Its harder to be an artist today.

[@cetriyasArtnComicsChannel]

Not only is there an issue of distractions as an artist, but also an issue of distractions as consumers. People have so much art to choose from and it's readily available that I feel that to an extent it has been devalued quite a bit. On the other hand when you do find someone that you truly love their art and speak to you you're more likely to find like-minded people even for the most niche of things

[@ergojosh]

This reminds me of something else I wanted to talk about, how people value artwork since its seen as so common and strictly subjective by the average person.

[@radicalmatamune]

I think what's been devalued is "generic" art. There are tons of talented and skilled artists, but their storytelling, what they are expressing, is what I would call "generic", to not say "empty" sometimes". Focusing on beauty only... That's why it's important to be genuine, as stated in the video, being true to yourself and genuine will always be more important than skills. I've been guilty of it, focusing on skills, technique and aesthetics, but at the end of the day, my favourite pieces of art/video games/movies or mangas are not the best visually/technically, but had an impact on me because of the stories and emotions they brought, the visual was just a medium. The truth is: does everybody have really something to tell to the world? Or does social media have just became a skills set competition? Can you be in love with something/someone just by their looks?

[@3polygons]

As a [censored...er...past 45...] yr old artist that got a handle of the main drawing skills (true fact, tho, I focused in that like crazy till that moment, since 6 yr old) already at about 22 .. I tell you, social media is a gift we'd have wanted soooo badly back in the day. It was uber expensive then to publish in a comic magazine or self publish it (like 3k to 10k $... so that some hundreds of persons only would see your art... now is *FREE* that thousands and thousands would see your instagram, site or yt...) . Nope, competition was not lower, was GREATER, fierce. As there were no 3D modeling jobs and other tech and image related ones (graphic designers needed were a low number, and only a few of jobs, usually taken by old designers), so, comic industry was stronger, yeah, and in the 50s, when I did not even exist, that perhaps was some time when it was great as was a solid job, but in the 80s-90s (the learning teenagers back then are we the current gen x, and some of the boomers), quite a pain, as it was DYING at light speed. In the 50s, comics was KING, with syndicates and a strong industry... In the early 80s it was AMAZING. but in the 80s-90s...Video clubs and video in general first, and then *_massively_* video games, progressively replaced comics and illustrated book at a terrifying speed. I tell ya! At certain point I even feared the entire industry disappearing, but luckily manga comics in Japan, and super heros in the US, could take the punches and survive. But a lot of independent authors and great magazines were VANISHED. I know of a bunch that ended homeless under the bridge... Imagine, from being at a solid job, u'd even go to an office to draw!, (always low pay! remember, artists are usually the last fish in the chain of food, is not like in the renaissance when a painter was considered like a brilliant business man) to having all offers closed, from one day to the next. And start to starve. Hordes of artists started working in a bar, grocery store or whatever. The less lucky, homeless, some lost their mind, even. Well, that happened also to some game coders I've known and worked with, sadly. If many of u knew... the mountains of pain, blood and tears that would take to put together some paper sheets and the super expensive paper copies to make a comic magazine (indy, self published) so that a few hundreds would see it, for no real objective in our career (would bring you NOTHING in return, 999 out of 1000 times), despite, leaving in the prccess all our 3 summers of work savings... Or making video productions ( I was involved in that too) and waste a fortune to EDIT A VIDEO (u needed expensive hardware, at start u couldn't do it with a PC, not even 576p video, lol).... or another fortune in art books (most pretty bad), as we had no internet and no video tutorials... And please, don't look at the 0.000001 % of the ones who got successful, as much as they pop up on inet (over a population of thousands of millions in the world!!!) as they were smart enough with promotion, or just amazingly good but also lucky. The huge majority of artists from back then are not swimming in fame and money. The _majority_ are not painting for a living!!!! We have needed to do TONS of jobs highly unrelated with art to make a living. To put myself as an example, but I know a bunch that had to do a bit of everything: I've worked as 3D modeler doing game art at companies and freelancing, worked as tech support for PCs, had to work some time as a drawing teacher (public admin, but substitutions only), as a graphic designer for web and print, and even as a web coder and SEO specialist. Of course, in the middle of it all, I've made tons of painting and illustration gigs, some comics, even one or two national comic strips, but the magazines were small enough to not be seen for enough quantity of people as to get, again with the quotes, "famous". And... cases like me are reaaally common. Maybe not covering so many profiles, but I did so as my area is quite depressed in everything, it has the business activity of the boring side of the moon, so I had to jump fields as the business activity would dry in each moment, and learned as I went into each new job (speaking about confidence, lol! Yeah, it's key. believe in you, even if you think you are crap... as u end up learning). Currently I don't even have a site or social media, don't even need it! Or I do... and I should have those, actually. As I don't agree with part of what is said here. Social media is a total gift of extreme power. You all should use them. WITH CAUTION. And measure. I'd have done whatever to have such back in the day. I know how to get gigs, commissions. And nope! am not famous. But I know I've mastered my skills, and THAT is what makes me happy. Not being "famous" or whatever the slogan. Besides, in life, personal relations (I don't mean just couple stuff), and other stuff need always to have a lot more priority. Without saying honing your skills is very important , too. But I'd say the latter should be the SECOND priority, NOT the first. You need to work well in whatever you do at each moment, tho. Be it painting, studying or typing code. But nope, please, don't fall in the everlasting millennials and gen-z super good-for-all excuse/cry. You DO NOT have it harder than we did. You have it easier, if anything. BUT, saying any of those two things is the bad take at it... at least as a complaint... : My fellows gen-x like me, and even the boomers, make it wrong when they say angrily " we had it harder..." But that said... it'd be neglecting facts if I wouldn't say that we actually had a LOT less tools and information, that's a fact, tho... And I know I'm alone here, but I firmly believe the artists to compete with back then WERE BETTER than the competition today (as today they're a lot more focused in the effects and stylish thing than in the raw skills, EVEN the famous ones!). Also, pls, don't compare drawing and painting in oils (u needed often DAYS to wait some areas to dry, lol) and acrylics to using a Huion display tablet...) ... But it also allowed us to get "hardened". I prefer to think both times and gens are... DIFFERENT. That one generation complain about the other by default to find an excuse (ie, the "OK Boomer" or "Ok Zoomer" stupidities) is just about the dumbest path one can take. At least... as a focus, and a way to not confront the real issues at hand. It's excuses, instead of dealing with the problems to solve. Yeah, I recon it's different problems and different situations. Each generation has it colosal set of difficulties. But lemme tell ya, you live in wonderful times now to create amazing things. You can coordinate to make team projects we could never have dreamed off in my times. You can also play lone wolf, focus in your project, and then launch it to the world, with a lot more tools than we ever had. Your main enemy is yourselves, your brain: don't get into useless spirals, as they are not even real. Avoid feeling overwhelmed, *don't compare to others* , as is like looking to others that are in a different step of the ladder. Rarely you will be able to look at one of those being at your EXACT step of the ladder. EVEN if she/he reached there and is at an equivalent level, reached there using a different path!. What is more... EVEN if you happen to think you would never (or simply, at some point you decide u do NOT want to dedicate your life to draw perfectly) be able to achieve the painting or drawing skills of A or B famous artist (which, btw, is sth you CAN'T know for sure).... U don't have to! Express yourself. People is interested in YOUR take in art. As is interested in your opinion (ie, the amounts of people that watch a particular youtuber) And this neither means to over obsess with style. Style comes alone just by DOING. I did never _really_ created a single one for myself. My advice is then: FREAKIN' ENJOY. WORK. PUBLISH. ENJOY-WORK. PUBLISH. REPEAT. That's it. Evolution comes by itself with that, u only need NOT to get overwhelmed. AND... is not the end of the world if at 47 only a few clients do know u and that's it! Maybe only a few hundreds have played your latest board game art, or seen a book cover from you, or without even knowing, have seen a game character you created in 3D or pixel art. And know what , THAT'S AMAZING by itself, u don't need more. EVEN more. A lot of you might move to another career after some time. NEITHER A PROBLEM! U can do art as ur lovely hobby, as some people prefer not doing client work just to survive, but have a different job, and so get back to loving what they paint without getting to hate the activity as a job. The paths are INFINITE. So, don't over stress, be happy and make people around happy. That combo is all what really _REALLY_ matters. Oh, and dude, seriously. Dat voice. Forget about art, u seriously have a solid future with that voice. Of course, with art , too. But really, that voice is quite something. There's a full world of voice acting (heavily increasing in youtube as I see (bad, terrible, yet crazily successful, lol... I get back to my theory about the bar set before and how it is now...) animations becoming massively popular now...and they need voice actors!! Even average ones, imagine a voice of this quality), voice overs, narration, voices to narrate product presentations for a company product or service,.... etc, all that would open to you with just making a pair of gigs if seen by just any freaking one in that other industry, and u can make both things compatible... (and maintaining a podcast and YT channel too)

[@VioStarclad]

Not to mention there are totally amazing artists out there that will work for peanuts, making it even harder to make commissions, especially if you're not as totally amazing but still want to elbow in to your own space.

