★ why i hate my art ★

[@didi7074]

I find the art community is constantly contradicting themselves. If you say you love everything about your art and don't want to criticize or change anything people get mad and say you are being snob, unrealistic, too optimistic etc. However if you are Critical of your art people get mad, tell you to stop being so negative, that you should be happy with your art and that being negative about it you are putting other people down. I love when artists say they struggled with something or aren't happy with what they drew because it shows we are all human and I'm not the only one struggling. Personally it doesn't bother me

[@themightierpencil]

YES! If you post a sketchbook with all finished art, they say you're making it an unattainable goal for other artists. If you mention how you don't like the result of a particular sketch or painting, they say "mY aRt iS wOrSe". Like, pick a struggle.

[@untitled_paintings]

Yess!! And it’s so frustrating as an artist to figure out what to share because you want to be truthful but it’s so easy to be misunderstood

[@didi7074]

@@themightierpencil Oh yea definitely I'm not a fan of sketchbooks that only have finished pieces. Most artist's sketchbooks have more sketches that finished pieces. I hate how competitive artists are gosh! It's always "better vs worse"

[@didi7074]

@@untitled_paintings I agree! As someone who wants to start an art channel but likes to be honest I really don't know how to balance that out

[@untitled_paintings]

@@didi7074 first of all, good luck with starting your channel! I don’t think I share unsuccessful art as I probably should on mine, and I definitely want to start doing that more, but when I do I try to explain why I’m not happy with it and point out what I might want to improve It’s a difficult balance to reach😢

[@themightierpencil]

I had this one video go viral on TikTok where I asked other artists what was the worst art advice they got. In the video I mentioned how the sketch I was doing in the video wasn't my best and I got SO MANY people doing exactly what you were saying. Even SamDoesArt had it in one of his YT videos and I got unsolicited advice about not being negative about my art. I was like, GUYS I don't like THIS sketch, it doesn't mean I don't like ANY of my sketches. It pissed me off, so yeah I get it.

[@stroodledoodles]

I feel like people these days are so chronically online that they can no longer tell the difference between valid criticism and 'being mean'. It's gotten to a point where everyone is just spreading toxic positivity, which isn't good for anybody. You keep doing you, love the art

[@winterillust]

you know you're really improving, when you start seeing mistakes in your work. so being self critical is kinda vital while also trying not to get overcritical. lol the balance is tough.

[@kapng5519]

Oh and also!!! the fact that you are not afraid of making bad art is extremely inspiring and has been the reason I have actually been able to even pick up art again after over a year of quitting because I was so afraid of making bad art. so thank you for sharing your "bad" work and your process, too :)

[@reneenoriega4524]

I've always found toxic positivity so weird like, if one never admits doing wrong there's so no room for doing better. My worse time for art was in highschool when I refused to see when I made a mistake, and the result was a lack of improvement and a severe burn out that got me without drawing for years. I love your videos BECAUSE you talk about the art you don't like, and the stuff you think can be better. That mindset helped reconnect with art (thank you for it btw)

[@clairecrosbycreative]

I have a big sloppy painted page on my studio wall that says MAKE A LOT OF BAD ART. I put it in every sketchbook. I love making bad art. You're right, there's no morality to it. I know if I make a ton of bad art, I might get a few pieces of good art and that's cool. Making bad art doesn't mean I'm not trying or learning or improving. It's just freedom and fun and being real. So yah, i love this video. I Love your attitude. I love you being yourself.

[@gracerasmuson4278]

I am going to do that now, I love not just being ok with bad art, but encouraging it. Thank you for the idea! Its better to have bad art than no art at all.

[@arioctober]

I love this!!! I start every new sketchbook with the first page having a sloppy typography piece that says #MAKEBADART!

[@aracelisantoyo6620]

Of the many artists I watch and follow all over social media, I find you the most relatable because you keep it real. Seriously, the bottom line is, all artists go through this during their creative process. You're just saying it out loud. What's wrong with admitting to yourself and the world watching that, "hey, this piece was hard"or the end result didn't exactly match what your vision of it was when you started. It's ok to even hate stuff that you make, all artist do! You're keeping it real, and that's comforting. That's inviting to me as an artist who is also on their journey to self growth. I look forward to your content because you keep it light, fresh and freaking real!

[@s0ur-pineapplez]

you’re so real for this and if i’ve ever commented something like that i apologize because i totally understand how you feel!! comparison in the art world is such a drastic range and you can’t assign a certain feeling to it really. critique is such a fluid thing. there’s no lying or making up. how you feel is how YOU feel. you got this al i love threes videos because they’re so real and down to earth

[@untitled_paintings]

This is such an important video and a topic that definitely needs to be discussed more! It’s really frustrating as an artist to figure out what to share, and I understand that other people might interpret things in a different way than it was meant to be, but we all have unique art journeys and I think it’s fundamental to analyse your own pieces and figure out what needs improving, and then go ahead and put in the work to actually improve it. Failure is so, so important! Again, thank you for sharing this🥰

[@marettahamman677]

There are people who appreciate your honesty about your art! One: it makes me feel less weird about critiquing my art, two: seeing you critique yourself helps me learn how to do it (being also self taught)! I understand that feeling as when I get frustrated when critiquing myself and people tell me not to, or tell me to find something good or whatever, I don't want to explain that this piece just isn't up to my skill level or the skill level I want to be

[@ChantelleArts]

It's sad to hear you feel like this and have received these comments. At the end of the day, you share your feelings to all of us and if you've spent 10 hours painting something that you don't really like, of course you're going to explain why, it would be disingenuous to lie. It doesn't reflect in any way on other people's art or your ability as an artist, it just means that you hold yourself to a high standard and are feeling maybe it didn't quite meet that. I'd rather you be honest with your feelings than feel like you have to hide them ❤

[@deathsheadhawkmoths]

i've had this issue irl, like with family members. when i express dissatisfaction with art i'm in the process of making or have just made i'm often met with this type of reaction and it makes me incredibly frustrated. it's hard for them to understand that it's a part of the process for me, and it's okay. i'm allowed to be critical of my own art, and it doesn't mean i hate all of my art or i hate myself! thanks for talking about this!!!

