Entry #11: Like, Comment, Subscribe

Howdy! (I’m running out of ways to say hi)

(also I’m from the south, just roll with it)

I want to start off by commending Milan on his post we looked at in class today. The question that Leeper asked: “would you still make this stuff if you couldn’t post it?” made me think. If someone asked me that question, I would probably answer “yes” without thinking. I mean, isn’t cartooning my passion? If it’s a passion, shouldn’t you want to do it regardless of anything and everything? I should think so.

But, when I thought about it more, I started to backpedal on my answer. I doodle things for myself all the time, but I rarely ever not share finished pieces. All my finished things are either for school or on DeviantArt. If not those, I show them to my friends. The most frustrating thing I've found in my art is that it gets little to no attention unless it's fan art. All my original ideas? Frikkin Zilch. Because of that, I admittedly post more fan art than original content. 

The truth is I don’t seem to have any confidence in my drawings unless someone else tells me it’s good. I know that, as an artist, I should thrive on feedback naturally. But, is it okay to like something of yours simply because you and only you like it?

Why do I find that so hard? Why don’t I allow myself to feel good about my accomplishments unless I get a positive second opinion? Does anyone else feel that way? Am I the only one?

I think it’s because the value of art is so heavily based on subjectivity and commodity that the artist’s opinion doesn’t matter unless it makes money or gets popular. Art is very much in the eye of the beholder and, usually, that beholder is not the artist.

I think that causes me and maybe others to feel our art has no purpose unless others like it. Art has to be universal and apply to everyone for it to be “good”. Art is meant to be shared, and you’re not considered an artist if your art isn’t on some public domain.

This is more of a brainstorm than a definitive answer. I think it’s fantastic if you have the confidence in your art to make it for yourself. In reality, I think we should be making what we want to see and not what others want to see.