Topic: How do you motivate yourself to keep getting better at art?

I've been drawing off and on for be past few months on my reddit. I saw one stupid doodle of mine popped off and have made more art ever since.

But I feel like I've been ramming my head into the wall in terms of trying to improve. I'm generally not prideful in many area, but creating things is a massive exception. I take great pride in making things, so it feels like getting gutted for them to receive more and more negative attention.

I've been trying to learn from others and study their advice. I've been looking back at my past art and seeing what did and didn't work. I've been trying to get myself to practice more and more, but I can't help to always feel like what I make is of abysmal and embarrassing quality.

Do any of yall have any advice? I'm sorry if this seems whiny or over personal, I just want to get better so I can create stuff that I feel good about.

Generally speaking, it's just fun to get good at things. Ur probably at the "intermeddiate" level of art where you can clearly see what you're doing wrong but can't figure out how to fix it and/or you need to take your time and study art/study muscle groups for porportions, or just whatever it is in particular.

but of course im not one to play armchair psychologist so uh idk man. Just try enjoying what you make and not taking other people's opinion too seriously.

while I def dont like diapers, if that's what you like then make as much as you want and study how to draw it until you feel satisfied with how your characters look in their clothes. Go for it. The only person stopping you from having fun doing your thing is you <3

sometimes my boredom clicks from drawing art casually and try something refreshing like reference the pictures of real bodies or artists' work that are artistically better than me for fun on ms paint with my mouse and pencil brush (works with different tools of use). after with some frustration of not going anywhere, overtime i think i've improved a bit in anatomy, fundamentals, etc and have a step to drawing something i like with better in vision and perception by other people

You have to do it bad before you can do it good.

Beating yourself down as an artist is never going to help you improve - simply the act of drawing something will teach you how to draw it better, and by repeating that act hundreds - thousands - of times, you will gradually improve as an artist. Instant gratification of the internet has definitely spoiled some up-and-coming artists' motivation to keep going - if they aren't good now, they assume, when are they ever going to be good? That's an awful mindset to have for your own art and creations, and it harms your improvement by making everything something to criticize instead of something to admire.

My advice, as an artist for as long as I've been able to pick up a pencil:
-Don't seek validation from strangers on the wider internet. Doing so can give you a quick boost of motivation, but it's not a consistent method of positivity and strangers - especially on reddit - can be cruel. If you don't feel confident in your art now, it will show, and they will know. Find supportive friends who are willing to give you constructive criticism. Find your way into small artist communities and make friends where they're more willing to help you improve and give you advice. The most important thing in this aspect is compassion and companionship.
-Genuinely, fake it until you make it. Force yourself to find things you like about your art even if you hate it. Focus on those things that you like, improve them, and keep drawing them. By virtue of improving the things you like, the things you hate will grow alongside them.
-Be willing to accept critique and ask for help. It can sting at first, but people who offer critiques are genuinely trying to help you improve. Ask for ways to improve on your art - "How can I make this hand look better"? "How can I give them a more expressive face"? Things you're struggling with, ask for critique. Don't beat yourself down. Just ask for help.
-Don't compare yourself to other artists. It's tempting, with access to millions of artists right at your fingertips nowadays, but comparison only breeds misery.
-Don't take shortcuts. It can be tempting, but shortcuts that can "make life easier" [generative AI, etc] can often stagnate your improvement due to errors and mistakes that can be absorbed into your own subconscious. Tracing photos to learn the shapes and techniques can help, but there is a point where you will have to walk on your own two feet. Try not to use other people's work as a crutch for your improvement, but don't be afraid to use references.
-And most importantly, do not force yourself to make art if you are not enjoying the process of making it. Have fun. Make funny doodles, redraw memes. Make doodles to make your friends laugh or smile. Joy is the biggest motivator in artistic improvement. If you are having fun, you'll probably want to do it more. Doing it when you don't want to is only going to make you hate the process of making art.

moonlit-comet said:
You have to do it bad before you can do it good.

Beating yourself down as an artist is never going to help you improve - simply the act of drawing something will teach you how to draw it better, and by repeating that act hundreds - thousands - of times, you will gradually improve as an artist. Instant gratification of the internet has definitely spoiled some up-and-coming artists' motivation to keep going - if they aren't good now, they assume, when are they ever going to be good? That's an awful mindset to have for your own art and creations, and it harms your improvement by making everything something to criticize instead of something to admire.

My advice, as an artist for as long as I've been able to pick up a pencil:
-Don't seek validation from strangers on the wider internet. Doing so can give you a quick boost of motivation, but it's not a consistent method of positivity and strangers - especially on reddit - can be cruel. If you don't feel confident in your art now, it will show, and they will know. Find supportive friends who are willing to give you constructive criticism. Find your way into small artist communities and make friends where they're more willing to help you improve and give you advice. The most important thing in this aspect is compassion and companionship.
-Genuinely, fake it until you make it. Force yourself to find things you like about your art even if you hate it. Focus on those things that you like, improve them, and keep drawing them. By virtue of improving the things you like, the things you hate will grow alongside them.
-Be willing to accept critique and ask for help. It can sting at first, but people who offer critiques are genuinely trying to help you improve. Ask for ways to improve on your art - "How can I make this hand look better"? "How can I give them a more expressive face"? Things you're struggling with, ask for critique. Don't beat yourself down. Just ask for help.
-Don't compare yourself to other artists. It's tempting, with access to millions of artists right at your fingertips nowadays, but comparison only breeds misery.
-Don't take shortcuts. It can be tempting, but shortcuts that can "make life easier" [generative AI, etc] can often stagnate your improvement due to errors and mistakes that can be absorbed into your own subconscious. Tracing photos to learn the shapes and techniques can help, but there is a point where you will have to walk on your own two feet. Try not to use other people's work as a crutch for your improvement, but don't be afraid to use references.
-And most importantly, do not force yourself to make art if you are not enjoying the process of making it. Have fun. Make funny doodles, redraw memes. Make doodles to make your friends laugh or smile. Joy is the biggest motivator in artistic improvement. If you are having fun, you'll probably want to do it more. Doing it when you don't want to is only going to make you hate the process of making art.

Thank you for all the advice. You're right about the external validation thing. I've been trying to gage whether or not I'm improving on the reception of strangers instead of my own personal feelings about what I've made. I know not to take the opinions of others to heart, but I've also viewed them as a better source of reality then what I personally think of my drawings, which probably isn't at all helpful.

Also, thank you for the kind words too "Ails The Painter" :)