[@catalina8051]

OH GOD this video throw me back when a friend asked me what I was doing and I send them a screenshot of a digital sketch I was working on saying "haha it's gonna be hard because of the perspective and background lol" and they went off saying stuff like "noo you're an amazing artist don't under estimate yourself, If I were half as good as you I would be so happy, You can overcome anything with your skills and knowlegde, etc" and I was so confused and kinda frustrated with they response at the time and didn't know why until a year ago. I wasn't being hard on myself or under estimating myself I was being honest because I don't usually do more than 1 point perspective or draw complicated backgrounds and they "encouragement" make me feel like I can't complain or fail because I'm "gifted". As a self taught person is important to have criticism as said in the video so now I approach people whom I know is going to be honest and objective to help me learn and grow

[@sarahoda2246]

I guess being an artist is competing with yourself. Somehow we usually are not satisfied with the results, so, basically we spend more time improving our skills! I feel great to hear this kind of advice, because nowadays some people are forcing positivity all time that, sometimes, I think I'm so bad for being a little negative. Thanks for sharing your perspective! :)

[@Suzysuze15]

Your words are truth! and especially what you said about it not being your job to regulate other people's feelings about YOUR feelings. It's not mean, it's healthy. Thank you for your honesty and sincerity.

[@TobyLizard]

I think your frustration about this topic is valid. Because when someone tells us how to feel or that we shouldn’t feel a certain thing (regardless of how much of a good place it may come from) it feels invalidating.

[@elizabethcalli8237]

so relatable. I'm also the type of person to casually say "negative" things about myself and it gets annoying when people try to argue with something you didn't even mean literally. I get the feeling people are projecting their low self esteem onto us.

[@s0up006]

I feel like this links to the way people view art more widely (especially from 'famous' artists) there's this idea that you have to appreciate all the art equally because its ART so people feel like they can't dislike stuff or think critically about it because there's a sense of morality around it - when you think something isn't for you or is bad it's like you're failing to appreciate how good it is when you're really just understanding what you like and dislike.

[@viadiagnosis]

Happy to see that you're setting this boundary for yourself. The pressure that content creators are under a lot of the time (wrt "goodness" and positivity and that weird parasocial relationship that some consumers have) is intense, especially if the content you create is something you enjoy doing and actively want to pursue and get better at. It's *good* to want to improve, and it feels so limiting when people impose on you that this is the best you're going to be because it's what they like or it's what makes them comfortable with their own insecurities.

[@deeksha611]

When you said “im glad I have the freedom to make bad art” that really left an impression on me, because I think ultimately that is what I want from my art and im sure thats the same for others. For me, the joy of art comes from process and journey of art and not necessarily the finished product. Even my favorite pieces I’ve made were ones that were a result of me fucking around and having fun. And when you fuck around and have fun a lot youre bound to make something you don’t like as much. And i really appreciate your outlook on your art, how you fully allow yourself to be bad without having it affect how you value your own worth as an artist or even as a person. That is sometjing i think a lot of artists struggle with, myself included. For a very long time I fully identified myself as a “good artist” 1) because i was an “artkid” in school and 2) because I gen have a knack for it. So when I made something that I was unhappy with, or i met someone who was better at art than I was I felt threatened, and put down. If I didn’t make a good piece than was I really even a good artist? If I’m not a good artist than what am I? Thankfully, I have a much better relationship with my art and my identity including my identity as an artist. But as I said I really admire your perspective, I feel like I would be able to grow more if I accepted that sometimes my shit is bad but that doesn’t reflect my value as an artists, and it isn’t something I need to be upset over. Oh and of course loved loved loved watching your art process because again, I find a lot of catharsis and joy in the process of art.

[@loati94]

Honestly? The first video that I watched from you I did think you were being too negative. But it wasn't because you very criticizing you artwork, I love when artists self criticize and talk about what they liked or didn't like about their work and where they struggle. It was the way you talked. You used a lot of words like "garbage", "trash" and "it sucks" to describe your art and that is what stood out to me and not the " i don't like this piece" itself.

[@denisu81]

This is the comment I was looking for. I think self-criticism is important and I don’t have a problem when you do that, I actually think it’s great. But there are times when your tone can come off a bit negative. Whether you’re talking about brand sponsorships, or honestly, just general conversation, the tone can often be negative. I still watch often because I enjoy your art. I choose to look past those moments but I can see how someone else might be a bit turned off by it.