[@3polygons]

@@VioStarclad That's absolutely true. But I understand those who want to enter the market...

[@emanpaints3508]

His voice is sooooo satisfying lol!

[@3polygons]

Pro level.

[@MajeedaArt]

Respectfully yes it is. why hasn't he been hired for voice over work? I immediately noticed his amazing art as well as his vocal tone & manner of pronouncing words he should be receiving tons of voice over job offers.

[@patient0x]

If he did a meditation voice over, I would would sub.

[@albrightkm]

His voice is like a warm cozy blanket

[@beck103187]

@@3polygons pro asmr level

[@ItsLizV]

"it's not the style that makes the artist valuable" YESsss. It's such a pet peeve of mine when I see people worry about style, when their fundamentals are lacking severely! I am really glad that's not something I worry about at all. Style is something that just shines through naturaly. I'm doing a bunch of practice with some other people, and even though we are all doing the same practice, everything looks different because our style just comes through naturally!

[@ergojosh]

I should have added, "its the value you can bring to your viewer that makes you valuable as an artist". And you are absolutely correct, too many people are relying on the quality of their work alone to bring value to their viewer.

[@suemew]

YES. Style happens as you draw! Drawing is editing and everyone edits differently. I just did a virtual figure drawing with my friends and our drawings looked completely different!

[@nutsandbolts1264]

Agreed! if you want a style make sure you can draw what you want the way you want it

[@durellpowell3324]

Facts, if you draw forms properly and express reality accurately then "style" is a by product of grasping the fundamentals. Style is created organically from the way the artist sees. Transform how you see and your style will be at the fire front

[@BaekSketch]

Artists: feel anxiety when they see all the art on social media Other professionals: feel anxiety when they see Forbes yearly 30 under 30

[@3polygons]

Some other artists (older) : Don't give a royal fck and enjoy. Not only art. :)

[@ergojosh]

Honestly I saw one of those forbes things and I almost started to feel bad! I had to punch myself in the face

[@BaekSketch]

@@ergojosh Hahaha, I can relate!

[@SheWhoWalksSilently]

@@ergojosh I always just go - You lucky dog - roll in that dough, bro, I just want a house I can have a bike in. Apartment is too small and old, I'm ready to move on mentally, but not financially. I don't need ten Lambos, and a mansion so big I need a maid. I'm good, just want a lil' somethin' somethin'.

[@Greg12839]

SheWhoWalksSilently nice

[@karlaneedshelp933]

I’m only 9 minutes in and I have to say that I agree with so much of what you’re saying. I’m 16 years old and I’ve grown up with so many resources and social media that even now I feel overwhelmed all the time with my art. Today is the first time in days that I’ve sat down to draw something and I’m trying to break the habit of feeling like I’m drawing for an audience on Instagram even if I barely have a following. I’m always worried that my art isn’t ‘good enough’ to be on the internet. I should be drawing for me and learning how to strengthen my skills in real life. Although I believe that KZbin has taught me so much throughout the years, and I’m happy that everyone is so open to art and are able to acknowledge how important art is in everything, I now feel like there’s more pressure to be better because we now have more resources and higher expectations. It’s easy to fall off of what you love especially when some of the art communities are harsh on Instagram and will tear anyone to shreds, it’s important to remember everyone starts somewhere. Anyways. That’s my take on it. It’s easy to be discouraged now days especially with so many distractions. I love your videos by the way! I’ve learned a lot from you and your voice is really soothing to listen to as I draw. Hope that doesn’t sound too creepy lol

[@SenrisPlace]

Thank you so much for writing this. I'm 23 and feel the same. Also due to having depression and other struggles my whole life, I have barely started in the direction I've wanted. Making a living from my art and writing is a lifelong dream and I'm nowhere near close to achieving it. But as you said, we all start somewhere.

[@averystratton]

lynx okumura I'm also 16 and same I literally used to have a personal quota of 2-3 completed pieces per week since I didn't want to lose any of my following and if I didn't post for a few days I'd get really stressed. Currently I'm on a break because online school is trash but I still feel a lot of stress and I want to draw more than anything. I feel like I do draw for myself more than my small audience but the expectations I put on myself about it suck

[@ergojosh]

Yeah that feeling of an audience watching you is something I have to remove, so imagine how important it is for you to get rid of that. Thanks so much for sharing this.

[@blackpkblink3062]

lynx okumura yeah I felt the same way right now I am 14 but turning 15 soon I took a really big break on instagram because instagram was just giving me so much pressure to post everyday .But after the break I learned so much and it taught me so much and after I took that break it felt so nice I didn’t have to draw good drawings everyday for my following I got to draw so many things that I learned during that break also Thank you for sharing your story 💖💖💖💖💕

[@milkyii]

I know I barely have a following but I have also thought of that too recently and trying to make my art better that I just pressure myself and end up not drawing.

[@MohammedAgbadi]

Brother you’re 25?! That’s crazy!!!

[@Cra3ture]

You're an amazing artist by the way

[@ergojosh]

What did you think? lmao the beard does deceive...

[@MohammedAgbadi]

e r g o j o s h bruhhhh the beard hella deceive! You look like you’re in your 30s.

[@daichi3873]

e r g o j o s h I thought you were at least like 22 or younger??!?!?

[@reionnyx]

Now i feel old...

[@nomnom412]

The absurd amount of art social media exposes us to ends up being more of a "why cant I do this yet" more than taking inspiration from their work, too. Its so hard when you don't have a direction anymore other than "I just have to get good and maybe people will enjoy my work with me!" it's super discouraging! The need for online attention as a form of validation as way to measure if we're doing good enough is sooo harmful for growth, you end up not drawing what you want bc what do Other want to see? The best way is just to deattach yourself as much as possible from social media imo, but that hinders your popularity if you're trying to make a living off your art online like that... It's a delicate balance and it's so hard

[@ergojosh]

It is truly a balancing act

[@nachiketh3650]

You could hire a person to just handle Social media. At least that's what I'm thinking (after I make enough money of course). I'm for now learning some code that can help me automate instagram. I've come to hate Social media after realising it was causing my art block.

[@nomnom412]

@@nachiketh3650 I think ending up hating social media is completely normal :( good luck!! I hope you manage to do it successfully ♥️

[@Scarshadow666]

@nomnom I feel ya there! My social media net (outside the occasional KZbin comment) is pretty non-existent too, but I'm still hesitant/nervous to start using social media, even though I'm working to get into Graphic Design. For now, I'm just focusing on doing my own drawings and taking the public viewing of my art very slow.

[@TheLily97232]

Holy crap that's a big concern of mine sometimes. I love to just do what I do and get better but the fear of nobody caring about what I do is stressful.

[@aarantheartist]

Yeah there is a serious issue with worrying about social media instead of our skills. The trouble is that you kinda have to worry about it if you want a career in art, and there's only so much time most people have to give their full attention to it before having to get a different full time job. Good luck with the move!

[@Hina-fo1tk]

Your career in art will bloom naturally if u stop focusing on social media and work on your fundamental/core skills. Not to get recognition but because you want to improve. The more u improve without focusing on social media the easier it is to reach a bigger audience once u start uploading on different platforms.

[@Hina-fo1tk]

Because by the time u start an art account you already have an idea of how fundamentals work, so ur upload pace will be faster = your reach increases! So just stop focusing on social media and work on yourself, and what you love. Things will happen naturally.

[@nsuarez]

My favorite artist, Feng Zhu, does not have any great social media and he is such a good artist. He does have some awesome youtube videos though. Social media is just a way but not the only way to make a living.

[@user-oy9uz1nl2z]

This is so accurate. I literally always get a funny feeling in my stomach posting my art work online because I have this perfectionist ideal in my head that I try and achieve and when I compare my artwork to thousands of others online I just feel like mine is rubbish, even though I know it’s not.

