were so deep and meditative. Thanks for that awesome video

[@MDCampbell]

Thank you, D alia! :)

[@KateTheSleepyTeacher]

I love your videos. I agree about your insights on Inktober. I also think a lot of times we think that if I just had this I would be as good as that artist. Then we start to feel that our own art is not as good so then you potential lose your passion and drive to create. This is such an important video, Mark. Thanks for posting it:)

[@moonlightgator541]

I have not experienced jealousy that other artists are better then me. I feel jealous for them having more art supplies))). Maybe because art is a hobby for me, it is my joy.

[@dekatrops2509]

I experienced artisan envy. An online (ex) acquaintance casually slipped in, 'you don't shine as an illustrator' upon my pointing it out she back pedalled saying MBTI types etc. don't appreciate certain types work. It was either envy and/or she fancied me. I did not fulfill Inktober, as I draw most of the time so I arrogantly feel it does not apply to me.

[@shelleyfoster6260]

Thank you for this. The first time that I can recall was as a child and my work coming un second to something that I felt was cute and nice but not as good as mine. I envied the response they got. I can see how that has carried on into what I produce now. Personal insight moment received. Now I can release it from my psyche.

[@MDCampbell]

"Personal insight moment received." I like that! Thank you for checking this out, Shelley Foster and for sharing your experience. :)

[@lenengquist592]

2:20 all the way to 3:27 is exactly on point with what I feel almost everytime I see art on twitter I don't agree with, or know I can do better from. Makes me so confused and angry its like "WHY?!" But that's only because I haven't put myself out there enough like I should be doing, but its just so hard to do. When I can barely finish any drawings or make a plan or schedule for drawing and stick with it. I'm still searching for my rhythem. And I hope I find it soon.

[@MDCampbell]

You are definitely not alone, Len Engquist. I've been at this my whole life and I still come across the same reaction in myself from time to time. My only thought is to turn back to my own work and focus on how to improve on it - or my workflow - to be better than I was yesterday. Right now, I am working on a project that I've been struggling with, only to find that i just need to simplify and reduce the amount of expectation I have on myself. Perhaps that's something you might consider, too. Instead of grappling with great expectations, maybe it's worth exploring the idea of boiling them down to simple routines and exercises, like finishing a drawing in 10 minutes... 30 minutes... an hour. Setting simple parameters can free us up and make us less critical of our own work or process. I dunno. Just an idea. Either way, I'm glad you shared your thoughts and I'm grateful you took the time to watch and comment. Best wishes! ~ Mark

[@lenengquist592]

@@MDCampbell Thank you, wasn't expecting a reply from you. But I'm glad you did, I'll definitely try these things out like I should've done a while back, because I know for sure it'll help me out. One thing I've been told that has been getting me by lately. All this is temporary. These negative feelings that we carry, they don't last forever. As long as you know how to deal with them and not hold onto them. So thank you once again for your awesome reply man ❤

[@MDCampbell]

@@lenengquist592 so cool! Be well and happy holidays!!

[@MCGrafite]

So funny and awesome! Great work!

[@MDCampbell]

Thank you, MC Grafite! :)

[@lindasimmons3167]

❤️❤️❤️ Thank you for the wisdom.

[@MDCampbell]

Thank you for watching and your feedback, Linda Simmons! :)

[@TimothyONeill_84.]

Great topic, really hits home with me

[@MDCampbell]

Thank you, Timothy O'Neill! I'm glad you enjoyed this one. Cheers! :)

[@182greenchemicaltime6]

I was considering doing a webcomic on this topic but more broad with just envy. I love this so much.

[@higeroman5800]

I had a case of this recently, some guy I follow on instagram started drawing and posting it for the first time but he got a lot of traction and started boasting about it on his stories, the drawings themselves were beginner level at best and the guy was so proud of getting a thousand likes (something my drawings have never reached) but the thing is that the guy is basically a model so a lot of people follow him on that platform and they like his stuff because they want a piece of him not of his art... I got so envious really that I just unfollowed him, it's not a good feeling but anyway, thank you for touching this subject!