[@InkyMD]

A few things, I think a lot of those comments come more from insecurity from the poster. You critic your own work and they hear it as a critic of their own work (not your problem) but just something to think about, and maybe something that can make you less upset with these comments (for your own mental health). How you critic your own art on this channel should reflect what you want this channel to be, how much is this channel about your own growth vs helping others with theirs. When you critic your art quickly and glibly it does reflect your own valid emotions about your art but it may not be as helpful for other people. Some of my favorite painters have channels that I do not love. Because what I want out of a youtube art channel is a combination of watching art that I enjoy be created and learn something that can help my own process, not just my art process, but how I approach a host of problems. By the way, one of the reasons I watch your channel is because I do get that, I and I do not find your self criticism is negative, but rather helps me watch how you grow which helps me, but I am also 49. When I was in my 20's I was often very quick to try and "help" anyone who I thought was putting themself down because I could not picture a place where that was not self hate rather then self growth, because of where I was when I was in my 20's. All of this is to say, I really like your channel and I hope it sticks around for a good long time.

[@mael2039]

saying that it's not your job to regulate how other people handle their own emotions isn't mean. Having healthy and completely normal boundaries with random strangers on the internet isn't mean. Just because you're putting yourself on the internet doesn't mean it becomes your job to make sure everyone coming across you on the internet is happy and delighted and feeling positive feelings and you never say a single thing that could be taken negatively

[@sophiastephani499]

I have been watching your videos for quite a while and I always felt like your relationship with your art is really healthy. Yes you are critical of your work, and sometimes I don't see the flaws you mention. But I don't know what you were picturing in your head. Actually it makes the times you are happy with a piece more special, it feels authentic.

[@heatherinde]

I’m totally the same about my art. I haven’t received any negative online comments yet saying I’m too critical of myself because my channel is still small but I do get those comments irl. “What are you saying, your stuff is good. You are too hard on yourself.” etc. I often feel guilty in the moment but then I realize they don’t understand that I am not emotionally invested in any individual piece (most of the time) and that I consider myself to be a learner who is exploring. I’m generally not upset by my failures just motivated to learn better techniques. Thanks for talking about this.

[@KetchupCanvas]

I appreciate this video a lot! I have grown enough in my art journey so far that I can critique myself but also be kind to myself because I'm learning. When I have pointed out work that I think I could have done better, there were people who thought I was bullshiting and fishing for compliments, but in reality I was expressing love for my work by seeing it as human rather than superior in quality 😊✨

[@MichaelisMoshu]

Just found your work. Love that you're being honest with yourself and being openly transparent with how you're feeling. I understand how you feel entirely and I'm SO happy to know there are other artists out there that have the same feelings towards their work as me. It should be OKAY for an artist to not want to put a lot of effort into a piece. It's OKAY for us to be unhappy with how a piece turned out. A piece not turning out how we envisioned, and want or expect better of ourselves or something not meeting our own expectations. Knowing our own limitations and being able to voice that it's something we wanna get better at and improve on. Love your work, looking forward to seeing your progress and where your journey takes you.

[@artbynao]

This makes a lot of sense now. Just in your videos, it comes across as you being hard on yourself. Making this video actually will help you link to for others to understand instead of saying it each time.

[@hans-sniekers-art]

I think it's really true that sharing art online is so complicating. Art is such an emotionally based activity that sharing stuff online is like wearing your heart on your sleeve. If people comment on that, they mean well but eventually they are getting to something that's inside of you also. Hard to see from the outside how someone is constructed inside so it becomes tricky to comment on certain qualities. I know I've even done it sometimes, boost people up no matter what, but eventually you never know whether this is even the helpful thing to do .... I think this was an important video and agood iscussion to have. As an artist myself I understand your feelings 100% It's such a wild thing to have social media be part of our art lives and still be expected to do so much. And to most of all, love yourself. It's vulnerabl and I admire each and every artist daily for doing the things they do c:

[@Sharkuterie327]

When people ask how you are so productive with your art, I think this mindset of acceptance good or bad lowers so many barriers to creating and learning caused by perfectionism. Perfectionism sucks the joy out of making art. Your honesty and openness models a healthier attitude that is helping me create with more confidence and freedom. Thank you for discussing this! And thanks for keepin it real. ✌️

[@RevisionFlame]

So I had a huge post written up about toxic positivity in general and to artists in specific, but it was a lot. So I'm just going to say that I understand where you're coming from. And that it's super important to be honest with ourselves about how we feel. And people need to realize that if they are watching a video about your creative process, then they might hear things that are less than positive. I think a lot of people need to learn to sit with their own discomfort and learn not to assign right and wrong to it, to follow it instead back to the root feelings causing it, and look to what they need to change in their own lives to handle people being their authentic selves. Because not being able to let people be authentic is a huge problem in the world right now.

[@SevaergrahGood]

Best video ever. Thank you for being honest. Just two days ago i watched a video of another artist that i admire and she was talking about how she is struggling with this new project she has and the low level she is now, and the level she wants to achive. And i'm so thankfull of artist that can talk about this 'cause for people like me that like art, want to do art and somehow can't even start painting, knowing artist can fail sometimes give me the strenght to say "you know, it's okay to fail and i will learn from this experience", and i lose fear of doing art and have fun!

[@oliviab9964]

I really liked your video and the view point you explained in it. I don’t really mind making “bad” art because I will still learn from it and it’s still practice. I don’t have to post anything or hang it up on my wall, so if I don’t like something I am just going to move on or try again with the new knowledge I have now. Also love the way you paint with gouache and how you place the paint if that makes sense!