[@kimnamjoonmeansbusiness9932]

What's your Instagram called :00

[@3polygons]

don't compare, don't....Just enjoy. :)

[@lolimded4642]

Same, I ALWAYS compare myself to other people who are a lot better. There are some point where I wanted to give up but I motivate myself to keep pusing because every artist went through this and lots hasn't given up, I believe that I will improve and I believe that others will too,

[@3polygons]

@@lolimded4642 I wasted way too much time with that fear. Then I conquered most of the technical and skills related goals I was in pursuit of. Too late! To discover I had enjoyed less the journey. That's the key. Skills are super important. Life in general is _way_ more (and enjoying doing art is only a lil part of the solution). :) A bit of a "Yoda vibe" to it, sorry... but it's facts.... :D :D :D

[@lolimded4642]

@@3polygons ahhh sorry I didn't know you replied to me, Yes I agree with you, now I just don't really care, I'm confident that my skills will improve bit by bit and it already had, I seen my own improvement and that inspired me to do more and keep going, I'm also glad I hadn't compared myself as much so yea😅

[@SwanCreates]

These are my thoughts exactly, and another thing that almost discouraged me when I first started drawing is that a lot of artists that I admire are way younger than me and make amazing art. I had to stop and reevaluate that they have been drawing all their lives and I only started almost 4 hears ago.

[@CaptainRazzie]

What kills me is when I see "I'm 14 years old and I've never drawn before - here's an ugly sketch I drew!!" and it's so much better than my yeeeears of practice. I know that there are liars online, but it still hurts to see things like that.

[@100lovenana]

I know how that feels! It's really discouraging when it happens. About two years ago I entered a summer comic course, where we has to draw a 3 page comic in a month. It was fun and i enjoyed the experience, but at the final day when we all had to show our finished comic, it was a teenage girl's turn to show her work and it was way better than all of ours combined. She had the anatomy, expressions and composition just right, and you could tell that she had drawn for a very long time. She was many years younger than the rest of us and i could just feel all of our enthusiasm drop the moment she showed her comic, because we were all just beginners compared to her. I'm not kidding, I still remember the stunning silence in the room when we saw her work and many of the people beside me couldn't even hide their frustration from their faces. It's good that some people can practice from a young age, but many of us don't really get the chance to start untill later for multiple reasons, and it gives a sence of unfairness and embarassment

[@Greg12839]

Captain Razzie one rule of drawing never practice just feel

[@Berries20]

@@100lovenana I feel that so much!! I'm 21 and I know artists that are 15 who are brilliant, because they had the resources and self-discipline to draw from childhood. It was finally when another 21 year old friend of mine expressed frustration about the apparent "unfairness" that I understood why I hadn't been able to draw for so long; it was because I felt hopeless infront of those young prodigies. I had to tell both him and myself that neither of us started drawing to compare it with the luckier/smarter/younger people. We begged our parents for supplies and a tablet because we enjoyed making art. Even if we feel our art is ugly now, we always have room to grow and improve. We're allowed to be jealous in the mean time, but it's only natural for us to put off our hobbies and passions when we don't have the time or money for it. Just pick it back up again when the opportunity arises.

[@Nierez]

Right on, I enrolled in art school and the best students were 7 - 5 years younger than me. They were already so good already ahead of me and with a long way to go.

[@stephanie.kilgast]

It all comes down to focusing on yourself. Being an artist is understanding how to artistically express your very unique vision of the world and for that you have to be very finely tuned to your subconscious, and that is only achievable if you focus on what you are interested in. I always say that style is not something you search for, it just who you are, it happens naturally after a while. Of course, this happens after you master certain basics skills in the medium of your choice. But you can still venture into your interests while learning the skills you will need later on.

[@yuimaaaru_ai19]

I'm a millennial artist in Tokyo, and actually felt the same way you did exactly when i was 25,26.We had a lot of distractions since 2010, that time when twitter and pixiv was new and sparking (guess it's still the same?). This is a country surrounded with anime/manga and we had a lot of tutorials vids/books/magazines around to learn techniques, but what wasn't around was people like you, encouraging artists that teach you about the mental issues, the honest struggle of artists, AND gives advice on how to pick yourselves up, or even take a break. No one was there for you to tell how lonely and hopeless you could feel by art. Wish we had these advise when I once gave up and lost hope in the art career, thinking I just wasn't good enough(thankfully I'm back in my career doing some artsy stuff) Right now I'm seriously doing art AND enjoying the process of trying out some new stuff from artists I like. This whole art journey is awfully long, wish you all stay safe and keep up with what yr doing!

[@shiato2059]

Yea all the social media gives so much inspiration and you can learn there so much but often too much in like a pushing way or competition feel

[@ergojosh]

I think a healthy sense of competition is good though, and its one of the things that keeps art schools a considerable option for any artist.

[@shiato2059]

@@ergojosh that's true tho I mean the every day flute of art production or general content and how most try to top all the others for more attention. Its really overwhelming and it makes it so hard to not feel like you have to produce non stop if you wanna get heard from the people. In this matter social media kinda destroys the original feeling and sense of making art I think

[@3polygons]

@@shiato2059 don't let social media get into your head, in any case or situation.

[@artsdragons2779]

Recently, I deleted my Instagram and opened a new one where it just me posting whatever I want. I’m drawing fun fan art and showing roughly sketches and my learning process. I don’t care about followers anymore. I don’t care about whether or not I “make it.” I now draw for me because I want to. It’s so nice! I’m 33. I did not have access to the internet until I was an adult. I was one of those people sitting in the library drawing horses while sitting in the reference room. I drew dbz and sailor moon characters because that was what I was exposed to. It took a long time for me to unlearn the bad habits my copying 90s anime taught me. It’s so frustrating when I see teenagers making better work than me, but I’m on my own journey and they’re on theirs. But, I think Josh has a point. If I were a teen now, I would have given up on drawing because my work couldn’t compare. The pressure to be born amazing would have broken me. I am now on my own 20 year journey

[@ergojosh]

Your experience with dbz and horses in the library sounds wonderful. Thats the exact thing I think gen z and below are potentially missing out on

[@auroradlg154]

Lovely to find people that did the same. I had a decent following on IG but I was unhappy with what I felt forced to draw to keep my audience. I made a second account that has a lot more variety, and while its growth is a looooot slower, I am happier because I am exploring new things.

[@leiasart4610]

I'm glad you're deciding to take a break when you need one! I think "effective" breaks can be so much more useful than just powering through. I always get so much inspiration from great artists like Sinix, Kim Jung Gi or even Tamaytka (she is very creative and amazing at backgrounds which I'm stunned by), you probably know these already but maybe it'll help you to really sink into some other great artists work, especially Kim Jung Gi is an absolute inspiration. wish you all the best!

[@ergojosh]

I totally agree!

[@mae4845]

take a break all you want!

[@ergojosh]

Ok cya 2021!

[@matildef9933]

@@ergojosh 😂😂

[@loana1861]

@@ergojosh oh so when quarantine is finally over

[@malachijames]

I totally understand your point, Josh. I was anti-social media in my teens. I was super old school which gave me an advantage in learning my craft and learning fundamentals at my own pace without feeling insecure. I've realised how I've come along way and I'm thankful for that experience. One of the best ways to make good artwork is by taking a break from social media and being influenced by great artists that pre-dated social media.

[@kel9239]

holy shit you opened my eyes. i never realized that i wasn't drawing for myself. all i ever drew recently was fan art of things im not even a fan of- i ask my friends to give me a request to draw, and i only drew purely for the admiration of other people. i don't even draw my oc's- i have this mindset that i'll only draw them when im good enough at art, because i don't want to paint them in an ugly picture. thank you for this video :) i'll learn to appreciate every art i make, and i'll make it for myself.

[@mr.panzerfaust1893]

Damn I was just making the same thing right now, drawing fanarts of things that I don't really like just for the sake of grabbing more following in my growing worry to grow, letting behind my own characters thinking that I will come to them again when I get more followers because of fanarts. Someone said that fanarts gave you more chances but I think that is a empty and devoid of motive move if you wanna feel the long way of improving yourself correctly, even with the pain and hard stuff, if I draw a fanart I think it has to be something that I really like, if not, that doesn't feel like a drawing to me.

