I just feel gloomy....


Drawing-24-7's avatar
I'm normally a happy person but, this past year I've just been feeling hopeless like nothing I've done is good enough.
2 years ago I moved out on my own, I'm happy not lonely or anything. I live near my family still and I talk to or see them just about everyday. It's just this last year I've just felt like just about everything I draw isn't any good .
I pick up something and draw just about every day it just doesn't feel good enough. What doesn't help is each time my mum comes around she'll see any artwork and say, "oh that's nice, it's that one of yours?" to everything, and I mean everything. It really bugs me. Plus I haven't been finishing artwork either, just a huge pile of sketches. Nor have I been posting much.

I really don't know how to explain it, I just feel like I'm in a hole. But not like I'm digging or anything, just like I'm stuck in a hole.
Anyone got any tips to make me feel better?
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jack2KIA's avatar
This makes me laugh even though it shouldn't...you're to taken on by society which you shouldn't be -face plants- Art is not about what others think of it..its about what you make of it, literally like screw everything your art is yours no ones else o:yes your mum may say that every time she see's your drawings but honestly I can tell you that's what mums are like. When I do modeling work or when i take pictures and i post them online my mum goes "are those yours because they are really nice" Its there way of going "Oh my I love it so much i cant believe that my son or daughter is making such wonderful work" so that's what mums are like.

Also about how people are moving onto better things: that's like utter crap because in your own way you're better than them at certain things like art for example, in art theirs no way of copying someone else drawing style and your drawing style even though you think its bad its still yours and no one else so don't be mislead by others on your work and style keep it as it is ^-^

So after my mild rant which wont make much sense to some but only me please don't be down and upset about stuff carry on and do what you do best which is art.

Also your art is amazing and I am like jealous of your skill.
Drawing-24-7's avatar
Thank you.
Part of it is no mather what my mum sees, she ashumes that it is mine therefor she just compliements it.
And constantly having the exact same comments given makes them all seem hollow and not heartfelt.
I know she's trying to be nice but it's grating on me.
jack2KIA's avatar
Just don't let it weigh you down is all I can say ^-^
Drawing-24-7's avatar
It's not that it's weighting my down, just making me sink into the ground >_>
KillersNight's avatar
Just interrupting here...

I am actually quite jealous of you, having such a mom. My mom would criticize, and maybe joke about mine and my sister's work rather than just saying "Is this your's? It's great." My mom doesn't really care about our work.

I am not saying you are not treasuring your mom or anything like that. Just that, realize any situation would be a bother or matter, and yet there will be those who envy those in situations other's deemed bad. It is all a matter of perspective.

I would say that if you are feeling bad about your own work after drawing and sketching everyday, maybe the problem is just that you are drawing and sketching everyday. Take a week off art, finish off a TV series or something like that. Restart when you feel better, rather than keep plummeting down the dark depressing route.
Drawing-24-7's avatar
I've taken time off before, it's just that the same people giving the same comments everytime I head back that gets me.
I'm looking to go back to crafting, since I've got a friend moving in nearby who agreed to assist me.
So I can look forward to the joys of watching paint/glue dry.
KillersNight's avatar
That doesn't seem bad. Having a friend beside would also be great for you. Hope you can work through this ^_^
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IllusriArt's avatar
Change always comes with some bumps along the road. Also you shouldn't be drawing to please others, that way you'll never be satisfied with yourself.
Drawing-24-7's avatar
I never really drew to please others, it's just the feeling I get from drawing keeps getting dampened by the same old hollow comments.
It's weird that I feel this way as I know that they mean well, it's just being that it's the only topic people compliement me on about kinda gets to me.
I can slip handcuffs but no one compliements me on that.
IllusriArt's avatar
It's because you expect or want a certain type of reaction, and by wanting that you are transferring your source of happiness and satisfaction on others. You NEED them to say the right thing, or you'll feel bad. That's not healthy. ^^;
Drawing-24-7's avatar
Kinda sorta, yes I want a certain reaction. But I want a reaction that isn't the same one I got last time and the time before that.
Chocolate is nice but I can't have it all the time.
I just want something different from "oh that's nice"
I've even asked, "what do you like about it?"
Only to get, "oh I like it because it's nice"
IllusriArt's avatar
You're missing my point. You always want a reaction from others to validate your art. To the point where you don't think it's worth drawing if you don't get the reaction you want from people. That's not a healthy mindset to have if you want to draw for personal satisfaction.
Drawing-24-7's avatar
It's hard to explain what I mean.
I draw for myself, but each time someone comes around the give the same compliement.
It's like constantly being given chocolate, so much so that you start to hate it.
Only getting the same "oh, that's nice" comment makes me doubt.
Doubting if they mean it or they're just being nice.
That small doubt slowly keeps snowballing so I'm hardly even sure anymore.
siantjudas's avatar
Even though you don't want to attribute it to your recent lifestyle change it probably is.
Things are different and that's going to affect your mood.

