A Positive Atitude

The hardest thing about creating in isolation is the fear that you don't know what you are doing and that your work is no good. You never know. You just have to pull something up from inside of you and say "I believe in myself and my work is worthwhile." Some days are very difficult. Everywhere you look there are successful, talented artists. The internet is loaded with artists who have significant talent. Artists who have spent years in school and who are ahead of you. It can be very easy to get down on yourself if you are not careful. Yes, there are people who believe in you, but when you are alone the little voices get inside your head and tell you what a fraud you are. And it requires action on your part if you are not to sink under the wave of self-loathing that these voices generate. I have found that just getting started on something can help. Even if it is just cleaning up your workspace. I discovered this trick long ago. When I was just dreaming about art as a possible career I used to just buy supplies. I did not know how to use them, I knew no artists and examples of good art were not readily available. I grew up in the inner-city and poverty was something I was very familiar with. People did not become artists and I had no knowledge of what good art was. My first exposure to art was in comics. But this was not fine art. It would be a long time before I would learn about the beauty of painting.