So last night I answered an anon question but I seriously couldn’t sleep because  I was thinking of a more honest/personal answer to it. So here goes.

when you draw something that you’re not exactly proud of/didn’t turn out the way you wanted it to, how do you bring your spirits back up?

As an artist, there is always the comfort that you can redo something and make it better. You could probably redo it a hundred times until you are finally satisfied with it. So that is why my spirits can never be brought down to low, because I know I have the time to continue with it. And I know that I am never obligated to finish a piece of art, so if I feel like putting it down to work on something else, I will. If I feel like it’s not going where I want it to, I either just let my hand draw ridiculous things on it (that usually won’t let me down like hair or patterns), or I drop it. Sometimes I feel it’s because I lack the skill or technique. It’s not the idea, it’s just me. But that won’t bring me down because if it’s a good idea, I will go back to it once I do have the skills! And there are some pieces that I have gone back to. 

Before I let my spirits go down for pushing through a piece I’m not proud of, I nip it at the bud. Then, sometimes I make something to eat, take a walk, talk to my friends or watch something.

Yeah there are times where I can’t get past the “ugly stage” of development. So then I look at other artists and study them, trying to visualize their process and apply it to my current one.

But if I do really push through one and I am not happy with it, I draw up sketches for a new one. Different compositions and even different mediums. The road to bringing your spirits back up is not to be limited to the same piece that you are growing frustrated for, but to start something new and keep moving forward.

(Source: rosewong)