[@ultracartoonartist7635]

You just did a public service announcement for artist! Good stuff keep it up!

[@MDCampbell]

lol! Thank you, Ultra Cartoon artist! I appreciate that! :)

[@ttorrr]

art envy shit, is a literal thorn in my side; it some how grew on me when i was younger and is a massive plant thats impervious to all my tricks. getting rid of it will improve my art growth exponentially.

[@MDCampbell]

So very true. I can't lie, though... it may be pruned to near extinguished, but somehow, it always finds a way to creep back to life. ;)

[@johnwatersjr.8978]

Great video. I can say that although I have experienced dislike of another artist’s work I do not believe or recall envy toward the art of another.

[@adildraws]

I like the process. Keep up the great work.

[@MDCampbell]

Thank you, Adil Draws! :)

[@imaginartist2139]

I always experience artist envy when am in Instagram but now I know now how to face it thanks!

[@MDCampbell]

Instagram and Pinterest are the number one proponents of art envy! lol! Glad this was helpful, Imagin artist!

[@sketchingwithscot]

Who doesn't have artist envy at some point in their life? Great topic Mark! Artists envy can impede one from reaching short and long term goals. I lost out on a chance to become a well known and very popular selling fine artist in the genre of lowbrow. I was a rising star in the So Cal lowbrow fine art scene. I had several art shows and was growing in popularity. To make a long story short I chose to view the negative side of my success. Jealousy and envy reared it's ugly head and I gave up, instead of focusing on the positive the I chose the negative. It was not a complete failure as many good things came from it but it good have been much more fruitful if I had learned to roll with the punches and stay on purpose. I have many great stories from that time in my life but moved on. This is but one example. I also sometimes experiencel artist envy in regards to the internet, and most especially you tube. Sometimes I will stumble upon a channel that has hundreds of thousands of subscribers with millions of views and the art is really amateurish! I know I am far from perfect when it comes to my art and I realize there will always be someone with far better skills than me. This never bothers me and in fact pushes me to study their art. As you have probably noticed I have been copying the art of Hedvig aka Vixiearts. I also know there are many with less drawing ability than me and I encourage them always as I know I was once in their shoes. I love teaching people everything I know about window painting and also make videos of their work But, like I said once in a while I see an artist with millions of views and I have to admit I get a little jealous and envious when their art is obviously of a low caliber. I then have to remind myself it's also about personality and the time and patience than person put in to build there channel or site. That's a big part of it! ...and like you describe PERSEVERANCE is paramount! Yeah, I don't really compare myself to others very often, if I feel another artist is better than me in something I strive to become or do than I study them. If their art is what I might consider less than mine in the genre I do, I only encourage them! Yeah, it's just those times when I see a page or something and I am like " how did they get so many views with art like that?" I hope I don't sound petty as my subscribers know I am pretty cool about all art. Yeah, I guess I am trying to be open and honest. I often see in other artists great attributes and they do things I cannot do, at the same time their are things I do better than them, we are all different for the most part.

[@staceybrister]

This would be like Mark Ryden's work? Oh Boy, I'm so sorry for you. But, it's not too late...I love Ryden, and so do many others. Good Luck to you

[@sketchingwithscot]

I met Mark Ryden, he's cool.

[@sketchingwithscot]

Did I miss something? Mark Ryden? I met mark Ryden at an art show I had in L.A. He's a cool guy, very laid back, yeah incredible work of course too.

[@cubecast1]

i'm glad you rebroadcast this, it was certainly a great watch!

[@ladycat8426]

This video made me cry

[@pawannathART]

Wow awesome..

[@tamaradeonka999]

I was just scrolling through my feed when I came across your video. Great discussion as always. But your drawing is totally on point. I love pen and ink and your skill with the dip pen is amazing. You continue to inspire me to up my ink game. Thanks Mark and God Bless.

