My Honest Art Journey: And Why I Started An Artist Blog

Opening Note

Hey there! Welcome to my first-ever blog post — my art journey! I’m so glad you’re here! My name is Liv, and this blog has been sitting in the back of my mind and the bottom of my heart for a while, but before we get into it, I want to share the story behind it — behind me. So, here we go! I’ll be sharing some early art mementos, lessons I’ve learned so far (like dealing with creative burnout), and where I’m at now.

Becoming An Artist

I’ve been obsessed with creating art for as long as I can remember. I cannot genuinely think back to a time when I did not love to draw, paint, and create all. the. time! Since I was just a little girl, I’ve been crafting my family and friends’ birthday cards with messy hands and loving intentions and trying my best to draw whatever my little heart desires. Interesting colours and designs fascinated me then, and they still do now! 

It’s mind-boggling how, by using our hands, eyes, and minds, we can create anything we can see and envision with our imaginations. Like, what do you mean by using a mix of colours and a deeper understanding of our surroundings, we can project expressions of our very souls onto a canvas for others to decipher in their own way?! I think it’s a really beautiful concept and a huge part of who we are as a species, although, as a little girl, I didn’t grasp it all that way. 

When I was small, creating was just a fun way of letting my imagination run free and do its thing. It was a way of communicating things I didn’t know how to say or understand with words. It didn’t matter what the reality was because I could make my own from the little secret world in my mind. Young children don’t view art and creation the same way as they do as they age. Every year added to a child’s life is full of new learnings, observations, and interactions. All of these shape the way we perceive the world, which is what makes it so beautiful. 

Early Art Memories

I used to draw these “kawaii” animals at school. Remember those animals and girls who had those big, black, sparkly eyes?

Another one of the stages in my art journey was when I was probably about 8 or 9, when I decided it was time to start learning realism and wanted to attempt a portrait. Well, actually — it wasn’t meant to be a portrait, that’s just what it became.

I started by drawing a set of lips from a tutorial I found on YouTube. After I finished it, though, I was so proud that I craved more of that satisfaction. So, next up was the nose! Then, a set of eyes, and finally, I added an asymmetrical, softened “V” shape for the jaw and some shiny braids. Let’s just say it was very, very out of proportion. The eyes were not looking straight ahead or even in the same direction, for that matter, and the lines were so harsh. But I was so proud of my new drawing.

I told my older sister I drew her (I didn’t), and she pretended to be very impressed by her new portrait. I even brought it to school, where another girl was just as impressed as I was, and she wanted to buy it! Guess who got a big shiny toonie the next day! (Yes, I sold it for two dollars.) I even signed my name in a messy cursive on the back, too! I think this was the very first time I felt that “click” in my art journey. Even though looking back, it wasn’t the best, I thought I made immense progress (which I did!), and I believed I suddenly had realism superpowers. 

What I See Now

Thinking back to those times now, I think those were the good old days. Back when we didn’t put so much pressure on ourselves for a piece, and when it was purely for the fun of it. I think we, more experienced artists, should learn to regain some of the habits and mindsets we had back then. I wish that as younger me got older, she didn’t place her standards so high and allowed herself to enjoy the process more. That’s something big, I think we’ve lost along the way; enjoying the process, the journey to get there instead of just the outcome. 

I wish I could hug her and tell her about all the progress we’ve made since then. That we’ve done it! We’ve achieved some of the goals we thought impossible! If I could tell her just one thing, I would tell her not to give up. I know that it seems like cliche advice, but really, don’t give up and push through it! There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s waiting for you to be ready. Keep practicing and keep dreaming, little one! Although I might have done things differently or put my focus in other places, I don’t regret one second of the art journey. Little me did the best she knew how. ♥︎

Stepping Stones

Navigating art is a journey — a looong journey. But if you learn how to enjoy it, it can be a really fun one. Art isn’t that serious, guys. Think about it — you can create whatever you want, in whatever style you want, made of whatever you want. It’s whether you like it and enjoy it, not what others think or what yours looks like compared to theirs. That’s still a lesson I’m trying to learn. Although I do love making art and I love the journey and the results, I still put quite a bit of thought into what other people’s opinions might be, and I still do quite a bit of comparing. For a while, that stopped me from making art. 

