Never in my life could I believe I could make something so precious. It’s so plain, so simple, but sketching this has just brought me the most amazing feeling; one I’ve not felt for a long time.

I can now ACTUALLY believe and see just how far my skills have come; and although they are not as amazing as other artists I've seen, these are MY skills. This is MY comfort. This is MY happiness.

This is what art should be about. Bringing happiness to yourself. If your artwork can give others happiness, then it should be considered as a bonus, not a necessity.
I know this might sound conceited, but I've always seen my art as crap. Even when it was good enough for others, it was never good enough for me.

Time and time again, I've constantly broken my number 1 rule when it comes to being an artist. Well 2 rules to be honest.

Rule #1: Never fall in love with your artwork. Because no matter what, there will always be room for improvement. If you love your work the way it is now; that's okay. But imagine having the mindset to do better. For artists, your imagination should be your only limitation.

Rule#2: Never compare your artwork to someone else’s. Because if you do, you'll only ever see yourself as a person with lesser skills. There will ALWAYS be better artists than yourself. But this shouldn't stop you from trying to do better. From trying to improve.

I've watched many artists improve within as little as months; simply because they never stopped practicing. They never gave up. And they especially never allowed the negativity of others to overtake them. You see people saying:

"Ugh, your art sucks. Why don't you just stop?"

"Man, your art is really trash. You should just give it up and leave to the people who actually know how to draw."

This is enough to stop and keep anyone from doing what they thought brought them happiness. Including myself.

My family, although supported my love for art, never really showed much appreciation towards my work. It might have been because I just chose to no longer show them the stuff I’ve done. But still, I allowed that to overtake me and keep me from continuing with what I loved to do.

I don’t want people going through this.

If your art is not as "advanced" or "skilled" as others. It's okay. It shouldn't matter. All that should matter is how YOUR art makes YOU feel. The feelings it brings YOU.

I want to pass these two rules on, because I know many artists struggle with the same problems.

My therapist brought something up to me. Something so simple...yet it had such a strong impact when I was at my lowest due to depression.

"These same rules can apply to your life. Don’t pretend to be happy with where you’re at in life now…because there’s always room to get better. And don’t compare your life to that of others. There will always be someone with a much better life than yourself…but this alone shouldn’t keep you rooted on the spot. You keep that in mind, and you'll recover."

It's a slow process. But I'm praying it does get better.

Just…thank you, to all those who have stood by me, and supported me when I most needed it.
Love you all