[@peppapotato]

For me at 34, I’ve only picked things up recently again. Back then I was told it wasn’t a career CONSTANTLY. I’m only happy doing art and now do it in another field. But today the encouragement is amazing and I envy the time I wasted on jobs that led nowhere, and put me back at square one because “this is what you do” attitude of older generations back the. And what worked for them stopped working for my generation (we can’t afford houses or insurance etc). To focus just pick something, shut off the phone, and disconnect with force ❤️

[@artsdragons2779]

K D I’m in the same boat. I’m 33. I want to become an illustrator but had to put those dreams aside because “drawing isn’t a real job.” Instead, I wasted my entire life working dead end jobs trying to find a legit career. I am now finally on track for a career (teaching) and am getting back into seriously practicing my art. And by seriously practicing, I mean just having fun and enjoying the process. I may or may not “make it,” but at least I’ll have fun along the way

[@peppapotato]

Arts & Dragons I’m really happy to hear that ❤️ I think we can take the education we find by so many nice people on platforms and run with it! There’s so many paths to take. I honestly think there’s plenty of good choices ❤️ I just know I won’t be able to make anything that great for years. But I’m here anyway, might as well start!

[@ravely9784]

i can relate. i'm 20 and currently in college. i'm majoring in what i'm not good at and dislike while also working outside of college in that field. i wanted to do art but my dad told me to wait until i got older and make a lot of money to make hobby as a job but currently i barely survive college and work. how long do i have to wait to be able to make a lot of money? and now i don't even have time to practice my art. how can i make art as a job if i can't even practice and just get worse?

[@peppapotato]

ravely do you have student loans? Is the degree practical? What is the housing? There are many paths to take for a bit. If you have a way to live at home or rent with roomies for cheaper, you may or may not finish college. Will it leave you in debt? Having to pay back a loan with a degree you won’t use? Can you finish the degree and get work, and keep studying and working on art until you are developed? Write out the realistic options of income, cost of living, etc. it is really hard to know without details. But keeping out of debt while affording basic needs is vital no matter what ❤️

[@jazlyn2385]

im kinda stuck because ive always liked doing art and stuff and i used to always wanna have a career with it, but now ive been interested in a different career option and im like what if i pick the wrong one and i end up hating it? for now im considering just doing art and posting it when i can and have the other option as a career, the other option is studying law since ive always been interested in that and it excites me to think about it.

[@ola6674]

I think part of the issue is the overwhelming presence of internet and social media. As much as they offer mind-blowing amount of information readily available, they create that illusion that you can be 'master' art over a short time. It takes passion for anyone as artist to commit to it for a lifetime - money or not, likes or not, followers or not. And resilience. Art is a long-term journey of self-mastery - not just creating excellent works or showing deftness. You master your emotions: rejections, successes, endorsements, trophies with an attitude of "Oh that's fine, but I just love doing this craft". no matter how good you are, there's someone who could do it in less time, better and more. I've been drawing and enjoying it since I was 11 years-old. I'm 46 now and just opened Instagram account. I told myself I'd enjoy art and love sketching like since that very first day. I set long-term goals and happy they're falling into place. The only competition I accept is the one to make today's version of me is better than yesterday's. The fundamentals are quite important: figure drawing, anatomy and stuff. Then, have life outside art, other passion you can get occasionally take a break to. For me, it's music - and my guitar offers good therapy.

[@nadianadia4867]

I'm 21 and I worry a lot about my progress. I've started drawing "seriously" (drawing almost every day, learning basics etc) only half and a year ago. Drawing is the process I really enjoy and I dream about creating a comic or doing some stuff related to art process But I see others achieving the same goals I have, I see them succeeding, I see that they're about the same age as I am and they started drawing many years ago It doesn't make me jealous, it just makes me upset that I probably will not make my dreams real, that I should have started way earlier (also my family's and other people's opinions that art isn't "a real job" doesn't make the situation better) It is really tough to continue drawing, even I have to force myself to grab a pen or open my laptop. It is so painful to mute all the negative thoughts So recently I've stopped posting. It didn't make it better, but at least I don't receive unwanted judgement or criticism that could discourage me Also KZbin started recommending these motivational videos from artists, most of them are the artists that I look up to I really needed them, they help me to stick to learning, to continue draw every day Thank you a lot

[@bethanyraup3260]

The freedom you feel in art when you're young is so amazing. I remember in middle school I would draw sooooo much fanart for different shows and games and I mainly thank that to the majority of skills I have today to that. Now I have become really self conscious if I'm not making original designs, original idea's, etc because of the type of audience I'm trying to achieve. I've been working to try to go back to the carefree energy and enjoyment I had when making art when I was younger but it's still so hard to return to that headspace.

[@littleDainolf]

I used to draw all the time, making my own comic books as a kid. Somewhere along the line I just stopped drawing but my desire to draw and create have always been there. So I decided now at 32 that I am going to learn to draw. It can be very discouraging at times to see all these amazing young artist with alot of talent. I never had much talent to begin with, just an desire to create. Atm I am just happy if I can learn to draw some decent concept art, that way I can work with other artists to create something amazing.

[@naniyotaka]

They don’t have “talent”, those amazing young artists just never put down the pencil and they had good parents who supported them (not just in their art but emotionally as well). I feel discouraged when I see a 16 year old drawing better (waaay better) than me (I’m 26) but I know that I never had a good childhood where I had the chance to grow so I always try to remember that they have more experience in art than me even if they are younger. We always have to look at the number of hours and not the number of years.

[@TonikoPantoja]

I feel this too, and honestly I've been doing a bit of social media distancing myself. I think a lot of anxiety that I have and a lot of fellow artists that I know always stem from social media. Whether its comparing yourself to other artists or not getting enough likes, followers and comments - it builds a bad case of ego addiction.

[@FainthedCherry]

That's fine that you take a break!

[@MorganeWelsh]

Back in the day, you’d draw because you love the process regardless of the result. We didn’t worry about how many strangers would like our work. I see, on Instagram, all these overly glossy lips and all the Billie Eilish portraits, with prismacolor pencils on the photo, and I wonder: what does the creator enjoy most? The pleasure of drawing or all the likes? My guess is on the likes, or else we wouldn’t witness this cookie cutter trend emerging where all kiddos drawing the exact same stuff, in the exact same style, using the exact same support and mediums. But hey! I could be wrong! After all I’m just an old tweet

[@ninja_tony]

I think you're absolutely right. I'm sure SOMEONE out there absolutely loves drawing Billie Eilish all day, but I have a hard time believing that's the case for the literally hundreds of artists doing the exact same thing on IG all day every day. I hate how it makes me feel like I'm being a gatekeeper, but I feel like a lot of younger artists these days are more focused on engagement than on actually enjoying the work itself, and that's not good for the future of art in general.

[@LeUsFTW]

I think the thing with young artists wanting to find "their style" so bad is that to create a sucessfull social media page you need to show consistency, or people won't follow you because you'll be too unpredictable or non-unique, and usually that consistency is shown as a unique "art-style" to that person. For people learning art by themselves and as a "hobby" that they'd wish to turn into a livin, it's really hard to dedicate so much time into something you don't even know if you'll ever win anything out of. When you have a job or classes that don't relate to art at all, you don't have the time to invest hours and hours of practice into art, so they want to cut corners, and create a good following online to be able to transition. But then you only get a following if you have a style that differentiates you. That's why so many people try so hard to create that unique image for themselves that will make them stand out, before even having a good grasp of the basics, and believe they can improve on those along the way. I know, at least for me, that's why I gave up pretty quickly on making money out of art and never created a page dedicated to it, no one cares about someone who's just regular when there are so many good artists to follow instead.

[@ergojosh]

People care about art that gives them value period, I talked about exactly what that looks like in one of my other videos but yes you are right. Its unfortunate that people want to cut corners in these areas but the reality is that if you don't love art as much as your competitor, you wont make it. The best things in life aren't guaranteed from X action, you just have to take it.

[@LeUsFTW]

@@ergojosh yeah, I agree, a lot of times luck also plays a big role into getting popularity online so it gets very difficult to insist onto something you don't have a good support base for. Passion is what moves people forward independently of every other factor, 100%, and I think being smart about the way you put yourself out there is also very important, like doing challenges and keeping up with trends, and that seems to be even more efficient than a having a lot of talent in the first place. But you can't skip on the basics of you want a steady career, and for that only patience and dedication works so you need to love what you do

[@ShamelesslyCreative]

You forgot the links to the artist's you mentioned. I was surprised that you are just 25! I am a bit older (lol) It is true that there is so much art noise which leads to comparison and self defeating thoughts but at the same time I can now in a moment see different art styles, techniques, interests and these someday may lead to an amalgamation in my own style. Back in the day I took every art class in school and in the community I could and checked out books from the library and the same when I went to college. Art degrees were strongly discouraged. Science became my life work and life happens and art hardly saw the light of day til a year ago. How does that happen the thing that brings you passion and joy gets pushed to be unimportant frivolous? I hope someone can learn from me if they love art do not let it go find a way to keep it going even if not your career, make it a priority your life will be more joyous because of it. It thoroughly sucks being a beginner again! I now draw every single day and mileage under my pencil are the only things I am focusing on and with that every now and again see glimmers of my abilities returning.. I suck but refuse to put art on the back burner any longer life is too short for that! Mileage under your artistic tools and bad art are the only way through to better pieces no matter your age.