Try to embrace the change fully and integrate it into your work. Rather than attempt to make the same things as before impart your work with the idea of your new life. Maybe you can also step back a bit and breathe.
Drawing-24-7's avatar
I think part of it is that alot of the people around me are moving on faster than me, and seem to be moving on to bigger and better things, while I'm still here trying to get better at drawing.
siantjudas's avatar
Ok. If you had two seemingly identical candles and lit them at the same time. Would they burn out at the same time?
Drawing-24-7's avatar
it depends where the candles are.
siantjudas's avatar
It depends on a lot of things. Most likely they won't. So just because you feel that you should be someplace else in your life because other people you know are, is pointless. You're not them. Everyone burns in their own way, at their own rate, at their own time. Life is going to happen and keep going whether you stress it or not, is it really worth maybe missing the things in front of you over thinking why you're not where they are.

If you personally feel you aren't where you want to be, then figure out what you need to do to get there and work to accomplish that, with the knowledge that it is going to take time.
Drawing-24-7's avatar
Still today my best friend visited me, she actually gives meaningfull comments.
She offered to pay me to make armour for her and see if anyone else wants any, since she saw some I'd made for myself and fell head over heels for it.
We hadn't really talked much this year since she's been working so far away.

What's funny is she got a call about a job interview while she was here.
So if all goes well I'll get to see her more, since the job is near here.
So we just finished cellabrating with pizza and coke.

It looks like my candle is looking brighter :)
siantjudas's avatar
If you just go with the flow, than good things like this will happen.
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Vineris's avatar
Go try something new.  Learn a new technique, try a completely different style, a new medium or whatever.  Allow yourself to be a beginner at it.  If you're new at something then you don't have to be amazing at it right away, right?

And while you're at it, go out and experience stuff.  It looks like you mostly make art about entertainment you consume, which is fun for a while, but eventually you get kinda tired talking about fake experiences.  Go do things, and use them to fuel your art.  Do more sketching from life.  Not only will it force you to get out and do things, but you'll improve your art as you get a better handle on what things look like.  It might be frustrating at first but if you stick with it you will see results.  Plus non-artists love that sort of thing, you'll get some compliments about it and that will give you positive feelings to help dig you out of that hole.
Drawing-24-7's avatar
I've been working on getting better at making cosplay props but I keep having the problem of "oh that's nice, did you make that?"
When all I can see are the mistakes I made. I feel like everyone is just trying to be nice while at the same time just hollowly compliementing all my work. I'm not the only artist in my family, but I don't end up talking to them much due to the fact they live so far away.
All I get is my mum sometimes bringing it up in conversation only for the other person to say something along the lines of, "oh that's cool, I can't draw to save myself"
I'm finding the problem is that I'm only getting mindless positive comments and none that are actually constructive in anyway shape or form...
Vineris's avatar
Oh, that.  Yeah, when you're frustrated and think something is a piece of shit, someone saying that it's nice is infuriating.  Eventually, though, you start appreciating all compliments for what they are -- someone giving enough of a shit about you to say nice things to you rather than ignoring you completely.  Because that's what an artist's life is most of the time -- you make something and the world goes "meh".  Eventually you realize that your options are not "constructive crit" and "mindless praise", but "nothing" and "mindless praise" with the VERY OCCASIONAL constructive comment lobbed your way.  And when it's something vs nothing, you start appreciating the something because the nothing really, really sucks.

But it's actually easy enough to become good at drawing from life that you can get results that make YOU happy in a fairly short time.  It's not going to be just empty praise.  It's relatively easy to do good-looking work (at least in pencil) when you have something sitting in front of you that you can look at.  And the process of looking and drawing will stuff knowledge into your brain that you can apply elsewhere too.

Otherwise, if you can't get critiques then start critiquing other people.  That forces you to learn things well enough to avoid looking like an idiot, and when someone else corrects you then you learn even more.  You learn just as much from listening to other people's critiques and from giving critiques as you learn from getting personal critiques.  You can make use of advice no matter who it's coming from or going to.
Drawing-24-7's avatar
It's not just that, being told everything I do is good or nice, makes it really hard to see past my mistakes and to move on.
I find it's talking to a recording sometimes, no mater how much I replay it, it's not going to change.

Personally I find I learn more by sketching in pen rather than pencil. Being left handed smudges the pencil alot ( pen smudges too but not as bad) and all I end up with is a mess both on the paper and up my hand and arm. I use pencil as a base when I use ink tho. I also find pen is good for practing shading and covering errors.

I'm not a big fan of critquing. I find I'm brutally honest, a little too much. It makes me feel really bad pointing out people's faults when mine are just as bad.