[@MDCampbell]

I just got chills from your feedback, TamaraDeonka! Thank you so much for your kind words. I don't know, maybe it's one of those days, but it was really great to read such a positive, kind response today. I'm happy you enjoyed this one and grateful you chose to comment. Have a wonderful weekend and again, thank YOU and God bless!

[@tamaradeonka999]

@@MDCampbell ❤

[@sylviariess4024]

This helped me quite a lot, as I'm really struggeling with my work at the moment. Thank you so much. :)

[@MDCampbell]

Hi Sylvia R. That you for watching and your feedback. I sincerely hope the struggle doesn't get in the way of your enjoyment. I was just talking to an older woman who said she was having a hard time starting and I recommended doing some silly, goofy drawings based on primary shapes, like an oval... then adding legs, or arms. She laughed and agreed that it sounded simple enough - and that's the key. Keeping it simple, fun, and fresh. Good luck and may your creative spirit be flowing like a river soon! :)

[@susanyoung1600]

I hope your teacher ate her crow very cold. You probably won't see this since it's 2021, but I hear a lot of "talk and sketch" type videos. Yours are actually a life learning experience. I'm glad you spent time with kids teaching them valuable lessons they can draw on for a long time. We need more of you.

[@OrgoneDevices47]

Thanks!

[@sketchingwithscot]

One area I do not envy anyone in is window painting. I consider the top artists my equal.

[@MDCampbell]

I view you as being one of the top artists. I've done window painting and it's not my thing; however, you take it to a level of mastery, my friend! ;)

[@sketchingwithscot]

Thank you so much! Well top with window painting, my field. But so much to learn in many other areas makes me a beginner.

[@MDCampbell]

Amen to that! ;)

[@blackestjake]

So many stories in comments show how common art envy is! In high school my friends and I all liked to draw and create but I always felt inferior Now I do art for myself and while I admire the incredible talent around me, I am content that my style is unique and no one can do what I do like I do! They might do it better but whatevs, that's not how I do.

[@RKChannel2]

2nd big thumb for you my friend, very nice video

[@MDCampbell]

Thank you, RK Channel 2! :)

[@yoopermary]

That little figure in the foreground could easily have been mistaken for an R Crumb drawing and I mean that in the best possible way. People who've only seen his ghoulish stuff may not realize that he also did beautiful, sensitive drawings. Thanks for this inspiring video.

[@MDCampbell]

I can't deny that R. Crumb has been an influence on me since I was young. His portrait series were fabulous. However, one lesson I learned from looking at his artwork is: be careful not to use too many lines in a drawing! lol!

[@yoopermary]

Ha! If you saw the movie, Crumb, you see...well, you see a lot of things, but of interest to me was how much his son Jesse's technique was like Robert's. Nature or nurture? Jesse was killed in a car accident this past January. The Crumb genius seems to have skipped daughter Sophia.

[@MDCampbell]

I was heart broken when I learned about Jesse. Oddly enough, I felt a closer kinship to the work of Jesse than I did to Robert. Sophia does work, but it seems to be more about her name than the originality of her work, which stinks because I think her voice was always underappreciated for what it was on its own. I own the movie "Crumb" and watch it often, almost as much as I watch "My Dinner with Andre," a true favorite of mine. :)

[@kendybanana3815]

How do i believe in my work?

[@MDCampbell]

Believing in your work is simply recognizing that you are creating at the exact level you are capable of at this point in time. That your skills are at their exact level for the amount of work you've put in, education to improve, and commitment to being creative. That is not to say you won't improve, because of course you will... that's the point. To believe in your work, is to believe you are right where you are supposed to be with the intent of constantly improving as you grow. Just my opinion, of course, but it's what I practice. :)

[@kendybanana3815]

@@MDCampbell thank you.😁

[@aislinngraves4291]

Well said! Thank you for the tips. :)

[@MDCampbell]

Thank you, Aislinn Graves! :)

[@staceybrister]

Great video, thank you! I've experienced supply envy ;- )

[@PastelPixie99]

grate vid im a new subscriber and ur vids have helped to motivate me and make me feel better thank you so much

[@jaspermartin7444]

Hey! I've seen you over at Lindsays! So cool you have your own channel! Anyway, it's kind of amusing but I'm way too new to get artist envy, maybe it'll hit when I get better but honestly, to me it's like artists put the work in and that's why they're good (plus some people probably do have natural talent) so why would I be jealous of hard work? I can't see myself getting jealous of the skill which other people earn, haven't taken that attitude with anything else in life...