Seasons Of Stillness

For a few years, I hit a dry spot in my art journey. That’s right. I hit creative burnout. I had no motivation, no inspiration, no imagination, no desire. I still liked the idea of art, but I had given up on making it. Anytime I’d try, it didn’t reach my expectations, it didn’t look like other artists’ art that I so very much admired, and it just lacked passion. I wanted to be at the same level as the artists I watched on social media, without having to do the dirty work in between.

The thing is, those people who post their work online post it because they’re in a part of their art journey where they’ve grown somewhat comfortable with their skill level, and they’re ready to share it with the world. What you don’t see is all the hard work, long hours, and crumpled papers they’ve spent on the way there. Those who do post online don’t always show the mess-ups they still make today.

The truth is, you’ll never be completely satisfied with your art. There will always be something new you want to try, someone else who you think is better than you, and parts of your art that you don’t like. There will always be mistakes because, without room for mistakes, there’s no room for learning, progress, and growth. To put it simply, without error, there is no chance at greatness. That’s it, that’s all, folks. 

And that’s how I got myself out of my creative burnout slump. I learned to love the process and not just the results. I remembered that if I wanted to become like the artists I aspired to be, I had to put in the hard work now to reap the rewards in the future. There are no shortcuts, so work hard for what you want now so your future self can thank you when your goals have been achieved. And know that seasons of rest like this are okay and normal. Don’t beat yourself up about taking a break for a few weeks, or even a few months. Just make sure you get back on and don’t. give. up. 

Lessons In Progress

Now that being said, I am very far from being an artist with the “right” artistic mindset. There’s still so much I have to learn and so many lessons to discover.

Something I struggle with today is choosing my slice of the pie and sticking with it. The problem is, I want to do it all. I want to paint big, acrylic paintings of landscapes around the world, but I also want to paint deep, meaningful paintings that say what words cannot. I want to draw little characters and colour them with my alcohol markers, but I also want to draw realistic animal portraits with coloured pencils or oil pastels. I want to paint mystical places in gouache and watercolour, and I want to paint digitally too. I don’t want to stick to one single style or medium, and maybe that’s okay. But right now, that’s what I’m working through. I mean, sure, I’m good at different things, but which of them should be my main, signature style and medium? But then again, maybe I don’t have to choose. I guess we’ll learn the answer to that along the way!

We also shouldn’t attach our worth to the results of a piece of art or the achievement of a goal. Have you ever reached a point in your art journey that you’ve been waiting so long for, only to realize it doesn’t feel as big and important as you thought it would? I know I have.

You know, like when you have finally finished a sketchbook or completed a drawing challenge. You thought it would be this huge deal and once you reached it, the pressure would be lifted off your shoulders, or maybe everyone would praise you for your commitment, or even you would recognize how far you’ve come but the truth is, once you get there, there’ll be more goals to reach ahead. And I’m not saying that to discourage you, but like in any journey, the main goal is to move forward. Move forward, one step at a time and make progress.

Those stepping stones you thought would be super important will become moments in the past that have helped you in becoming an artist, and without them, you wouldn’t be where you are today. So they are certainly all moments to be grateful for and proud of, just don’t attach your worth, skills, or success to the accomplishment of every goal. They might change later on anyway.

Where I’m At Now In My Art Journey

Like many artists, I am self-taught. I’ve never had any lessons or taken any courses, I’ve just sort of figured it out by observing other artists, picking up tips and techniques through YouTube videos, and experimenting! 

You may be wondering what I currently do with my art. Well, as you may have guessed from earlier, I’m kind of everywhere!

I’ve been messing with digital art for several years now, but I’d say I’m still finding my way with it. There are so many ways to make digital art with all the brushes, effects, and endless colours that I’m still trying to get the hang of it. I seemed to have picked up alcohol markers pretty quickly. It just became one of those things that clicked naturally. I’ve only made three or four drawings with them, but each one impressed me, considering I’m not experienced with markers! I’ve messed around with coloured pencils in the past, but so far, I don’t think it’s for me. Maybe it’s just my supplies that are keeping me from enjoying it as much as other mediums, though, because I only have cheap coloured pencils. But then again, it’s not always about the tools you have. Your skills play a bigger part in your art than the supplies! I tried watercolour painting a while back too, and I can’t seem to grasp it! 