[@fuzzydragons]

'ugly' art or art we struggle with is good, its the same with life, mistakes and struggles are part of growing/getting better/changing. its a good thing to see/feel negativity in your art, well as long as its not all doom and gloom. dont feel bad about the comments, its not on you to decide how other people feel about how you feel about your own art.

[@aubreyf4678]

You said what is so humanly and purely honest, and that is so so good to hear. And as you say it’s a you problem, the people who truly are weirdly commenting those things in a weird way, that is a them problem as well. Don’t forget that, they clearly have an issue with something they do and can’t appreciate your work and feelings and understand them.

[@QueenViolet8]

I totally understand that you don’t hate your art you have just not achieved the level for the art you want to make Still I think your art is Amazing I myself have been trying to draw more myself so that I can improve 🥰 Keep on trucking Girl‼️

[@gilllysea]

Artists/creators I look up to expressing that they don’t love everything they make has been extremely healing for me and my inner critic. Keep being honest! For those of us wanting to get that freedom of feeling okay with making bad art, it’s incredibly helpful to see and hear others doing the same.

[@kapng5519]

Thank you for sharing this video, I honestly think it's a really important topic to talk about and I absolutely udnerstand why these comments upset you so much. While there are people who are truly feeling negative about all of their work because they struggle to see the good in it (which is understandable in this climate), there is a difference to hating everything you do vs liking something you did but seeing where you could improve/not liking how some things turn out. I always felt that you brought that across quite nicely, but it can be incredibly pressuring and disheartening when this is not heard. And also the unsolicited advice/ people "complimenting" your art by bringing their own art down can put extreme pressure on artists and people in general. so - thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings, and I hope that, however you will manage it, things will get easier for you

[@MOTHsan]

I actually love this. It feels like you really respect yourself and your work, and I find that amazing and wonderful. I hope you can keep this up! Life is making choices, and sometimes, we go wrong ways, but that doesn't make the whole process "bad". I absolutely agree with you in the things you say. :)

[@nemiobleh8257]

I, for one, appreciate your take. I like that you're sticking up for your right to feel the whole range of emotions in regards to your art. I agree with you. People are weird. they say stuff, mostly for no reason. And this whole thing about toxic positivity is a real and ironic problem. If someone reads into what you're saying about your personal business, you just mind that they're projecting. Put the ball in their court, where it belongs. I applaud you, man, on your maturity :) Love your art btw

[@Nakurara]

I totally agree with this, people have to remember that an artist has a different relationship with their work than the people viewing it do, we see all the things that we wanted it to be and all the frustrations as we made it but they just see the final piece its a very different experience. I have a lot of anxiety around my art, I can get myself very worked while making it and sometimes that causes me to have bad associations with some of my art and it can be nothing to do with if I like the piece or not, it can be that I felt horrible while I did it so I'm not a fan of it. its not fair for someone to say that you cant not like something that you have spent time with and had experiences with when someone else has just seen it for a couple of minutes.

[@katsartjourney]

I honestly didnt know where you were going to go with this and I think this is EXACTLY what needed to be said! Very well worded and your message feels very authentic. I think the feeling of being silenced about your own feelings and art is something many can relate to

[@artistides]

I'm only partway through but wanted to say that honestly evaluating your own work, deciding what you don't like or should have done better is how you improve... it sounds like the people that have issue with it aren't thinking about that- if you eliminate that part of the process then I think it definitely is leaving out a huge part of being an artist ha

[@Lilisys]

First of all I just found your channel the other day and really love the types of vids you make! After watching them I've been feeling inspired to experiment in my sketchbook more :). But anyway thank you for talking about this topic. Some of your points made me think about the fact that like mentally detaching your self-worth from your work (or anything else honestly) is SO important because it does give you the freedom to take a step back and look at that thing to see the positives/negatives, then be like "yeah ok, this is how it went, it's ok that it wasn't good/bad, it doesn't mean I'm more/less valuable as a human". It was really refreshing to hear you talk about your mentality framed like that.

[@Howie_vibeMaster]

I can under stand the feeling of not liking a drawing or work that you did and every is like 'WHY????' it can be frustrating when other people want YOU to feel different towards your art, I love gouache so this video was indeed a treat to watch

[@derpkipper]

Fucking agreeeeeed! I think expressing negative feelings about ones art, as long as its done in a way thats relatively constructive and doesnt continue to enable other low self esteem artists in feeling the way they do about their own art, makes you appear more human and relatable and can tell those other artists with low self esteem that even people they look up to feel that way. I think thats comforting. Good to be healthily vulnerable I think when people say "omg dont be so down on urself" what theyre really saying is "nooooo i see you as being better than me and I cant handle the fact that you feel the same way i do because it gives me existential dread" which is a *them* problem... Tldr toxic positivity is real and its damaging and its stupid and its performative af. Its not vulnerable. Its not authentic.