[@ergojosh]

Thanks for sharing your experience, and also reminding me to post the links! Done!

[@TrentKaniuga]

Very insightful. You've got a good perspective for a 25 year old artist. As a 43 year old guy who's been a pro since I was 16, I can tell you that there was always that feeling of anxiety (even in the 90s). But without social media, you could completely ignore the competition (until your book came out). In many ways I think it's so much easier to learn to draw in the modern era, if you can not see others as competition, but as mentors.

[@ergojosh]

Thank you!!!

[@FluffyFuwa]

Why is nobody talking about the cool lighting on this vid?

[@MochaFab]

Yael, Right?! Video message aside, I’m finding whatever that screensaver in the background is inspiring lol His space feels so calming.

[@AlfredReinoldBaudisch]

The most impressive thing to me in this video is it being 4K with really good lighting. I have 2 4K cameras but I always record at 1080p in my other channel. I'll try 4K now after watching this video, thanks for the indirect inspiration, lol!

[@chromberries7329]

Yael Fuertes you know, it is easy on the eyes.

[@dr.frankenstein6434]

Artsy farsty lol it looks nice

[@loisgriffin8217]

thank you for making this. there's a lot of pressure to create not only gorgeous art, but also do it consistently otherwise you feel like you fall behind competition.

[@ergojosh]

I stream on twitch M-Thurs from 6PM EST! Follow me on Twitch!!! ▶www.twitch.tv/ergojosh ◀ Okay here are the links to the people I mentioned in the video! Proko's "ASKING PROS" Series▶ kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4GamJiOr69rbJY Eleeza's Work▶ instagram.com/eleeza Artgerm (Stanely Lau)'s OG livestreams▶ livestream.com/stanleyartgermlau + his newer ones▶ kzbin.infovideos

[@kisskill9438]

14:28 People want to make GOOD art. They want to show something great to their followers, and it leads them to avoid failing, because it's not what people want to see except when it's "a draw it again" just to show how much you improved. Artists who tend to draw the same things over and over are scared of trying something new because they know they will fail and nobody will praise them for that. Humans avoid failures in general and forget that failures are important to grow. Big artists such as Wlop or Zeen Chin are extremely good at art because they have years and years of hard work and failures behind them, but we forget that because we are only in front of finished pieces which are the result of these years of studies. We just have to be patient, that's all, art is about patience but people want to improve too quickly, that's why they're so frustrated about their growth as an artist.

[@suemew]

THIS. Failing is the fast pass to success. The more you fail, the better you get.

[@cybercrrgm799]

I agree with you.

[@cybercrrgm799]

We fall into what I call the fantasy trap. I talked about it in a power point I made. I should relaunch it to KZbin. 🤔

[@Animechick7797]

We'll be here when you get back! Your content is worth waiting for

[@AudraAuclair]

This was very helpful and you worded it all so well. As someone who has definitely buckled under the weight of the current climate artist's are in, I can definitely confirm the road to continued success as an artist is not letting comparison or artist's depression take a firm hold. Focus on the enjoyment of creation and exploration.

[@jaimebeazer5948]

I’m 12 years old, I should still enjoy art and doodle and have fun with it, but when I go on social media everyday and seeing all these great artists and I compare my art. I know it’s stupid to do because they’re like 24+ and have a a ton more experience but yet I still compare my self, go weeks without drawing. I want to to stop this. I’m writing it down. That’s my goal this year to stop comparing.

[@ergojosh]

Go for it! You could be running circles around me by even 16 honestly

[@jaimebeazer5948]

e r g o j o s h haha, maybe!

[@f3rrrmi]

don't take this as a offense but bruh you're literally a kid, enjoy doing doodles and weird art dude! When I was 12 I didn't give a f*ck about the rules in art and I was so happy doing what I love I kinda regret that I forgot that mentality because art is supposed to be relaxing for me, now I'm back at it in my mid 20's :)

[@spectre5307]

Please savor the time you have and enjoy being 12!!!! Dont waste your years comparing yourself to others when you could be enjoying drawing instead

[@yourMAMA.]

@@ergojosh you suck

[@lillinapoc7647]

Listening to this was such a good reminder for me. I'm currently in a phase of wanting to improve my art, and I know practicing the fundamentals has been the largest key in progressing. Though, I know that social media has brainwashed me into assuming that if I get it wrong the first time--even the first few times--that I suck. Little do I know--or most people know--is that the artists we see online posting their art have made the same mistakes, yet only post their most polished work and hide their trials-errors. Even throughout history: the paintings we see in the museums were once 100 pieces of practice/trial-error before they made their historical masterpiece(s). But I really needed to hear all of this today. It's harder to be an artist if you let your socials brainwash you, yet easier to improve because of the vast array of education. It's a case of mind over matter. Just have to remember this. I know that I always fall back into the bad habit of self-comparison :')

[@fernandoalmeida00]

So true, man! There's way too many distractions that can easily drag your attention away from art. I grown up in the 00's, my older brother used to draw in late 90's, early 00's, he was at a level that I'm 100% sure it would've taken him far into the comic industry. Well, I was gonna say unfortunately (for me as his number 1 fan) but fortunately he found a good job and now is happy with his life that way (not as an artist). I can share one thing he said and left me after he stopped that is: - Be unique, create, do not copy from others. Make art impossible to replicate, your art has to be so unique that you won't even need to sign it... And then he left me his gift... I remember I started drawing when he stopped and I found out I could draw too. Not on the same level as him, not as natural but that time on I never stopped.

[@hellokittied]

*_you have one of the most beautiful voices i’ve ever heard._*

[@XxRinLuvCupcakesxX]

This video really helped me to process how I feel about my art recently/as a young artist. I'm 23 and I see a lot of younger artists on instagram who are much better than me and I get discouraged easily when there's always such an overwhelming amount of talented people. While my account does not get any attention it seems (I've been stuck at 100 followers for 2 years), I guess this also gets to me since there are times when I feel like my art is worth seeing and that I'd like to communicate with people but it never seems to happen for me. Thank you for giving me strength to continue drawing for myself! I like what I do and I think I'll definitely feel better about my drawings if I stop comparing myself to others and enjoy my own art journey!

[@nutsandbolts1264]

The only way to become a successful online artist is to have a distinct style, as in something in your drawings that sets you apart from other artists, weather it's using certain materials or something in your drawing that tells people that it's your own style, the youtubers or artists that stand out the most only stand out because of their styles and even if someone tries to copy your style, you will be a step ahead because only you can decide what to make in your own way. So if you're looking to become an artist just make sure that there is something that sets you apart from the others or else you might end up like any other rookie making art that is easily copied by others.

[@kirlanda4ever]

As a person who is in my mid thirties and found the love of art in my junior year of highschool and allowed everyone’s critique of me to break me. I needed to see this video. I hadn’t touched a sketchbook in literally a decade because I was so discouraged. For me, every time I started to draw, just as a hobby, I would get criticized because I was not using that time build skills to get me better employment. I was in an environment where it was discourage because broke people can’t have hobbies😩. The thing I regret the most was not having the mindset and confidence to defend and protect myself from other miserable people. As an older millennial, I just didn’t have the backbone and was surrounded by people who also didn’t have the backbone to protect the things that gives us peace because of the time is money mentality. COVID hit and I broke out my old sketchbooks and I realize I wasn’t too terrible. But man, the amount of years wasted not practicing does hit hard. And social media is definitely a double edge sword. But despite it all, drawing soothes me, and I’m grown now so I refuse to let others dictate my hobbies. So, thank you for this video!