Some mediums I’d like to explore more in the future are acrylic paint and gouache. I have been obsessed with gouache paintings for a few months now, and I even bought a paint set. I just get stuck in that mentality of not wanting to “waste” my expensive materials on something I’m still not certain of, but the truth is, I’ll never be certain of it if I never try it! And trying it means using my materials.

I’ve attempted acrylic painting in the past, but I’ve always gotten frustrated with how it dries so quickly. I’m going to do more research on solvents, mediums, and other products to help me with my painting and learn more about glazing, layering, and mixing with acrylics. 

Until then, I’ve just been following my heart and drawing whatever I feel like drawing at the moment. I usually like to draw little characters and create spreads for them in my sketchbook. Something I really like to do is draw different personas for myself in different universes. I know I’m a little late to the party, but I’ve currently been dreaming of a new Spidersona design. Drawing these can usually get me out of a creative burnout slump. With my alcohol markers, I like to draw more realistic things. Some styles I’d like to venture into really soon are animal portraiture and landscape scenes. 

So there you have it! That’s where I’m at currently with my art and some of my artistic mindset shifts along the way.

This One’s For Her

Now I want to ask you a question, and there’s no right or wrong answer here. I just want you to think about it. So tell me, who do you create for? Is it your current self, your younger self, your future self, or someone else entirely? 

When I read this question, it got me thinking. Who do I create for? I thought about it some more, and now I have my answer. I think I create for my current self, my younger self, and my future self. I don’t have just one answer. 

Right now, I’m in a spot in my art journey where I’m pretty okay with where I’m at. I’m happy with my skills and what I’ve achieved. I surprise even myself sometimes, and I’m learning to enjoy the process. So, here’s to you, current me.

But also, when I think about younger me, I feel even happier. I recently had an incredible discovery. By putting myself in little me’s shoes, I realize that she would be so proud of how far we’ve come. She would be over the moon about all the progress we’ve made since becoming an artist! So now, when I’m being hard on myself, I think of her. So here’s to you, little me.

And now for future me, well, I think about how grateful she will be that I put in the effort and time now to learn the required skills and shift our artistic mindset to get to where we want to be. Future me and current me both know that art comes in and out of our lives, but it always comes back. Art is something neither of us is letting go of anytime soon, so why not do my future self a favour and get some of the work done for her now so that we can focus on other things later? So last but not least, here’s to you, future me. 

Where It All Comes Together

By reading this whole article, you can probably tell I’m pretty passionate about art. That burning desire I have within me has finally become too much to keep to myself, and so I’ve finally taken the steps to be able to share it with the world on this brand new artist blog. I want to share the good and the bad with you all. I want to help you feel less alone when you’re feeling lost (because I’ve been there), I want you to get the push of motivation or the burst of inspiration you need when it feels like it’s all but gone, and I want to discover all the magic there is to find together. 

I am creating this artist blog in hopes of building a supportive community of artists of all ages, levels, and styles. To help guide those who are stumbling their way through their art journey and to provide some guidance in areas where I’m already experienced. We’ll mess with new mediums and styles together, and I’ll teach you the things I’ve learned. 

In a year from now, I would like for this blog to have reached a significant number of people and for it to have a large number of posts. I hope to have branched out more into different social media and have a family of artists there as well, and I hope to have made more resources and collected more tools for you all to aid you on your art journeys. Finally, I hope to possibly have some of my art up to share with the rest of the world. How cool would it be to see prints of my art found around the world? I guess we’ll see how we do when we get there! 

So here goes nothing! This post is dedicated to little me and all of her dreams. I hope I can make so many more of them come true, and I am so proud of her for all of her accomplishments and for not having given up on art. 

If any part of this post resonated with you, feel free to share your story in the comments, simply say hi, and join our cozy community on the artist blog. Thank you to all who have read this far and decide to stay along for the ride. Here’s to all of us who have worked hard for where we are now and all of our younger selves with big dreams.

Interested in more? Check out the blog or find me on Instagram for behind-the-scenes updates and creative snippets!