[@yeyezen]

i felt this one so much because when i draw something sometimes i will critique it, most times i'm not even being "mean" to myself but just casually saying "i dont like what i did here, this color palette doesn't work, it didn't turn out the way i wanted it to" but like i'm not even mad about it. it's just my way of idk analyzing what i didn't like, what to improve or how to be better because it hardly hits me at the spot, sometimes i look at a drawing two days after and discover something new about it (good or bad) but the thing is, when i do that my non-artist friends/family think i'm putting myself down or maybe even think i'm just saying it because i want praises (which is a bit upsetting bc being perceived that way mortifies me a little ngl) but from what ive seen online it happens between artists too so idk, it is a sensitive topping for some people ig

[@mspooner]

Yes, exactly! "I'm not hurting my feelings" I think there's this preciousness in some artists about their work, like an over-attachment, I guess. The great thing about producing a massive volume of art, quick and bad or low-quality, is that you can start to de-integrate that natural deep attachment, the interdependency, between you and your work. The work is no longer Your Self. And for me, being free of that enmeshment is awesome, because when someone critiques or straight up trolls or flames on my work, they aren't destroying my soul. They're just being mean to a thing I did. De-integrating your art from your Self is amazing for your growth. A healthy attachment to your work means better self-critique which means you move the direction you want to go faster. At least once as an artist, everyone should fill a hundred or more page sketchbook in a month, or something similar. When you work fast, you necessarily have to sacrifice quality. When you make more bad work, the less attached you feel to your work. The less attached you feel, the more objective you can be about your work. The more objective you can be about your work, the faster you can grow.

[@CarlyCravesChaos]

I will humbly admit I needed to hear what you had to say in this video. I like what you said about not being responsible for how other people feel about themselves and their art. As a very amateur artist, I definitely find myself projecting my insecurities onto the artists I watch on KZbin who have been doing this for far longer than I have, and I needed to be reminded that that's what I'm doing. I am also in graduate school to become a therapist and one thing we talk about constantly is countertransference, which is basically any emotional response a therapist has toward their client, positive or negative. The thing about dealing with countertransference is we have an obligation to be reflective and remind ourselves, "These feelings have nothing to do with the client, and everything to do with how I feel about myself." So thank you for sharing your thoughts, it was a good reminder to check myself on why I feel a type of way when I hear you or other artists critique their own art, as is fully their right to do.

[@catssupp400]

I agree with you and I understand why you said everything you did, I respect you for making this video and I hope you continue to post your full and honest opinions.

[@mina4066]

This video made me understand myself more. Every time I criticize my drawings my friend tells me that it looks really good (I know they mean it in a good way) sometimes that makes me feel like u said, as if I couldn’t improve more or it makes me feel pressured. Now that I know why I won’t be like that to anyone else.

[@TheK4R0u]

That’s a really interesting conversation. Tbh I don’t understand those that say “stop hating your art” because don’t we all hate our own art!? In some way, I mean if we enjoy doing art it’s likely because we’re good at it but no where near perfect and to me that’s one of the beauties of art is that there is always room to grow and learn and improve. When you know where you f’ed up and what you don’t like you can work on it and get better or decide it’s not your thing and don’t do it anymore 🤷🏼‍♀️ art is a journey. It’s okay to be proud of some pieces and absolutely hate others and I personally find your videos to be a good/ realistic balance of that and I’d encourage you to keep speaking your true feelings about your art. Personally I want authenticity and relatability rather than toxic positivity.

[@bacolotl9234]

i really relate to this, im 17 and ive been taking art really seriously at least since i was like 10 so (ok this is gonna sound so mean) im at a higher skill level than most people my age that i know irl. So whenever i talk about my own art with my irl friends and say like anything "bad" about it, people tend to get mad or like,, genuinely insulted like,, "bad" is such a relative term, as an artist when you say your art is bad it usually just means youre not making as much progress as you want or its bad in comparison to our other recent pieces but a lot of people dont really understand that

[@jdgayer2160]

I'm glad you made this video, I think it's very healthy to address topics like this. People who do literally any skilled activity are always going to have different skill levels and need to be okay with that. Learning to focus on personal growth will always be more helpful than using others as a yardstick, and it's hard to be happy (in many areas of life) if your self-worth is measured exclusively against others. Thank you and I love your content!

[@onlyherbest]

Is anyone else mesmerised watching the painting process??

[@stellarartanddesign]

Thank you for sharing this perspective. This is something I think everyone needs to hear. Any art someone creates is an experience, and a step in their art journey, no matter how the final product turns out. There is absolutely nothing wrong with artists critiquing their own work, and being honest about how they feel about it.

[@valdiebalt]

Its like you are reading my mind, I once made a critque of a portrait i made in my sketchbook... and everyone around me almost looked disgusted that i would say anything bad about my art? It was actually really infuriating. Im really glad you are talking about this :)

[@nienkevletter]

Couldn't agree more with you!! ✨ I think it's shows a healthy level of perfectionism and a growth mindset if you're critical of your own work, pushing yourself to constantly improve. As long as it doesn't stop you from enjoying the process and making things, then all is good! I think it all comes down to comparing it to your own level, which people forget when they comment and compare it to their level (saying things like 'I wish I could paint like that!'). But it's not about what they can or can't do, but you being honest about what you can do better.

[@markusstorzer4545]

enjoyed both, the painting process and the honest words, both bold, natural - thank you for sharing them!!

[@galacticsea]

When I was younger, I *was* that artist saying things like "Oh wow your better than I am" or "I could never do that, your art is so cool!" But, when I'd finally been told those same things, I realized, well shit. It actually kinda hurts in a weird way. I don't want to elaborate because I'll go on for hours, but oh boy, do I feel what you're feeling

[@Nilliebug14]

Personally hearing you critique yourself and mention what you didn’t like or what went wrong has helped make me feel safe to make ugly art without feeling bad about myself, I can also critique myself and know what I need to do better next time!

