True… very true. Actually, when I think about that “oppressive critic within”, only thing that comes to my mind is “Censor” as called in “the Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. And the more similarities like this I find in places that don’t have too much in common with each other, the more I think it’s actually right…
Thank you!
I’m not an artist by any means, but I’m a writer and I love how true to life these are for any creative profession. I just started making the transition from working most of the time to writing most of the time, and these posts are so inspirational and they are really helping me to keep pressing forward.
Actually…. I’m a quite pessimist girl…. Just looking at someone’s art than way much better makes me hate myself….
You gives me a really important lesson for me….
Thank you. :3
I just saw this show up in the FB feed of a fellow composer friend. Wow, what a terrific blog! Thanks so much for this and keep it up! My motto has been “fail as big as possible”.
This is so relevant to me right now! My favorite page is the fifth one. I think some people don’t realize that even if an artist posts work with the disclaimer “these sketches are crap lol sorry,” they don’t really mean that. They choose which work to share, and it’s unlikely that they show failed attempts. So when we’re comparing ourselves to others (not that we should, but hey, we do), we have a somewhat idealized impression of the artists we admire–which means it’s an even BIGGER disappointment. (Sorry; I tend to ramble!)
Also, I really appreciate the baby metaphor. I hadn’t thought of it that way and it makes so much sense. I need to be nicer to myself!
Thanks again, Stephen! I will continue to harass you until you put these in a book or make prints available…
I think that especially on the internet where social media always pushes great artwork to the top of the pile, it can create the illusion that every one else is great– but the truth is most artists are still on the same path as we are, honing their skills.
That was really inspiring. Thanks a lot. Sometimes we need to hear stuff like this from other people to really internalize it and help us keep going. Great job man.
I once told my friend that his artworks are so amazing I can never achieve that level.
He then told me that he thinks someone else’s work is amazing too and he can never achieve that…so the cycle goes on.
In the end, he said no matter how good you are, there is always someone better than you. Thus we must always humble ourselves and be willing to learn, at the same time acknowledging that it is more important to improve on our own skills through failure rather than envying the work of others.
Thank you for reminding me once again not to give up. Your posts are truly an inspiration! Keep up the good work
[...] Alley, ‘A Picture Blog About Sustainable Creativity’, featured a colourful post titled ‘Be Friends with Failure’ (thanks Isley). The few excepted panels above provide a flavour for its fun style and apropos [...]
Ian: I find your comments and comics taking you away from improv and into philosophy. Amazing. I love it and i get so much out of what you post. Can always apply it to my life. Keep it up. Thanks.
Just wanted to add my voice to the general chorus of “yay, this is awesome!”
I was linked to this comic through a friend’s Tumblr, and found it so truthful and inspired that I read the rest of it. Going to RSS your site and send it to all the creative people I know.
Thank you, sir, for making this blog. Your dedication to sharing your experiences, your clarity of expression, these are valuable things. I am so grateful you’ve put this together. : )
Thank you for this! I love this cartoon so much. I’m sharing it with all my facebook friends right now and plan on saving it so I can look at it often. I’m a musician and an artist, and it truly applies to all arts as well as EVERYTHING in life! You portrayed the message so well with humor, words, images, and a gentleness that isn’t easy. I’m going to peruse the rest of your work now as well.
I told you I would on DevArt, and here’s the comment. You are right, the critique within is always the worst, but here’s what I’m facing. I look at my work that I made before, and I loved it, or I hated it. Either way I put it up on DevArt to see others’ reactions. As of recent, I’ve been seeing not just mistakes that I’ve made, but things that I /tried to do/… It looked like an abomination… I loathed it… all of it…. I removed it all… it’s locked away in my computer now, since my boyfriend still wants the images, poems, and passages I’ve made. I don’t dare look at any but one. The one that I set as my avatar almost everywhere now. I do loathe it, but it looks happiest out of all of them… So I just have to say, thank you. You did help, but only one of the smaller things. I’m also in need of apologizing, since I wasn’t specific and possibly confused you. I’m sorry.
[...] it and making it part of your life, will ultimately free you to be the writer you can be. Please head on over to Stephen’s blog to read the rest of the [...]
I know how it is! I’ve done 3 books– it seems like with writing, you fail and fail and fail, and then when it’s good, then it’s done. You fail until you’re done. Kind of a miserable struggle, but so worth it. THanks for sharing!
I’m truly creative at heart but failure has always made me kill the Art. One of your saying, truly depicts me..! That is- “some artists are so adverse to failure they would rather repeat the one method they know works…”
It’s been two years since I found that ONE METHOD of cartooning and I still can’t move on. It’s truly the fear of failing while trying something new.
