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Dissatisfaction

This is the biggest section because I think this is the motivational black hole we artists spend the most time stuck in. I don't know if there really are artists out there who think they are perfect, but if you know one, I can guarantee that person is delusional and will likely be stuck exactly where they are forever. Because dissatisfaction is not a bad thing. It leads you to question your bad habits, to shake off long-held limitations, and to expand your reach. The only downside is that it can also lead you to give up. Instead of avoiding work because of insecurity, sometimes you need to face that mean little voice in your head telling you that you aren't good enough, and ask it why, and what you have to do to get better. Of course, other times you need to tell it to go to hell because it is asking too much from you. But either way, you gotta stop listening to it.

These are my pep-talk pointers for both accepting your work as it is, and for getting off your ass to make it better.

1. Accept The Process.

   There's a lot of misery that you can't escape in the world of art. Put it into perspective.

   1. The Moving Target.

      This is not a field where you sit back one day and say, "I'm perfect and never need paint again." The better you get, the better you wish you were. But if you look back and see how far you've come, try projecting that forward. That's where you'll be if you put in some effort.

   2. Even Your Successes Are Failures.

      Because of the previous point, even your best work will seem pretty pathetic in a few years. Don't over-analyze your portfolio, wondering why it's full of crap. That's just a recipe for misery. And you certainly won't build a better portfolio by sitting around moping.

   3. Failure Is a Requirement.

      Everyone fails. The more you experience it, the better an artist you will be, because you will develop a reservoir of coping mechanisms, recovery techniques, and repeatable patterns for success. The first time I decorated a wedding cake, it was amazing. The second time? It was a complete disaster, and I had no idea what I did wrong. I also had no idea what I'd done right. But I didn't figure that out until I failed. After that, I started taking notes and practicing technique and actually developed some skills that didn't depend on serendipity.

2. Perfectionism Leads to... Nothing.

   Jason Brubaker mentions Parkinsons Law in one of his articles on time management. The more time you allow for a project: the more time you take to complete it. Unfortunately, obsessing over an individual piece does not definitively lead to a better piece: it only leads to not getting as much work done. You can spend a week making seven great pieces of art, or you can make a single piece that may be near-perfect (or may be completely overworked and ruined). Don't be a perfectionist unless you have a lot of extra time lying around that you want to waste.

3. You Have Higher Standards

   Often craftsman are dissatisfied with their work because they have a greater understanding of their craft than anyone else, and know all the nitpicking details that no one else sees. You probably spend a fair chunk of time every week looking at other people's art. You've studied the old masters and art theory. You know a lot, and that means you see your own mistakes a lot faster than everyone else. You could use this to spend months refining every single piece to your absolute satisfaction, but I would like to point out the flipside of this point: no one else has your same standards. You can spend forever making your work fill all those tiny criteria in your head, but chances are no one else will notice the difference. So, reign yourself in a little.

4. Stop Comparing Yourself To Others.

   This is also covered in validation, and certain elements apply to fear as well. We artists love destroying ourselves by looking at what we don't have, and online sites like deviantArt, for all its wonderful social support, is a terrible enabler for this behavior.

   1. You Are Biased.

      You see all of your own flaws and all the virtues of other artists. Or at least, I do. You can show me anyone's art, however crappy, and I can almost guarantee that I could point out something that I wish I could do and can't. Maybe consider all the things you can do instead.

   2. You Can't Have Someone Else's Style.

      You have your own! I love Cari Corene's sweeping, abstract backgrounds and elongated characters. I love Tessa Stone's stick-legged men and retro color schemes. But hating my own work because it possesses none of those qualities is futile. It's like comparing noses, or boyfriends. Once I accepted that and just moved on with what I had, I accomplished a lot more than I did in the years I spent wishing I could co-opt someone else's work.

   3. Style Is Intuitive.

      Style is not something that you magically develop or discover one day. It is a summary of all the art that has influenced you over the course of your life. It is all your skills and tricks and internal sense of beauty, mixed with all your limitations. The amazing art that we so admire in other artists? It's just the normal way they draw. When you see complex story layouts, dynamic action shots, delicate coloring; remember that this is how that artist sees the story in their head, not something they read from a checklist on How To Make Great Art. Sure, you want to become better, and that means absorbing and learning from all the art which awes you. But you also need to nurture your own voice, and that means drawing in the way that makes sense to you, even if it's completely different from everything you've seen or been taught is correct.

   4. Compete Only With Yourself.

      You may be able to tweak and refine your work over time, but right here and now, you are only the artist you are. Accept it. Do the best work you can and stop hating it just because it's not as good as someone else's.

5. Bored? Work It Out.

   Many artists just get bored, especially in the comics world. You do the same thing week after week and your work is competent but no longer thrilling. You are in a rut.

   1. Remind Yourself Of Long-Term Goals.

      Remember how your parents never let you eat dessert until you ate your vegetables? Yeah. This is that. Look at your long-term goals - if you are writing a comic, there is probably a big scene coming up that you really want to draw, or maybe you have an art show or convention to go to. Remind yourself that you can't do those things until you finish all the boring projects you have in front of you.

   2. Break Out Of the Rut.

      The OK Plateau is when you have achieved a level of competence such that you can finish your projects in reasonable time with reasonable quality. You are stuck here because you aren't doing anything that demands you improve. You have to artificially push yourself to get past competent to exceptional.

      1. Structured Assignments.

         There are some great project memes out there for artists like the 365 days of "X", or ATC sketches of all the characters from your favorite show. Pick one and stick to it. The breakthroughs come at the end of these assignments, not at the beginning, so don't stop if you don't see results right away.

      2. Spend More/Less Time.

         Give yourself a time limit for your project. A shorter time limit will encourage you to produce better work faster. If you are rushing through your work already, try a longer time limit and experiment/add some extra flourishes.

      3. Use More/Less Source Material.

         If you are relying too much on source material, your creative side may be feeling underutilized. If not enough source material, then the end product may be badly drawn and inaccurate. Consider if a different approach might improve your art or how you feel about it.

      4. Try New Mediums/Programs.

         There is always something out there you haven't tried. If you spend too much time here, you will violate the Perfectionism point above, but you have to waste some time to discover cool new tricks. Online tutorials are also really interesting (albeit time-wasting).

      5. Abandon Consistency.

         You may think you need to continue working in an existing style. You don't. Unless someone is paying you to produce something in a specific style, you can do whatever you want. Even if you are writing a comic or painting a series. Screw consistency. Shake things up.

6. Johnny Bunko: Persistence Beats Talent Over Time

   A lot of the artists you know now will give up and disappear. As an artist nearing her 40s, I can assure you this is true. People drift off into other careers that provide more money and validation. They settle down and have families and don't have the time for it anymore. They get bored and stop working as much. Don't be one of them and your skills will continue to improve and the competition will continue to decrease, which eventually leaves you much closer to the top. This is why motivation is so crucial - you have to keep working to get better or you will just end up as one of the people who disappeared.

And in related entertainment: OGLAF: Crippling Self Doubt

Next up? Validation. You aren't getting the quality feedback you want.

Also, read the previous article on Fear.