[@arwynna.4715]

A lot of artists have a hard time finding the balance between being so self critical that you feel uninspired and not being self critical enough to the point where you don't improve (myself included lol) but I think what you say about just not taking everything too seriously and being honest about your feelings is a good way to go about it. Making bad art is how you improve so there's nothing wrong with acknowledging that you don't like it and want to do better in the future

[@amiyasatoART]

people forget that self-critique is a thing, and it was something i was taught back in high school taking art classes. i am currently in a phase where i don't like my art. my skill just doesn't match what i want my art to look like. my saying i don't like a piece of art that i have done will only ever be a reflection of what i think of my art, and no way a reflection of how i would feel other people's work. i will always encourage other people's art, no matter their skill, because it can be scary to put yourself out there where people are constantly comparing skill and style.

[@roseodonovan6979]

I appreciate that you avoid toxic positivity and learn a lot from your self-critiques. I think it's something that social media really needs right now. Some people may be looking at the word "bad" from a mental health standpoint of black and white thinking. I think more specific but quick art critique (e.g., I don't like the... values, composition, color palette, etc.) would help people understand what you mean. BUT having said that...I don't think you should change if that doesn't feel authentic. We are super lucky to have people like you sharing their art and, as a by-product, their individual personalities...and no one should tell you what you should or should not say.

[@adamsartjourney]

Just keep being you. This is your art journey and channel, we are just lucky enough that you are taking us along for the ride.

[@neil_thehobbit]

Some people just need to work on their own relationship with their art and not project onto other people no matter their intentions.

[@cianluu2]

that whole "fake it till you make it" thing can help with some things, but it can also just be a tool for toxic positivity, if that makes sense :P it's very refreshing and honestly kind of reassuring when im watching a video of yours and you say you didnt like a piece you just put hours into, because that happens to me too! in my opinion, you've managed to make a healthy space for artists in your channel and im really glad you are comfortable talking about "mistakes" and any "ugly" art. keep doing you

[@lunaoht4949]

Besides that I believe it's important to be honest and open about feelings I'm impressed by your self reflection. Like how you can see what is yours and what is theirs, you know. And I think it's really cute how important it was to you to convey the message that you're aware that what you're saying might sound harsh or mean to people but that it's not meant this way and you even appreciate their intentions. Really cute.

[@Shamdiarts]

Man if I had a dollar for every time I didn’t like something I drew I’d be a millionaire 😅 but then I’ll post it anyway or show a friend and people say that I’m “crazy” and that I’m super talented. You’re allowed to have skill and still not like something you produce!

[@WhiteStripedLemur]

wonderfully worded video. it's not bad to have made a video addressing this so i hope you arent discrediting yourself by thinking youre overreacting if it's something that bothers you. youre def speaking for those who couldnt figure out the words and how to express WHY it's frustrating to hear things like that as an advanced artist. brava

[@lauraostler4540]

I normally don't comment on videos but I just want to say thank you for talking about this. I like seeking out critique for my art but I was starting to question weather that was a good thing or not. So thank you

[@Autoluminescentt]

I haven't watched the entire video yet, but I sort of think that the way we discuss art on the internet should be like how we discuss it in art classes and critiques. I'm an art major at college right now. During critiques, my drawing teacher always says, "what's one thing that's good about this and one thing that could be improved." It's a really good way to discuss art. I'm not sure why some people on the internet think that you can't critique your own art when it's actually a really helpful tool for improving.

[@rowan9653]

this is all totally fair and it makes a lot of sense that constantly getting this comment would be super frustrating. i always appreciate hearing honest self reflection and self crtitique from artists about their art, not just about their technical skill but also in terms of whether they feel it’s original or has artistic merit or helped them grow or felt like a move in a new direction. i wonder if maybe some of when artists say ‘eh this is bad’ is sometimes more like ‘this just isn’t interesting to me and isn’t the work i want to be making’ - i know for me those are the pieces of mine i always feel the worst about.

[@lunakim6067]

I totally understand were you're coming from in not liking your art. In my experience I've done sketches in the past were in the moment I absolutely hate it. If the piece didn't come out the way I wanted it to bc I was struggling in a certain area I'd want to trash it, but I'll keep it bc how can I grow if I don't have old pieces to look back on, ya know? But sometimes, if I get away from the piece and look at it again I'll forget what my vision was at that time and actually be mildly satisfied with it. Not all of my sketches/drawings/paintings/ but there's enough that I look back on and think 'this is a good piece for the skills I had at the time'

[@joo2596]

It's refreshing listening to the way you describe art. You come across as having a healthy mindset towards it. Many artists put so much pressure on themselves they end up making less art because of it.

[@starbug1898]

Yeah, some people have a hard time understanding the difference between objective criticism (self and towards others) and destructive criticism. Example: objective is “this drawing is bad” verses the destructive “this drawing is bad-I am a bad artist.” A drawing is a drawing-it’s not that serious, if it’s bad then draw another one cause you’ll only get better.

[@joo2596]

​@@starbug1898 That’s a really good way of putting it. I use to struggle with perfectionism a lot. I’d spend longer on things, and then I’d get less done and my skills wouldn’t improve as quickly. I’ve been learning to overcome this through art. I tell myself that if I draw a lot, chances are some of it will turn out well and I can learn from the bad ones. Sometimes it feels like it's a part of the culture around art, that you need to put all of yourself into everything you create and to be really self-critical. It's nice to see artists with a different perspective on this.