[@kellsuuu5154]

I love videos like these where I can just listen while I sketch! I will be tuning into your podcast for sure 🥺

[@daichi3873]

Your profile and username is amazing lol

[@Zenith1987]

Wise words, Josh. I'm a little older than you and appreciate how the Internet back "in the day" had to be searched and found out. I don't recall the constant information saturation we have now. Now, stuff is handed to us literally in our hands. I have always enjoyed admiring the art of artists further along than me but I ultimately just get NUMB to it all and even the coolest pieces suddenly all look like the rest. It makes it VERY hard to see my own artistic ideas and process in my mind's eye because I'm so bombarded with stuff. The only solution is that I have to take week-long breaks from my art feeds because there's just so much to get distracted by and to look at. Your nostalgic comment on how slow everything the art communities were really hit home to me. Also, I wish the "style" thing would just go away.

[@schleepyzo]

i’ve noticed that during this quarantine i’ve spent so much time watching videos and tutorials about how to improve my art, yet i only spend maybe 3-4 hours a week drawing. i look up to all these amazing artists and think “wow, i really like how they do this” so i try to do that thing, but when it doesn’t end up looking like theirs i think to myself that i’m just not good and should try something else. i’m so distracted by trying to make my art look good and something that could impress others, and sometimes i don’t even want to start because i’m nervous that it’ll look bad. i know in the back of my mind i always knew i was being too focused on trying to be as good as others, vut now that i’m hearing it from someone else, it’s given me a second chance to look at how i do things and change it before it’s too late. i love your work man, thanks for bringing this to light 👊🏻🖌

[@behappyadwoa]

You are speaking to me. I needed this. Thanks for opening up and sharing your views as a black artist. -Greetings from Germany

[@doomguy7410]

You nailed it for me. I don't want to draw, or even practice or study because I overthink it. Even if my studies or practices don't look good I shut down. And watching my favorite artists is really fun but I expect myself to get to that level but lacking their experience. I'm going to try to just focus on learning and less on the product.

[@doomguy7410]

I worry too much of the future

[@haileyt857]

I have the same exact problem. I’m just sitting there with my sketchbook 5 feet away from me thinking something like, ‘I need to study anatomy, but how am I going to put fluidity into it when all I have are stagnant poses available to me. Maybe I’ll just take lessons! Where can I find good lessons? ((checks the internet)) Ah, it looks like they are at least $120+ and I can’t afford that. Maybe college? I get financial aid! Ahh but college really isn’t for me. Maybe I can-‘ etc. Then after some more thinking I just get too overwhelmed and end up not doing anything but go on social media. Then I see artists that inspire me post things and I start the cycle all over again. I do draw *some times* but it’s very little. I really wish I could get feedback and encouragement from people. That’s another thing I struggle with. Ugh.

[@doomguy7410]

@@haileyt857 getting too focused on that I'm not at that skill level yet that I don't even try

[@leveledfeats]

It's so true to learn to do art for yourself these days. I like to create stories with my artwork in a series of paintings so they connect with one another after they're all finished. To me that's really satisfying. I tend to avoid trends on instagram bc usually it's a distraction that swerves me off my project and I don't intend to finish what I started. Then nothing ever gets done. I feel as artists, there needs to be a common balance. We should do work that inspires ourselves AND other people. But not for the sake of likes, rather, to instead influence other people to aspire to their goals. I feel if we only feed ourselves our art we essentially create art in a vacuum. I believe it's important to block out the noise from social media from time to time. That can put a big dent in progress, especially if you see someone doing something cool, you also want to do that cool thing. The problem with that though is, you can lose focus on your own path. Always stay true to who you are, what message you want to put out into the world.

[@SeasonalFrostbite]

I see what u mean. I wasn’t self aware when I was a kid drawing. I spent hours neglecting everything else just to draw in my own world. I think having access to anything and everything as u said has stopped others from moving forward. They don’t realize the journey and the component you’re competing with is yourself. It’s your journey. Keep drawing. Never stopping.

[@فطر]

I very rarely comment on videos, but I really enjoyed listening to you talk while I’m drawing. Keep it up Josh and I look forward to your podcast.

[@ergojosh]

I appreciate that!

[@sonic6494]

This is true , social media , distraction , thinking that our art is "not good enough" is one of the main reasons why alot of young generation artist tend to have this "art block". I love drawing , and I've always wanted to improve my drawing skills , I look at KZbinrs like Proko , you and Modern day James, and I've been reading Loomis and Michael Hampton. I like the learning process , but when I see other artists that I admire on IG , I always compare their art to mine and I think mines "not good enough" , and I start to to get stressed when my drawings aren't getting better . Because I'm not focusing on developing and improving my skills ,I'm focused on what people think of my drawings , if they like them or not , not to mention losing THE LOVE FOR DRAWING! Like I said I love art , but the challenges that we artists face nowadays is what is destroying our will mentally and love for something we see as a way of life 💔 (Sorry for the bad English ) Peace y'all 💚

[@magicmegs6560]

Josh, always so good with the content. "too scared to work" on their art "and have forgotten about the joys of art" nailed it. I have found that I spend more time "learning" and distracting myself with art content then actually making art. When I go periods without IG or pintrest I start feeling my natural intuition again and the pull to make things that just feel fun. The access to information is definitely a double sided coin. On one hand it can dilute your thoughts and make you feel unfocused or even compare yourself to others. Yet what a gift to find a reference or art community so quickly. Thank you Josh for being the gift you are to the art community. Your voice is so relaxing and I connect with your vibe.

[@lottoshot5944]

This literally came up while i was crying about my art. I stopped drawing because of this reason when i started high-school and regret it because now im pursuing art years later and it again came and hurt my flow and inspiration to continue. Really hope i get a lot better

[@Tamdel]

I remember drawing ever since I could hold a pencil. I am 36 now and I remember growing up in a world where art was only famous once the artist was dead. Artists were poor people who would never be able to make a living. I have always been a creative person so at school art was this cutesy thing you gave kids to do to keep them busy and if it didn't look automatically amazing then you weren't good at it and someone else who was was chosen. It didn't stop me from drawing though. I would visit my grandparents and they would give me a pencil and some envelopes to draw on. When I finished high school I decided to take a year off and do all the things I wanted to but had no time for because of school. So I went right back to art, sketching and painting and learning to play guitar. I then got married, moved to a different country, had a few kids. It is only in the last 6 years that I have picked art up again. It has been a great journey but I do feel like social media and the internet do interfere with art a little. Sometimes it is nice to just stare out your window, draw something from beginning to end without picking up your phone or opening your laptop etc. That way you can better connect with your art and that spiritual nature of creating. It is interesting seeing 16 year old's with this amazing art and a huge amount of followers and me over here like what happened, I am old enough to be their mom 😆 but then I remember we are all on a journey and I am so glad to see young people being encouraged in their art and making a go of it.

[@awal7994]

Man, I myself was going to move by May, but there was Covid and some surprise expenses in this matters. Really understand your perspective, I wish good changes for you! I think it would be pretty nice to have some studio tour if you feel like it!

[@akaiakaru]

I really want to thank you for spreading the words on how important of treasuring the feelings of enjoying art, as it's really an important part that keeps us moving forward no matter how hard it is. I've had a really terrible time during my art college where my lecturers will compare our work to experienced artists like Stanley and butchered our confidence to the lowest. Even though I've improved drastically, I've hated every single process of painting and almost completely gave up on painting at one point throwing away 10 years of hard work. (100 days of croquis, sleepless nights, endless portrait pencil drawings, even studied Maya) Keep preaching! More people should keep reminding themselves on why they decided to be serious on art!

[@asx516]

For me I've drawn for years going back to the early 90's. But in the early 2000's I lost focus, dealt with personal issues and stopped drawing completely. Now every time I get that urge to create and try to get back into it there's so much information overload, distractions, and comparisons to other artist especially younger ones that it's hard to get motivated to start again.

[@RoxieJoy19]

Yes! I agree a lot of what your saying. Social media has taken over my art for a long time and it slowly made me feel like I'm not good enough. I stopped posting my art since February and I feel so much better now that I'm just keeping it to myself for now. I'm learning perspective now and I'm not worried about posting it. I can just take my time and learn and not rush my art like I used to

[@nicetrayyy]

Damn this is such a great video. I totally agree with you, there are tons of videos, tutorials, guides, styles, etc. across the internet. Honestly, it makes learning stuff tougher. I find myself watching 30 videos about 1 thing, with each video saying different things on how to do it, and you get tired and confused, and don't know where to start from.

[@ergojosh]

Yes 30 videos on one thing is such a deep trap to be stuck in haha. I see it all the time when people ask me to do x I dont even do on my channel. You can end up in this mindless search for the “tip” above all tips.