[@MDCampbell]

Thank you, Jasper Martin! Yes, Lindsay is an unbelievable creative spirit and I'm blessed to know her, for sure! Artist envy doesn't always hit everyone, which is a good thing. I suppose there's a competitive drive for those that it does hit, or at least I can say that there is for me. It's often a recognition of our own shortcomings in our work when we see how much better or tighter another artist present their work. For example, I did an illustration of a reindeer one year and I was pleased with the result and submitted it for a job. The client, however, chose another artist's piece over mine to go to press, and rightfully so - it was better. I was disappointed I didn't get the larger job, but I was actually more disappointed that my work didn't look as good as the other artist's... I was jealous. But, it was only momentary and I quickly turned that jealousy into a learning opportunity. A lot of artists have a hard time doing that.

[@jaspermartin7444]

I had forgotten that envy is one of the seven deadly sins. I could be guilty of almost all the others but for whatever reason envy just isn't my bag. Perhaps it affects so many artists because art is a lot more subjective and it's really difficult to objectively "grade" one artist over another, so when two similarly skilled artists are compared but only one gets all the attention, the artist who was slighted feels like "the grading process" was unfair. And it sorta is, because it's all so subjective. Plus, they're trying to make a living creating art, and so being slighted hurts their chances economically as well. Of course that would hurt, totally understandable and normal. Anyway, I thought your drawings were great! Especially the one you did in another video with a little old lady and a frog. I had no idea a good illustration like that took so many layers! Maybe if I practiced and practiced and practiced, and then still couldn't draw, I might be envious. As it is, I don't expect anything I do to be any good, because I have so little experience. Although actually I don't expect to get much better regardless of the amount of practice, cos it feels like I have no natural talent either! :P But it sure is an amazing education to watch good artists such as yourself and others. I really appreciate the opportunity KZbin has given me to watch so many talented artists create beautiful things!

[@MDCampbell]

Thank you for that feedback, Jasper Martin. Art is subjective, for sure, but grading students requires a discipline using percentages of how they create their art, like Effort, Observation, Craft, Maintenance, etc. Many times students who do work that doesn't look so great get high grades because they are SO committed to their craft, while students who produce amazing looking work - with seemingly no effort - get lower grades because they lack consideration for their craft, and neglect the equipment and such. Until we are put into the practice of art, it's hard to know exactly what the real-world effects are. Anyhow, I'm rambling! lol! Cheers and again, thank you! :)

[@jaspermartin7444]

wow that is really interesting, thank you for that! I have been wondering what criteria art teachers (in college art classes) use to grade their students, for exactly the situations you described. In theory seems like an art teacher could just fling grades willy-nilly and yet I figured they had to be using some kind of objective criteria. I have friends who are teachers in middle school, one who teaches math and one who teaches english, and it's always been super interesting for me to hear them "ramble" about their work. :-) It was only after listening to them that I realized how difficult it was to teach others, and especially the wide range of skill sets they drew upon in order to be good teachers. Really fascinating stuff!

[@terilew1]

good video, very helpful.

[@MDCampbell]

Thank you, terilew1!

[@NerdyNikki]

I know it's kinda not the same but here's my story! So, I thought I'll try this online site called craft amino. I posted a clay creation I made got views, likes hearts, etc. The thing that pissed me off as I woke up a day later to see someone " posted the same creations and entered it into an ART CONTEST! Now the rules say " if you're inspired by someone to mention them and stating where the inspiration came from let's just say she didn't. In fact, I commented on her post saying " This figurine is really great but that's the same as mine that I posted " yesterday" Now, she just " laughed and smiled it off" After a while, it started to get a lot of likes and hearts. Now, I contacted the Admin of the App/ page group she asked for proof" I sent her everything she needed... but since the other channel had 2000 followers " I have 100 something" it was brushed off" I uninstalled that app" and said never again. Sad, but that did knock me back a few steps. After coming back to the post she removed my comment" and hasn't said anything.