[@zac5156]

Real. I wish I could just make whatever art I need to grow without feeling pressured by grades or other ppls opinions etc

[@anthonycarter1528]

You're the raddest of the nerds Al. Keep doing what you're doing ☺️ The nets are friggin capricious. I swear, ppl don't know what they want.

[@jenyaspahieva]

thank you for sharing! I know it can feel kinda mean to reject these kinds of reactions from people because it's clear the intent is good-natured, but I think its really important to call out toxic positivity. It's invalidating and can be hurtful so the more people learn to be okay with failure, disappointment or any kind of negative emotion, the better we can all support each other!

[@Fauxbutch]

Hi!! Thanks so much for sharing. I’m apprehensive about sharing art on KZbin/social media for similar reasons. Not liking your art is a ubiquitous feeling!! It’s something we all experience. And In order to improve your relationship with your art you yourself really have to confront that. I really admire the transparency in the video!!

[@miss_sunshine]

i support you talking about feelings you feel

[@fairy6615]

totally agree. i literally am not even an artist on most of my platforms, i make other types of content, but the one time i showed a piece from a couple years ago and implied that i thought it was,,, kinda bad (and how i was happy to have improved since then), i immediately got a comment saying "it is good? shut up", as if me acknowledging past mistakes is a bad thing, while it's not. you shouldn't have to go into a whole spiel about it every single time you want to share art. anyone who does art regularly knows the feeling of not liking a piece, and that doesn't make you a bad artist or mean to yourself?? that's why i think it's mostly projection of other people onto what you say, honestly. i never watched one of your videos and thought "they're being so mean to themselves wth". noticing points you want to improve in should never ever be a bad thing. it's very weird to me that you get these comments, because i absolutely relate to the feeling of not liking every drawing. imo, it does smell a little like insecurity and projection when even calling a mistake out in your Own art makes them feel "negative" vibes. you don't have to be apologetic for saying that, too. critiquing your own work, and other's work, is a natural part of the growing process.

[@cosmiclethe4269]

A friend of mine told me "I personaly like it but i get it, it feels different when it's your own" and it was so honest and validating for both of us. I do the same now or i say nothing!

[@KimoyaFTW]

people telling you that they left a dislike on your videos or unsubbed because they more or less couldn't handle you criticizing your work and always striving for improvement are fucking weird full stop

[@coreyinthedryer7368]

as a mediate artist the idea of “everything i do is blessed by god herself” or just everything is beautiful in my art isn’t good like you say, you can’t improve what you don’t know you can improve on keeping yourself in a cycle or perfect art either in mindset or how you do art isn’t good for growth identify mistakes, don’t let it get you do, and just learn it’s okay to be bad

[@notsoartsylott5114]

I totally understand what you’re talking about! It’s difficult for me to criticize my art in front of some of my closest friends who are also artists because every time I get the same comment “if your are bad I don’t know what I am”… but I realized that saying “I know I could do better” or “I feel like I could be better at drawing X” normally just triggers responses like “oh, me too!” Or “yes, I would like yo improve that too”. But in the weird case of getting the first response I would just say “people grow at different tempos that’s ok”. But I will say I have actually noticed that your videos are more harsh than usual (?) like, for example, I’m used to see Leigh Ellexson vids (specifically patreon vids) where she’s reeeally opened about her thoughts about her art. She says yuck, iuh and not so nice things about some drawings that I find amazing but she usually says a really quick line like “I could have done the coloring better” or “this particular flower in the composition just throws me off” and that really quick sentence makes a whole difference. I am the first one that is totally pro critique and self critique, I do it myself all the time! But I just wanted to point out that I have found differences in regard of self criticism between you and other artists that are also really self conscious about their art in the platform and that yours come a little bit more on the “too negative side”. But I also want to point out I have never commented anything about it and I always like your videos because you deserve some love 🫶🏻 I hope my comment doesn’t upset you, I just wanted to tell u what I think about it and who knows, maybe it’s somehow useful! 🖤

[@SwanCreates]

I think art block is when we get bored doing the same thing over and over again. Sure we're drawing different subjects, but the process is the same. That's why we're constantly trying new things and that's why our art is constantly evolving. As Remy said, "Nature is change!"

[@mael2039]

I'm often super frustrated with my own art probably not necessarily because it's really bad but because it's not how I wanted it to be. Sometimes I see artists say they don't like a specific detail in their art piece that actually stood out to me as looking really cool. But that doesn't mean that that thing didn't not turn out like the artist wanted and me looking at something is different than someone else looking at the same thing. Especially the person who makes it and has an idea for how they want something and it just doesn't turn out that way and uggghhh I am so frustrated with my own art often when I know what I want and I just can't translate it to paper. And someone looking at that probably doesn't see it like that. They don't see what I was going for when I made the piece, what I wanted it to look like that I just for some reason couldn't execute. Or sometimes you just paint something and it doesn't work out at all. I think it's unrealistic to think that anyone always makes good art, but it's also okay when someone doesn't like art that you or another person does like.

[@rubyophidian6004]

Actually, I think it's perfectly fine to not like your art??? Like, yeah it's maybe not to great to just lump all your art in one pile and be like "omg I'm such a bad artist, look at how terrible all this is", bc that either comes across as you maybe don't like doing art in the first place or it's for attention(take that with a grain of salt, not saying people who don't like their art are doing it for attention, but there's definitely people who dramatize it to fish for compliments). But like, it's a GOOD thing to be able to say "I don't like this", because maybe you just did something new and it just didn't work how you wanted it to, maybe it's just an off day. Being able to not only acknowledge you don't like your art sometimes, but also be able to identify WHY you don't like it is super important. Like, I feel like I ruin any artwork I do if I try to put a background in it. Am I now a terrible artist? No, but I don't like this piece anymore bc of x thing, so maybe I should be practicing x thing more. Maybe you used a new medium or used it in a different way, and as a result you don't like the art either. Congrats, you learned you don't like that thing, either try to improve or don't do it again. You can't have likes without dislikes.

