thoughts on being an artist? (any kind of art)

[Harrow]

I ask because feel like being a creative in general can both help and hinder your mental health, but especially if it's what your life or livelihood is completely based on. For one thing, my goals in my field is the only thing that keeps me going. On the other, it's so easy to feel worthless because you create things that are easily consumable and comparable to others.

On one hand it gives you "purpose" in a way. On the other, if you aren't able to create great things you feel like your purpose is gone. All the times I've been close to giving up life have been because of my failures in this aspect.

And don't even get me started on AI, which is replacing all different types of work from writing to music to acting to visual media. The thought has been making me feel very depressed lately.

Sorry if this is vague.

 

[Nakiya]

Sometimes I wish I wasn't a creative person. When you're unable to create anything, you feel so horrible. Sometimes I wish I can just be a regular person that gets happiness from playing games or something. Id be satisfied with jobs that pay well. I don't however. Every job I do I feel like I'm wasting precious time. I have a goal and a vision but I can never reach it

 

[Gaga786]

I kind of wish I had any talent or passion for creating art, but I don't. It could have allowed me to provide an outlet to actually cope with my suffering.I wasn't exposed to any kind of art as a child because of my parents neglect, and growing up it was really hard to do due to my lower Intelligence.I tried writing essays and stories, learning to sing, learning guitar, learning piano but nothing really came of it. If you do art then that's a great thing though

 

[StellaSomnus]

I'm on an unhealthy cycle where drawing keeps me sane. I no longer have the joy of playing games, cooking or baking as my form of pastime fun, just drawing.

I get to express my creativity, learn new things and keep my brain running. I also keep a small crowd who's into a less popular character (within the series I'm a fan of) happy, since I mostly draw that character, and it does make me happy to have appreciation for my works.

One thing I wish I could improve upon is efficiency. It takes me hours per day, and a few days just to draw something that others could draw in a few hours almost everyday, and mine is of lesser quality. And I want to bring this up because I'm unable to make 'vent' drawings, because by the time I'm midway through the vent drawing, I'm probably feeling good enough that I don't want to draw it anymore, and I miss out on an opportunity to create something that could have been an in-depth drawing that utilizes my sadness.

 

[Harrow]

I mostly work in CG stuff now, and rarely for myself. But even when I had all the time in the world to draw just for myself I could never do vent art either, it would never accurately represent how I felt and would just make me feel worse that I couldn't get it out. I think the intense emotions I was feeling would just make me rush things out too.
If you have the patience though, you could always revisit those pieces if the feeling ever returns. But also, just having something to channel your energy into until the feeling is gone can be perfectly productive on its own, even if you can never finish a vent drawing. I'm rambling, my point is there is no need to rush personal work lol

I'm on an unhealthy cycle where drawing keeps me sane. I no longer have the joy of playing games, cooking or baking as my form of pastime fun, just drawing.

I get to express my creativity, learn new things and keep my brain running. I also keep a small crowd who's into a less popular character (within the series I'm a fan of) happy, since I mostly draw that character, and it does make me happy to have appreciation for my works.

One thing I wish I could improve upon is efficiency. It takes me hours per day, and a few days just to draw something that others could draw in a few hours almost everyday, and mine is of lesser quality. And I want to bring this up because I'm unable to make 'vent' drawings, because by the time I'm midway through the vent drawing, I'm probably feeling good enough that I don't want to draw it anymore, and I miss out on an opportunity to create something that could have been an in-depth drawing that utilizes my sadness.

Sometimes I wish I wasn't a creative person. When you're unable to create anything, you feel so horrible. Sometimes I wish I can just be a regular person that gets happiness from playing games or something. Id be satisfied with jobs that pay well. I don't however. Every job I do I feel like I'm wasting precious time. I have a goal and a vision but I can never reach it

Yes, it's so painful especially when you base your entire self-worth on your craft. I think it's tragic that our society pushes us into commodifying our passions, that's how I ended up the way I am. I wish we could just enjoy the process.
No matter what I achieve I'm never satisfied or "good enough" :')

 

[Takamagahara]

Being a creative is torturous in its own way, because nothing is as perfect as what you can imagine. It also makes suicide a bit more daunting.

I have a hundred worlds, a thousand loved ones, and a million ideas who only exist inside my head. When I go, they'll go too.

It can also be incredibly isolating to experience first-hand when no one else connects or values your creativity. Posting something you put your heart and soul into and receiving silence can be deafening.

These days I don't see much point in creating much of anything.

 

[Harrow]

Being a creative is torturous in its own way, because nothing is as perfect as what you can imagine. It also makes suicide a bit more daunting.

