I Have No Talents

[Voltaic]

Thanks, everyone. I did feel proud of myself when i finished the drawings, but I always tend to see something wrong like they're not good enough. I did these all on paper cause I do better on paper than on computer with fur textures.

Wow! I can't believe my thread got featured!

That is a hard mindset to have, but I think you can make use of it. Dude, it is unquestioned that you already have a decent amount of skill at drawing, and a far majority of people in general would feel blessed to be able to produce something like that. You are already doing great. That perfectionist mindset may make it feel as if it is not good enough, but that is a relative metric. To some this would be perfection to them, for you, not so much.

If you feel like it isn't good enough, then do better. if what comes next isn't good enough, do yet even better. That perfectionist drive can be a strong thing if you don't let it demotivate you. Bring attention to your achievements as they are now, and continuing on. Notice the good with the bad, and pay attention to your growth as you continue on as an artist. Even the path of defeat is lined with small victories. Be ambitious, and don't be afraid of failure, no one does it right the first time, and if they do, they are not challenging themselves enough.

Pay homage to the small victories, see your strengths for what they are and mistakes for a opportunities to learn. surround yourself with things that strengthen your drive foreword and give you inspiration through times of stagnation. See your work not just for the finished product but the accumulation of the time, effort, and skill put into the art since you started. There is beauty in effort, no matter what comes out at the end.

 

[Fino]

The actual topic of this thread is the fact that you're delusional, assuming you genuinely believe you have no talent.

 

[AuBurney Tuckerson]

Like this? I recorded the process of drawing it that day, too.

 

[some/aspies/need/hugs/13]

With respect you don't have to beat everyone else to be talented at something. I can make a lot of very complicated braids and knots to make bracelets out of but I know there are people out there who can fuse two pieces of cord better than me

 

[Misery]

Honestly the real problem you're having here is that you're essentially comparing apples to clockwork monkeys.

The images that you drew, and the ones you're comparing them to, arent even REMOTELY the same style.

It's kinda like trying to put the following two things against one another:

Whoever made that gif there had no bloody clue what they were doing, but it does the job.

Both are very famous artstyles done by famous people. But one is very detailed, surreal paintings, and one is a simpler yet very lively style designed for animation and memorable characters. The comparison between the two simply makes no sense.

Rather than focusing on what others have done, focus more on practicing and evolving your own personal style, whatever that may be.

 

[AuBurney Tuckerson]

Honestly the real problem you're having here is that you're essentially comparing apples to clockwork monkeys.

The images that you drew, and the ones you're comparing them to, arent even REMOTELY the same style.

It's kinda like trying to put the following two things against one another:

View attachment 57581

View attachment 57582

Whoever made that gif there had no bloody clue what they were doing, but it does the job.

Both are very famous artstyles done by famous people. But one is very detailed, surreal paintings, and one is a simpler yet very lively style designed for animation and memorable characters. The comparison between the two simply makes no sense.

Rather than focusing on what others have done, focus more on practicing and evolving your own personal style, whatever that may be.

My style is real life animals. Or real life versions of my favorite cartoon T.U.F.F. Puppy.

 

[Crossbreed]

@AuBurney Tuckerson , we are our own worst critics. My own level of artwork is not (and will probably never be) commercial-ready, but I enjoy the process and what I do end up with.

(Besides my weakness in heads/faces, I concentrate on bodies/costumes to the exclusion of backgrounds & props...)

 

[Sherlock77]

You don't have to be the best artist ever born, simply doing something creative is good for people, how many people actually draw in the first place anyway? That is a talent

Keep doing it, try to learn a few things along the way, and just keep doing it! It's been proven that creative things are good for mental health

Despite what I say sometimes about my artistic struggles I know there are better photographers than me out there, lots of them, and that is perfectly fine, I don't plan to stop anytime soon...

 

[Propianotuner]

With the hobbies I do for fun, everyone's better at me. When I draw, they look like something a 2-year-old drew. View attachment 57559 View attachment 57560
View attachment 57561
When I play the piano, I always mess up. And anyone can love animals better than I do. It's like everyone's better than me at everything I do. I have no special talent like everyone else has. They're all taken, and there's nothing left for me. Does anyone else ever feel this way, or is it just me who lacks talent?