[@joeluisishere]

Part of being an artist is not always feeling you're work is that great.

[@athroneoflies8785]

honestly, I'm totally with you here. Not just because all of the totally valid points you're making, but because it's *your* art and *your* channel. You have a really healthy mindset towards failure and improvement, and you should feel free to express your feelings in the space you made for yourself here. If people don't like it or agree, they don't have to be here yk??

[@halfa_slice]

i could write an ESSAY on this topic, and i totally agree with everything you said. it's so invalidating. in the art community, a lot of artists only put out their "perfect" works, the people get upset because of the high standards, and then when anyone is less than perfect, they are pushed to *be* perfect. it's just a contradictory cycle of humans just not being perfect and everyone wanting them to be. and also the fact that things like "ugly" and "bad" have been demonized. it is not bad to be ugly, and it is not bad to acknowledge that your OWN art is bad. we, as humans, will not always be at the best of our game, and we won't always be happy with it. and it's hard to grow if you do not recognize your mistakes, so. idk, i ramble a lot, and like i said, i could write PAGES about this topic, so i'll spare everyone from that. but all in all, i completely agree with this video

[@elliscristina3431]

I admire you,and your art too. I feel like you should just do whatever you want,and I won't stop watching your videos for a longe while,they're really good. I learn a lot from you. Thank you!

[@beatekausch4745]

Hi! I just randomly came across your video when KZbin switched to the next video while I was doing the dishes and just rolled with it because it sounded like an interesting topic. Well, it was worth the time because it is so relatable. I sometimes experience things like that when posting on IG but more often when I dare to point out flaws of a drawing of mine when my husband is around. He thinks I am talking myself down while I am actually just analyzing where I can improve, what should have been done differently. Trying to understand where to grow. The perception and knowledge in art grows faster then our skill to put it on paper so it's normal that we can't be happy all the time. And not every day is a good art day. Being told I should not criticize myself feels like limiting my growth and it results in completely not talking about how I feel about the things I create. These comments, as you said, are well meant but frustrating. So no, it's not just a you problem. Our mistakes are a part of our work and it's valid to point them out. Keep up the good work and continue growing!

[@PsychGal1980]

There’s a very challenging and muddy place between “I don’t like this piece/this is bad art” and “I can’t do art/I’m a bad artist”. That is a very confusing place, fraught with feelings. As artist is and as people, if we can never dislike something that we’ve made, we wont be in the place to learn new things… but that doesn’t necessitate disliking OURSELVES. The trick is that sometime those two things ARE the same. I think that when people mix up those two ideas it can be very difficult to differentiate self-critique from self-criticism. When so many of us struggle with that in our own lives, it can be especially hard to peel those feelings apart when interacting with others. You ARE an exceptional artist… AND you are more than welcome (nay encouraged to) have feelings about your art. Both can be true at the same time.

[@rachbronson]

I’m so glad you made this video. In fact I made a video about the same topic last year! So cool to know someone else has the same thoughts. ❤️

[@georgecooper9766]

I feel like these type of comments tend to be a mix of a) people genuinely just trying to be nice and b) beginner and usually young artists who haven't reached that stage of having a healthy relationship with self criticism when it comes to art. I know when I was a young artist watching professionals on KZbin, it always stung a little seeing them being critical of something that was so beyond what you could do (not that I ever criticised them for it). But then you grow and get used to building that list of things you like and things you wanna improve in your head as you draw/paint and it no longer feels like a black and white 'art is good or bad'; there's always something good, but always something to improve about it. So seeing other artists do that is just relatable.

[@tanadams]

I completely identify with everything you've said here! I always say, if I already think my art is perfect then how will I ever grow or improve? This, and the "I wish I could draw" comments really bother me. That's the thing about me as an artist, sometimes I suck. But I do it anyway.

[@misspiggy1517]

I totally get it. People have to accept that all artists, no matter their skill level, have their own doubts and about their own work. Also, it is toxic and self-centered to say “my work is so lame next to yours😅😢” when someone is telling them about their struggle. And I’ve been one of these people. Sometimes, I still have these thoughts. But I think to myself that one day I might be on the level of the artist I admire and still not satisfied with my art

[@Maringuely]

Personally i think comments like that come from a place of insecurity from the people saying it. It’s like in their mind their good is worse then your bad, so by calling attention to what is bad by your standards, it like shatters their perspective on their own art and skills. I’m sure it does come from a place of good, of genuinely wanting to encourage And uplift but it really just projects their own insecurity. At the end of the day art is a skill and some will have a higher skill level then you and some lower and there’s nothing wrong with admitting that something is not up to your standards or didn’t fit the vision you had in your mind. Criticizing artists for being critical to themselves and to fellow artists (when asked for) is never going to lead to improvement. Which is why I’ve stuck by this channel for so long, its nice to see an artist be unafraid to admit their faults an not be afraid to show the human side behind making art. Not all art you make will be perfect and to expect that from yourself or from another is a level of expectation no one could ever live up to.