[@MDCampbell]

Oh my, that would have ticked me off as well! This is something that creatives - in all fields - have been experiencing for generations. We had a local journalist here fired for plagiarism. I've seen children's book author's lose their stories to someone who produced it faster. And in my corporate life, my own fully-rendered concepts taken by a co-worker and presented without any credit to me. It can be infuriating. That's why it's important to copyright our work. At the end of my videos, I always put a © copyright, to let viewers know that the video and the content is copyrighted and not for use without expressed permission. I also put it in the description as well. But, in reality, someone could steal my work and there's little I can do to stop them except have KZbin pull it down. It's the "Live and Let Die" philosophy, where I truly believe when people steal or don't credit other people's work, it DOES come back to them. Thank you for sharing, Crafty Nikki! :)

[@NerdyNikki]

Anytime! I always enjoy our little discussions! I love your channel it's very inspiring, and love the coffee breaks" haha.

[@KarijnsWatercolors]

Haha, I think I 'envy' all the time. :D But it's just those couple of first seconds, and then it startes to spur me to do better, so I know it's going to pass. For me envy, more than about art style/quality or recognition, is more about the way of life? I did not do art school, art is probably never going to be my career in life, so my envy is mostly towards people who did manage to have art as a primary job and not just as a hobby. Maybe it was a bit piloted by my parents (I think it's pretty easy for a parent to asnwer if you'd rather have and artist or a doctor in the house) but I do have my fair share of responsability in what I chose to do at Uni, because I felt it would be safer for me to have a reliable income and then develop what I wanted as an extra. It's not that I don't like what I do now, but sometimes drawing all day is something I'd like to have as well.

[@soucky1]

Oh! Mark, you put your Fingers where it's Hurt lol! Envy,of corse i envy these so Talented Master Artist who do the colouring or Painting like it's part of themselfs, you know like no effort and they always achieve a Phenomenal Artwork and for myself i will spend tons of Hours to only try to like what i've just Done and if someones who are very Good tell me Oh! Sylvie this is Beautiful i tought the person laught at me! so am i confident with my work no! do i love to do Painting and colouring Yes do i love to watch the Master who make for Free these Amazing tutorials on Utube Yes! but i sgtop to watch the one who theirs Skill are so High and try to watch only the ones who are at the same skills as me so i fell much better because i have the pleasure to do what i love and STOP being someones i am not, like you say at shcool how many students dosen't have to study and they get the best result and compliments to theirs teachers all the time... lol! Thank You so much for this Fantastic conversation with us and i will end this by terlling you Mark you are so Brilliant and you childrens are very Bless having you there to Help them Grow Peacefully i could say but i know you iundersthand what i mean having someone to Guide you take the best Decision for their life and the Future it's somethings i've never have so Blessing Mark and Cheers my Friend :-)

[@MDCampbell]

Thank you, Sylvie Dufour! I'm grateful for all your kind words. I'm definitely a very fortunate person to have such amazing support from friends like yourself! Cheers and thank you! :)

[@soucky1]

You're so very welcome, if you could know how i'm Grateful for the amazing support you gave to me and i'm shure to lots of Peoples too, You are so Unique and Special, Mark, Thank You so much for doing these Fantastic videos, it's a drop of Fresh air for the Head & Heart so Big Thank's Mark, everyones who cross your road are very Lucky so Please continue to share your wonderful 10 advices,tricks, tips However whe need you there my Friend, bye,bye,Proff.

