Waggish

Here I go!

1. I misspelled 'depictions' as 'depections' twice. Autocorrect automatically changed it to 'depections' every time I spelled it correctly afterwards. I didn't catch it right away and later had months worth of work to backtrack and fix. I learned a lot of mistakes slip past when I'm proof-reading, so now I use a spell check program before posting my fanfics online. And I learned autocorrect isn't for me.

2. I used to take my time writing out my first draft, trying to make it look like the final draft by adding details, stopping to look up synonyms, and making sure conversations flowed nicely. But taking my time on the first draft sometimes meant the story I'm trying to write flies out of my head like a little birdie that never returns 🐦 I learned it's ok for the first draft to be sloppy, messy, and lack details, as long as the main idea is put out on paper, I can clean it up and add more details later, during the editing.

This is my first time starting a tag game, so hopefully I'm doing this right 🙂 Tag some artists and/or writers you know! (no pressure oc, and anyone can feel free to join, you don't need to be tagged! 😃):

I’ve been a perfectionist since I was a kid, especially when it came to art, but in recent years I’ve really had to learn that being messy and making mistakes is okay. I tried so hard for my art to be perfect, that it began stunting my creative juices and made the process of making art not enjoyable. I had to learn the term “Practice makes Progress”.

Also, I had to learn that instead of relying solely on myself to learn how to draw, I should take inspiration and advice from others! I had such blocky and stiff characters for so long— definitely still try to improve! Just try to have grace for yourself! If you’re getting stressed out, don’t give up, just step away and come back later with fresh eyes. (Instead of staring at the paper/screen for hours like I did)

Also, never let your mom publish your books and written works if you’re still in your teens. Unless you put it through professional editors. No, I’m not explaining. Just don’t do it, you will regret it.

Thank you for the tag @barnowlbookworm! I can relate to being so much of a perfectionist that it ends up inhibiting you. And I love that phrase, "Practice makes Progress." I need to start saying that one.

Also, @shaotie I still kinda do that second one to my drafts haha. It's probably why I don't post as much writing, because I'm too busy backtracking before I even finish. So I guess that's one of the mistakes I could say I'm still working on is trying to be less detail-oriented with my first drafts. At the very least, I have gotten better than I used to be, over-describing absolutely everything lol

In terms of art, a mistake I used to make was I used to cringe at my old art and be embarrassed by it. Now I've come to appreciate each artwork from my past for the joy it brought at the time I drew it and that I am where I am today because I drew it. Because I learned from it. I see each piece as a stepping stone in my journey.

I also used to look at other more skilled artist's work and think mine was ugly by comparison. I used to get depressed that I wasn't improving fast enough or despair that there were people much younger than I making highly-skilled pieces of art. What I learned I should be doing is letting someone else's art INSPIRE and MOTIVATE me to get better on my own timeframe. Art isn't a race and progress isn't linear. And I learned to study WHY I liked an artist's art style so much and how I could replicate it instead of being depressed that I wasn't already at that level.

Just keep on drawing and have fun!

Also I used to hoard all of my old markers and pens long after they had dried up and stopped working. Don't make the same mistake I did, just toss 'em XD

NO PRESSURE TAGS:

I’m honestly really encouraged by reading about y’all’s art journeys, and how you’ve been able to make so much progress. <3 (@barnowlbookworm I love “Practice Makes Progress” that’s so true!)

I used to feel like I was the only one who struggled with my art, not knowing what direction I was headed, and if I was improving fast enough. The feeling of art being some sort of competition can be overwhelming. I would look at others’ work and (like you said, @eggbem) feel like mine was ugly by comparison. But ultimately, all that I needed to focus on is how far my work has come. I realized that I needed to celebrate my progress, and not focus on everything that my art isn’t. Because in the end, all I can do is challenge myself to better than I was yesterday <3

There are so many amazingly talented artists (yes, you reading this!) and I love being inspired by the wonderful pieces that they share with everyone. Don’t let other people’s talent make you feel inferior- let other people’s talent inspire you to reach new creative heights!

I also struggled with originality in my designs. For a long time, I felt like I wasn’t capable of translating an idea from my head to paper accurately. I used to use so many reference photos and try to gain inspiration from other artists that I admired. I had to learn that it’s more important for a piece to be unique and authentic, than for it to look like some masterpiece. I had to learn to embrace the imperfections, and be satisfied that what I’ve created is truly one of a kind. Be authentic with your art, it’s always worthwhile. <3

Tag time! No pressure :)

@waggishcomics @sariphantom @epicartnerd @trilobitepunch

1. Trying to aim for perfection, instead of valuing the flawed hand of a human artist.

2. For some reason, when I first started out, I had a thing against drawing necks.😖

3. Being intimidated by backgrounds or humans, instead of welcoming the challenge to expand my talent.

4. Keeping my color layers and outline layers separate, instead of having one folder for each element that could be re-positioned, like characters and BG elements. (Maybe other artists do this, but I personally found it more difficult to reuse assets.)

5. NOT ALLOWING MYSELF TO MAKE "UGLY" DRAWINGS IN MY SKETCH BOOK. It's good to let yourself loosen up and just draw what you feel like, instead of what's next in the script. And being okay with it not being...perfect.

I'll continue to learn, but it's nice to reflect on how I've grown.

Your turn, guys! No time limit.