[@Cafewatercolor]

I can listen to you all day long! :) Hope I can interview you one day! I resonate so much with your talk. I stepped into the fine art world about 4-5 years ago, I immediately look at the masters of the field and just feel it's impossible to reach there. Now that I am a little bit established (just a little) I see many beginners intimidate by it. So real artists talk here, love it so much!

[@ren_escar]

I've been doing art since I was a kid and a starving artist for almost ten years now, and still, nobody notices my shit ahaha! I also believe that nepotism is one factor for success these days. if you live in the middle of nowhere and too broke to go to conventions and the only source of info is the internet, you're just a droplet in the ocean.

[@jbeihl1]

The standard is waaaaay higher today in visual arts across the board then it was in the 80s and 90s and they guys that have lasted in the business that broke in back then have all gotten better since the time they broke in

[@emaboo3742]

Taking a break is the best thing! I once took a break from art for MONTHS and even tho it made me slow down it was worth it ot made me calm down and do other things and find more things that i enjoy

[@asimian8500]

The distractions of the Internet and Social Media can be overwhelming, but discipline is required. The amount of resources available for anything from art to Quantum Mechanics is insane. If you have the willingness to learn and you are disciplined, the sky is the limit.

[@blondewisteria]

Dude! So cool. Happy for you. As much as your subs love you, I’m sure it goes without saying, even for future references, to feel free to take your time whenever. Best of luck.

[@milest6111]

Since I discovered your videos this year I've really been able to not only release my artist anxiety but also pinpoint where the issues within myself are coming from. So grateful and I look forward to more of your content!!

[@toriiskarlet274]

I think personally I've always struggled with wanting to find my "style" because when I draw I have a difficult time with consistency and it never looked how i wanted it to so I always thought ya know I just haven't found my style yet. But what you said about working at it, improving and implementing what I know about anatomy in my own natural way without comparing myself to others really helped me realize that it has a lot more to do with repetition and experience than i just cant draw, which I really needed to hear because most of the time I think I'm just trash ;-;. In the long run I am only 15 right now so I know I got a lot of growing to do art wise but thank you for this video b e c a u s e it kinda just gave me motivation to just keep at it and find what works for me

[@giah.4283]

Yes please take a break! I’m a small artist and I’m also moving at the moment, so I definitely feel ya! Good luck, stay safe and healthy!

[@boinzy1754]

I'm definitely part of the age group where we were transitioning from using books to using the internet for learning purposes. I remember going to Books A Million and picking out how to draw anime books while at the same time printing out pictures online of my favorite characters and tracing over them. Nowadays I rarely ever use books and rely heavily on Pinterest for references.

[@Cyromantik]

First of all, congratulations on the new place! Awesome and absolutely I'd love a KZbin studio tour! Secondly, as an "art boomer", hand-cut zip-a-tone is something I experienced with art projects in high school and later in my first art job, which was working at a silk screen press company. I initially got my references through either the library or off BBS systems on Telnet. The internet in its present form basically came about as I moved in from High School to College, and I moved along with it. It's a fantastic tool, but there's a danger of analysis paralysis.

[@AbiWilliams12292011]

Completely agree. I'm never pleased with what I do, but yet I keep doing it. I don't really know why. I guess it's because of the drive I have to want to be perfect at it. Not perfect as in flawless, but perfect in my eyes that I have been able to do something just right.

[@sangui2314]

its actually insane how amazing your video quality is, im literally shook, everything about your set up is so visually pleasing :O

[@foraaaaaa]

Don't worry, take as much time as you need, we will be waiting for you! Lots of love ❤️

[@vmdraco]

I want to thank you for this video. It's really spoken to me and I'm glad this was recommended to me. I've struggled with these feelings for a very long time, probably over ten years since getting out of high school and after graduating college. You're 100% correct in what you say. The pressure to have so much exposure and outlets, and learning everything all at once is just... so much. Not to mention what they feed you in art school, telling you that you have to have A, B, and C to be successful and the pigeonholing only makes me feel worse. I've always been a perfectionist with my work since childhood, but as an adult it's been crippling and upsetting. Every time I draw I don't take joy in it anymore. It just becomes an exhausting process of overthinking, over analyzing flaws, and wondering why I can't just skip to the level of professionalism that I see from my peers, or from people who somehow "made it" as artists without floundering. I already have pretty severe clinical depression from other factors, and just getting out of bed is hard. Drawing is almost impossible now. Nowadays all I can think about is how much of a failure I am at not doing as much art as I should. I still live at home and hearing my dad talk about why I'm not picking up my pencil or doing some painting hurts because he doesn't understand that doing it is painful, and only reminds me of how much I'm missing. It's exhausting. I could never pinpoint what it was that I was feeling. I assumed, as you said, that it was art block. But it wasn't, I was just sad as fuck. I'm so sad that I've fallen out of love with art. I wish I still had what I valued while in grade school, and drawing for the sake of it rather than for a grade, or approval from teachers for what they deem "employable", or just to get a goddamn job in this fucking economy; when I would draw every day and fill up sketchbooks and not think too much about it because it was pure, clean fun. I don't know how to make it stop. I feel like now that I've realized it, I'm grieving over it. I feel broken.

[@fijaystudio]

I am a boomer, and studied art formally through the 70's, 80's. I had to spend my life earning a living not from art. But never stopped doing art. I think the main difference today is the obsession with making it, and a great deal of lack of discernment of quality. There is a great deal of s**t out there that thinks itself art. There are few people who can tell. Strive for Mastery, f**k everything else. Whether you get there, what matters is Working on it. And we learnt from great artists, masters technically and stylistically. Find an atelier to study within if you can. Other than that, study the masters.

[@phillipcampbell9061]

The message is so helpful and it's a lullaby in its presentation. I found in my own journey as an artist that the outside world coupled with the internal voices can force you to lose interest in your own art, especially if you're not of a certain mental fortitude to realize that to build yourself, the process doesn't come with a fast forward button. It is sometimes a tedious, meandering path with roadblocks. It is up to you, the individual to embrace the journey and document it to show yourself before showing the world who you were and who you've become.

[@tsariaalbrecht1009]

This is my first vid of his and I am in love with the art behind him. It's mesmerizing. I love how it's moving. As an "older" artist I must tell you not only was it a luxury it was also very discounted. It wasn't seen as a serious occupation. It was always just a hobby. There wasn't an awareness either of all the type of jobs you could do. Now I feel like there are so many areas that I could have done that I would have been so much better at had I even known about them. I see younger people doing jobs I know would be so perfect for me but the entry is blocked because when you're older, no one wants to pay you for your experience. Or they see you as detached from what is hot or whatever.

[@karl8179]

The two main reasons people aren't improving solely comes from: 1: Getting appraisal (feeding your ego and hence stumping your growth) 2: and, making art for others and not for your own enjoyment "It's fun, and it should be fun. If it's not fun, you're doing it wrong". Of course, people won't take this seriously cause many people don't take what they've learned anymore. If a psychologist came and talked to you about learning how to study effectively would you take what he's learned to improve yourself or go home and greet the internet? Advice is only something you yourself can take seriously.

[@theliv7465]

This is so true I was like this before months ago and still am but I learned to practice more and just enjoy drawing even tho Im failing btw I just made an art channel recently would appreciate if u visit it😄

[@karl8179]

@@theliv7465 I don't think you could fail, failing sounds negative, call it experience! uh haha That sounds corny but optimism can be great! Yo! Congrats! Imma check it out

[@pastelcloudskai]

This topic of discussion really shreds light on why I have a want to do and be creative in art and why there isn’t much progress being made for me. Productivity, Distractions, Comparison Decisions regarding my judgements of where I want to be and where I am in are. Looking at and feeling this didn’t come out how I want. My skills are very elementary and I have a desire to growth but a lack of focus. This time in Quarantine has a feeling of “I should be doing” or “there is a better use of my time if I...”. Great food for thought and informative, I will take this with me moving forward!

[@laurennelson9880]

A teacher once told me, "The only difference between an amateur and a professional, is the professional has failed more times than the amateur even tried." This video really made that saying strike home for me.