[@alwaysangry2232]

wish i could learn to admire, i just cant, always end up beating myself for not being good enough

[@MeowMeowKapow]

Gosh darn you youtube, messin’ stuff up! Happy to see this in my feed again, but dang......did you hit the report button on the old vid? It’s possible it can be repaired!

[@MDCampbell]

I was told to re-upload and try again, which worked fine. No idea why is went wonky, though. It's a good reminder to back up all our videos, which I need to do! ;)

[@MeowMeowKapow]

M.D. Campbell oh man, I just....never delete the footage or compiled video....and have multiple backup drives (Though I actually need one for my current video library hard drive because I don’t have a backup for it at all) because I used to work with computers and seeing data loss SCARRED me.

[@lindaparece6668]

yes i have experience artist envy but let it go and keep drawing.

[@Caine187]

EDIT: I know this is a 2 year old video, but I felt this super hard today. It's a long one lol. For context, I draw SFW stuff on twitter and the person I'm referring to does 80% nsfw/fanart. I am a big fan of his work and I have no issues with his personality. I'm also not a prude and love me a good ol' nsfw drawing. I'll name the guy 'JB' for here. 1: An artist I've commissioned to draw an oc of mine 4 times happened to draw JBs oc for free in a sketch dump just because. It wasn't that they knew each other or was showing off, it just happened to be pure chance. I was salty because I paid the guy close to 350 to draw my oc 4 times and JB got by for free lol. 2: this is the incident where I had to vent. JB got his oc drawn again by an artist who just recently blew up in the past month. Idk the circumstances behind this, but I doubt they knew each other so I assume it was pure luck again All day I couldn't shake the feeling of envy. It's not 'Can I match JBs work?', its 'To get noticed do I have to draw some fat anime titties getting paizuri'd and the waifu of the week/some pokemon girl with a giant futa shlong to get known?'. As much as I tell myself to stick to my values, it's hard to ignore how much sex sells to the horny crowd (which as I said I'm not a prude). I want people to like me for MY own stuff and not because I draw porn fanart for whatever's hot that month.

[@MDCampbell]

Thank you for sharing your experience, BrianFellowsSafariPlanet. I completely understand that feeling and have encountered it, myself, in different ways. There's a couple of YT artists whom I used to follow, but realized their work is just knockoff Pendleton Ward or Totoro-alikes, and that's how they got so popular. Before I started my own channel, I would feel envy, which is a small part of why I chose to get into YT. To stop that feeling of envy and share my own voice. I'm no where near as popular as those others, but at least I can stand in the same circle and feel confident that my work is original, not contrived or borrowed from someone else. Cheers and stay well! Thank you! ~ Mark

[@ebeth0944]

Um...yes...I suffer from this!

[@Renilou2]

I think a green eyed monster went so far as to attacked me. Has anyone ever verbally attacked you in a vicious way in a private Facebook email telling you, that you are not good enough to even enter your work in a show display? I was so over sensitive and devastated that I closed my Facebook website. I almost let it destroy me ever picking up a brush again. Then I found his website and wondered why he was attacking me. I'm pretty laid back and love all types of art and am not a competitive type. I never enter my work anywhere. You have wonderful parents. Its strange that a teacher would say cartoon work is not art. It certainly is and totally creative.

[@SianaGearz]

What if i never had that, have never been envious of someone's success or craftsmanship? At least not at any conscious age, not in decades. Is something wrong with me?

[@MDCampbell]

It certainly doesn't happen to everyone. I know it happens to me, but I learned how to recognize it, immediately, and tame it to make it work for me.

[@leonardniamh]

Comment Great work

[@MikeyAtHotTopic]

Artist envy almost made me a bully in middle school, ._.

[@dekatrops2509]

Do I see Robert Crumb's influence on your work?

[@MDCampbell]

I would sincerely be surprised if you didn't see his influence on my work, Deka Trops! I was a big fan of the cartoonists of the 1950's, 60's, and 70's. I still am. If you really want to check out someone whose work I still drool over, take a look at the art of Jack Davis from Mad Magazine. My heart literally sinks when I see his work. So good! Cheers! :)