mixed art advice i wish i had heard in my teens

"making art" is a thing you can do - not your reason to exist. if you're reading this you probably really like making art! but it doesn't have to be the most important thing in your life. thinking of myself as an "artist" first, and everything else second, makes me feel like garbage when i don't want to make art. don't let capitalism-brain trick you into believing you were born to make shit. there is no fundamental difference between artists and normies.
there is a difference between art you LIKE, and art you LIKE TO MAKE. learn it! i love reading comics. i haaaaaaaaaate making comics. but, the thrill of sharing my own finished comic pages was so satisfying, that it took me YEARS to realize i hated the making process. listen to yourself when you make art - are you having fun? when does it start to suck? how can you make more art, that is less "good," and more "fun to make?"
you're allowed to give up. you don't have to practice daily. you don't have to land a dream job. you don't need to finish your masterpiece. you can be selfish and choosy with your time. you're only alive for so long - why would you want to waste that time practicing a skill that makes you miserable? cut it out! art will still be waiting for you when you come back to it. maybe you won't "improve your skills" while you're not making art, but you will be growing and changing as a person. that will impact the art you make, and how you feel about it.

ze'ev 🌙