I have a hundred worlds, a thousand loved ones, and a million ideas who only exist inside my head. When I go, they'll go too.

It can also be incredibly isolating to experience first-hand when no one else connects or values your creativity. Posting something you put your heart and soul into and receiving silence can be deafening.

These days I don't see much point in creating much of anything.

Exactly, it simultaneously keeps me here and tortures me more lol

 

[Scythe]

My art will remain behind after I have gone, I see my art as a record of memories. It really saddens me that art will soon be less viable as a career choice and there will be less and less people who knows how to actually draw and even less that knows how to create traditional art due to the creation of AIs. But that's okay, I am going to die soon anyways and I am glad I can be born in a time before AI was invented so I learned how to make my own art instead of using AIs.
I have also been working on a large project to leave behind when I die as a way to show people how I viewed the world and as a way to let people remember me. I'm more doing this for myself though, since I feel that if I don't leave a mark and be remembered I would have lived and suffered for nothing.
I also do vent arts, I also couldn't finish them when I was feeling like shit, but I usually finish them by working on them again when I feel like shit. Or since I remember how I felt when I hit rock bottom I can finish it whenever I have time. The "everyone else is better than me" is pretty relatable too, but art is the best way I can leave a mark behind so I keep at it.

 

[termite]

i dunno. i love art. its dear to me, all forms of expressions, not just stuff like sketching n painting. but i find that the inspiration can sometimes lead me to feelings of inferiority that seep through. i try not to think about it a whole lot. art is the one thing in life that i have, truly to myself. whenever im troubled or having an off-day (or even week, month, etc.) it can feel suffocating.
I moved recently, so i havent had much time for art. trying to get back into it has been very mentally demanding for me. i cant bring myself to sketch stuff out completely anymore. i cant set my tablet up until i can afford an apartment, either. it sounds stupid but being able to just color is really soothing for me.. idk.

 

[theslasher]

I like making art, music, videos, everything.. but when making money becomes the main goal and I have to stick to what someone else wants then it starts to feel like less of a hobby and more like a chore.

 

[Harrow]

I like making art, music, videos, everything.. but when making money becomes the main goal and I have to stick to what someone else wants then it starts to feel like less of a hobby and more like a chore.

This exactly. I feel bad because I know a lot of people want to be able to become a professional, but I already feel like all my purpose has been drained out of me at a fairly young age. Even when I'm able to create personal work, I'm always thinking about if it will help get me hired or if it's portfolio friendly. I can never just do things to express myself if I want to continue to "survive". It's also just so much work just to get by. My fault for not just keeping it a hobby lol

My art will remain behind after I have gone, I see my art as a record of memories. It really saddens me that art will soon be less viable as a career choice and there will be less and less people who knows how to actually draw and even less that knows how to create traditional art due to the creation of AIs. But that's okay, I am going to die soon anyways and I am glad I can be born in a time before AI was invented so I learned how to make my own art instead of using AIs.
I have also been working on a large project to leave behind when I die as a way to show people how I viewed the world and as a way to let people remember me. I'm more doing this for myself though, since I feel that if I don't leave a mark and be remembered I would have lived and suffered for nothing.
I also do vent arts, I also couldn't finish them when I was feeling like shit, but I usually finish them by working on them again when I feel like shit. Or since I remember how I felt when I hit rock bottom I can finish it whenever I have time. The "everyone else is better than me" is pretty relatable too, but art is the best way I can leave a mark behind so I keep at it.

beautifully put

i dunno. i love art. its dear to me, all forms of expressions, not just stuff like sketching n painting. but i find that the inspiration can sometimes lead me to feelings of inferiority that seep through. i try not to think about it a whole lot. art is the one thing in life that i have, truly to myself. whenever im troubled or having an off-day (or even week, month, etc.) it can feel suffocating.
I moved recently, so i havent had much time for art. trying to get back into it has been very mentally demanding for me. i cant bring myself to sketch stuff out completely anymore. i cant set my tablet up until i can afford an apartment, either. it sounds stupid but being able to just color is really soothing for me.. idk.

I'm sorry about your situation, I hope you can get back to creating soon. I also love coloring <3

 

[eatantz]

Being an artist has ruined me. I've always wished that instead of being a creative I could be into STEM subjects, I've come to accept things but being an artist is so embarrassing. I have so many ideas but I can never create them in the exact way, perfectionism is its own hell.

Always comparing yourself, always feeling dissatisfied with your work, always competing against other artists whether you want to or not. Being good at art doesn't even mean anything in such a competitive capitalist society, its extremely hard to become a successful artist.

Making art feels like a toxic relationship, some days art feels like the most amazing gift in the world and other days it makes you want put your head in an oven.