[@latika1998]

Wow, when you said that you think people are hesitant to create, it’s because they’re afraid and anxious due to the pressure and expectations they put on themselves, I felt that. I honestly suffered from art block since I graduated from college. I haven’t gotten into the groove of things because I lack discipline. Now, I’m pushing myself to create like it’s a workout or something. It goes back to the root of feeling depressed when you have the bad habit of comparing yourself constantly to others. I’m currently trying to break out of tearing myself down and this video motivated me to be more determined. As a wise female MC once said, “can’t stop, won’t stop, get gwap.” *Saweetie voice* Thank you for sharing your thoughts and opening this discussion! I will definitely be tuning in on your podcast.

[@GemZape_fit]

New subscriber here! Can't believe I'm just discovering you now! You're so laid back with all your videos & learning so much from all of your tutorials! ^-^ Take all the break you need and stay safe during this time!

[@KapriciousBoo]

I just want to say thank you for making this video. I’m also 25 and I started out learning art just like you did, drawing constantly without distractions from the internet or social media, and loving the process of learning every step of the way. But somewhere down the line I got caught up in the trap of comparison and anxiety, and internalizing the lie told by my fashion design professors that illustration/art is non-viable. For the past two years it’s been a struggle to find that positive source of passion I had for years growing up. Luckily, my love for art still led me to practice sporadically (you can never really break up with art if you love her, huh lol) but I’ve been working really hard to push out of this negative mindset trap and take myself seriously as an artist. Watching your videos and hearing you say everything I’ve been dealing with not only let’s me know that I’m not alone, but it makes the light at the end of the tunnel that much brighter and closer. I now *know* I can push through. Thanks for sharing, Josh! 🙏🏾✨

[@ViciousAmbitious911]

Studio tour!

[@mewly5010]

I'm so glad you talked about this, I never realised it but you bought back so many memories of like... just the joy of early drawing without the internet (and especially instagram), and learning via books from the library etc. It is SO much harder nowadays to be an artist.

[@Mijuki]

Do what makes you happy!

[@y3tora]

Couldnt have said this better! You truly said what I've been thinking but never could put into words. Thank you for posting this, really needed it. I always thought that it was kind of unappreciative or selfishness to think we had it worse than the previous generations being that we have so much information & resources now than ever before & saying we cant concentrate or focus for more than 10m was just pure laziness. This really just lifted some weight of my shoulders and made me realize the struggle is just different, with different challenges but still a struggle.

[@vox3347]

I'm actually a younger artist myself, and I want to get a platform to show my art, but when I see other artists that are 13+ (I'm 12) they draw so realistic, while my artist style is cartoony, it kinda discourages me because I feel like my art style isn't good enough. The criteria for artist is pretty toxic. I mean for tiktok artist you have to be young, you have to have a realistic style, and you have to have good drawing and painting supplies. PS: hope you are ok, if you need to take a longer Break go for it! You need it! Hope your doing well 😊

[@kisskill9438]

Hi, don't worry about your art style. A cartoony art style is as good as realism. And this is only my opinion but I find realism pretty boring tbh. This is more about technical skills than originality if nothing is changed nor stylized. But at the end, we're all equally putting efforts in our art to make it look good, and that's valuable. People like you art bc this is your perception of things, your way to draw from imagination or real life, whatever. Don't try to please ppl, do what you want. Draw for yourself first then share it if you want to, but don't let others misleading you.

[@clairepinckney416]

Stick with it! I'm sure you will but I promise it's worth it. I'm a couple years older than you but from when I was your age to now, I saw the most growth I've seen myself have ever- nonetheless, I still have tons and tons of work to do to get better. Still, I don't even have a very specific style yet, but while you work on technique, style will come!

[@vox3347]

@@clairepinckney416 thanks so much!

[@vox3347]

@@kisskill9438 thanks for the encouragement!

[@nenidetic]

I can relate lol. I'm 13 and my art style is really cartoony as well. When I see art that's somewhat more realistic, though, I take it as inspiration to learn about different art styles and diverge from my super bubbly style into various things (not that cartoons don't look good). As for TikTok, or any other social media platform, any types of art can become popular. I've seen many artists with a sketchbook and pencil that get lots of attention regardless of the art style.

[@MsCherrydollface]

Well, this was an eye-opener... I am a Gen-Xer, but I can certainly understand where you're coming from. I didn't have the internet or social media growing up, instead I had the library and museums, which I still love to this day. They were important destinations for me, places to go and relax, learn, and focus. Plus get out of the house, and into the world. I was heavily into the arts when I was a teen, walked away from it for a time, but have rediscovered the artist within me. And you're right, it was easier in the past, the distractions now border on the excruciating. I remember going to the library and browsing the Reference Section, where all the great art books were located, and looking for the artists I happen to see in the museums, wanting to learn more. Taking those books to the table, they couldn't be checked out, and pouring over them for hours on the weekend. For me at the time, nothing made me happier. I would take out my sketch paper and pencil, and copy those great works, practicing and building that muscle memory. And in time something magical happened: my own style emerged, it was like practicing script writing, and discovering your own signature. But that takes TIME and PATIENCE. I wasn't hard on myself because, honestly, who was I comparing myself to? I was never going to be an Edward Hopper or Frida Kahlo clone, and I didn't want to be, I just wanted to be the best version of myself. But most of all, I wanted art to be a source of joy, not a big fat hairy drag! When it's not a point of pleasure anymore, but of stress instead, it's time to refocus and re-evaluate. Time to tune out, and listen to yourself. Time to introduce a little bit of analog, and subtract some of the digital. This was such a great post, thank you. Congratulations on your new place, and best of luck to you!

[@BennyValdesMusic]

Dude shut up. THIS WAS A GREAT VIDEO MAN. NOTHING IS PERFECT. Sometimes being a little messy in a message you want to convey to the community gets out ideas you wont get with bullet points and a script. I LOVED this video. Thank you so much for the time you take to talk to us and share your ideas. Not to mention us inspire us to become better. I completely agree with you as well. I subscribed to your channel because you videos are so helpful and listen, we are ALL learning and sharing. You are awesome man!!!!!!!! 👌🙏👍

[@ergojosh]

haha thanks so much man this was encouraging

[@artbythedarkside4273]

Hey Josh. This is actually very comforting and helpful for someone who struggles to not hate their work even if I know it's good. It's comforting to know that it's okay to let it go. I'm in the discord channel you opened too, and that's been a very good space for me.

[@iggy7893]

Do what you want.

[@leiasart4610]

sounds oddly aggressive lol

[@angiegabriela]

LeiaDraws yes 🤣🤣🤣the period at the end

[@SF-ol5mt]

thx Iggy

[@nenidetic]

@@leiasart4610 i think the word you're looking for is "curt" lol

[@leiasart4610]

@@nenidetic I guess so, not a native English speaker :D

[@CleoStudios]

Totally feeling this. Always was that arist kid, left art for 10 years. Came back at it in my 30’s. Best thing I’ve done for myself but a lot has changed. I’m currently taking a break and posting less and focusing on my skills. I just also painting, painting for skill o for fun. Just focused on my leaning. Not worrying about everything. Giving myself the time to grow. Thx for this vid Josh, good stuff

[@cloe441]

It’s fine! Take a break:)

[@onionjedi]

Social media mania also took a toll on my work and perception on it. It made me compare myself to others so much that I started imitating every artist that I deemed really good or amazing. I started imitating their work and I lost my own path in art. After just letting go of that, I can say it's a huge relief. Don't forget to enjoy what you're doing and to do what comes natural to you and your work, do it for that feeling alone, that's when your skills will truly improve. Also, this video is so ultra HD I thought my eye sight improved :D

[@fumekoo]

That's fine mate,,

[@Jooskeu]

Really glad you made this video. Ever since I found art it calmed my anxiety and was a good creative outlet, being praised as a kid in class was the best feeling ever. Nowadays drawing just makes me on the edge of a mental breakdown, I *Dread* drawing because I’m afraid of failing or messing up. I just started posting my art so I could do something with my hobby, but it’s even more discouraging when no ones follows or notices what I post. I love art so much and I’m sad that I never am motivated to draw because I try to avoid the horrible feeling of not being able to draw what’s in my head. Yea being able to access tons of art is useful, But for me it’s making me stray away from my only hobby.

[@DustyMusician]

take a break, go ahead and perfect that epic beard you got goin on

[@RoachChaddjr]

This was a great video. I have trouble wording my feelings, but you described it in this video so well. I will have to revisit for a reminder to stand back from social media and re-find the joy in my creation as I have lost it for some time. Just brilliant. Thank you so much Ergo Josh.

[@Segathi]

For a moment I thought you were sitting in front of me. Your camera is too realistic. Please, record in lower quality.