Being good and being the best aren't the same thing. "There's always someone better". So many people are concerned with being good at things to the point that it's a detriment to them simply enjoying things.

Do you enjoy the piano? Enjoy it then. Do you enjoy drawing? Keep doing it. If you want to improve you can work on things and improve, but the improvement process itself should just be another fun thing and we aren't all guaranteed lofty results or even that good of results.

 

[Wolf31]

Talents are developed, not genetic. If you want it bad enough, work at it. If you are not disciplined, then you will never be "talented".

 

[SusanLR]

I've always liked your Giggles Hyena icon. Thought it was neat the first time I saw it.
And as everyone else is pointing out: What is great to one person, may not be liked at all by the next.
What is good or great when it comes to art?
Art is a personal style.

I like surreal art like the Dali in another post above. Persistence of Memory is my fav of his.
Living in Florida, the Dali Museum is only about 20 miles away.
I loved going through it. And bought a Persistence of Memory poster.
My other favourite artist is Van Gogh.
Fell in love with the Starry Night painting in 6th grade.
So I like surreal. Others may not.

There are many other famous artists that if I said I didn't care for their work per se,
those who like their style would say I have no taste.
Apples to oranges. I like oranges, but not apples!
That's art. So many styles, so many tastes.

 

[IntoTheVoid]

 

[SimplyWandering]

I would suggest watching this video.

The difference between your style and his is light and day. Yours seems to show real talent and abstract drawing (for example you outline And shade, where as for some cartoons they all have the basic principles) as opposed to a a more cartoonish version like the ones on the right.

Your skill is definitely harder to master.

 

[Adora]

I think your drawings are good but like most people who draw we can be our own worst critics.i like to draw too but find that I am also very critical of myself.

The most damaging thing to do to yourself is compare yourself to others because everyone is an individual and we all have our strengths even if we don’t see them ourselves.

 

[onlything]

'On not being able to paint' is quite an interesting book on, well, reasons why people think they're not able to paint, draw or be creative in general if you like reading.

 

[Pondering]

I agree with what is being said: you have your own unique taste in drawing, and they're really actually quite good!

But in addition to that, even if you truly couldn't draw, you'd do it anyway because it's wholesome recreation that you personally enjoy, and it's your creative outlet.

I also think it might be worth being said that not every talent manifests itself outwardly, to outsiders, or even to the self. Some people might consider themselves talentless regarding dance, music, poetry, drawing, etc., but you know what? - maybe they have a huge talent for inspiring people, or maybe they have an innate ability to find incongruencies in information, or maybe they can see complex patterns where other people can't. These are not talents that are thrown into talent shows, or social media, art museums, or other expressive platforms. Maybe these talents aren't hobbies. Maybe the everyday passersby doesn't immediately recognize these types of talents. But you do. And someone who cares to know you well will recognize and appreciate them. And your talents fill a role unique to you, that not everybody could.

 

[paloftoon]

You might feel like a jack of all trades and a master of none. I can relate to that. Like, you can do a lot of things, and maybe not so bad, but you know there's others who have better natural ability or who can get more people to like their image or items more for one particular facet of what you can do. One person might be great with graphic design on a computer compared to you, and another person might be better and drawing/picking subject matter that captures people's attention more.

Certainly doesn't mean you're bad. It's not easy.

Best thing you can do is try to focus on fewer things in life- the things that you have to, things that you need to do to be independent and don't affect others in life, being social when you can, and focusing on you.

Ironically, part of the social build for mastering many things, especially something as subjective as art, is us being able to accept who we are and making it work for us regardless of what others think as long as it isn't affecting us negatively or others in an unacceptably immoral manner.

 

[Crossbreed]

...as long as it isn't affecting us negatively or others in an unacceptably immoral manner.

"Mores" are a little harder to pin down than ethics are. Most ethics can be satisfied by "The Golden Rule."

(In practice, "mores" includes conventions that aren't necessarily required by ethics.)