I thank you from bottom of my heart for such an inspiring blog and also to christopher jackson to recommend readers to read your blog in his “FUEL YOUR WRITING” blog.
I looking forward to try something new.
Keep up this good work.:-)
Bullseye, man. Just bullseye. You are doing brilliant work. Never stop to encourage people with this art. Never stop to fail, never stop to grow because in you is so much we need to see and read. Thank you so much.
Wow, this comic was really spot on, when it comes to self criticism, but with trying hard as well. I thought that it was really inspiring, awesome job =D
I felt very inspired by this artwork. I decided to print this and put it up in my sculpture class. Some of the my classmates read it and also found it inspiring. Keep up the good work. I love all of your other work too. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
[...] same topics that we often talk about here on Skinny Artist. Things like dealing with creative failure, not getting overly discouraged, and the importance of separating your personal identity from your [...]
Ross Marrs on March 27, 2013 at 6:12 pm
This is just the best! It seriously just made my day.
Thanks so much for this comic. I was in a spiral of negative thoughts for most of today. This helped me decide that I’m not defective or un-helpable, or pathetic, or a loser…I am just starting out. I can totally do this.
It’s a relief that I was able to come across doodlealley.com: it has the resources I was definitely hunting for. It’s very beneficial and you’re obviously quite knowledgeable in this field. Thanks to your wealth of information, I’ve
figured out a whole lot more about the subject and will be coming back for more.
Sir, I just wanted to let you know that your comics are profound. Keep doing what you do.
Will do– thanks!
Excellent comic. Love the part about the fridge!
Thanks mikale!
I agree with Ewon. Your comics are an inspiration. <3
Thanks Skyli!
I swear, every time I’m feeling down about my artwork your comics help me to feel better! Thank you so much!
I’m glad you’re here! No prob!
Encouragment is the arch nemesis of failure.
Thanks for making that
no probs!
This should be a required hand-out in every grade-school, middle-school and high-school in the world. Nice job! -v
Ha ha– I’ll look into that. thanks vince!
Ach! So great & something every artist needs to remember, more often than they’d like, no doubt!
Yeah– something I need to remember. That’s for stopping by, Kye!
This is truly wonderful…
Thanks Alicia!
absolutely awesome. Like Beckett said – “Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”
Yep! You got it!
Beautiful as usual S! Love the baby slap!
Tee hee, thanks Lee!
it feels like poetry…
True… very true. Actually, when I think about that “oppressive critic within”, only thing that comes to my mind is “Censor” as called in “the Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. And the more similarities like this I find in places that don’t have too much in common with each other, the more I think it’s actually right…
Thank you!
wow, I should read that book– thanks!
I’m not an artist by any means, but I’m a writer and I love how true to life these are for any creative profession. I just started making the transition from working most of the time to writing most of the time, and these posts are so inspirational and they are really helping me to keep pressing forward.
Wow! Good luck with that! Let me know how that goes!
Actually…. I’m a quite pessimist girl…. Just looking at someone’s art than way much better makes me hate myself….
You gives me a really important lesson for me….
Thank you. :3
I know how you feel– I slip into that all the time when I’m trying to study someone’s work.
thank you , really really thank you …
: )
I just saw this show up in the FB feed of a fellow composer friend. Wow, what a terrific blog! Thanks so much for this and keep it up! My motto has been “fail as big as possible”.
Great motto!
Humans tend to be really down on themselves. Thanks for the inspiration!
No prob!
This is so relevant to me right now! My favorite page is the fifth one. I think some people don’t realize that even if an artist posts work with the disclaimer “these sketches are crap lol sorry,” they don’t really mean that. They choose which work to share, and it’s unlikely that they show failed attempts. So when we’re comparing ourselves to others (not that we should, but hey, we do), we have a somewhat idealized impression of the artists we admire–which means it’s an even BIGGER disappointment. (Sorry; I tend to ramble!)
Also, I really appreciate the baby metaphor. I hadn’t thought of it that way and it makes so much sense. I need to be nicer to myself!
Thanks again, Stephen! I will continue to harass you until you put these in a book or make prints available…
Thanks Katie! Good comments–
I think that especially on the internet where social media always pushes great artwork to the top of the pile, it can create the illusion that every one else is great– but the truth is most artists are still on the same path as we are, honing their skills.
I’ll get working on those prints!
This was exactly what i needed a few moments ago. Thank you!
Great!
Thank you so much for everything.
I mean it, you’ve saved my artistic-self (if it exists) from metaphorical suicide. Again, thank you so much.
You’re welcome! It’s neat to know there are other artists out there who struggle with the same things I do.
Thank you so much..
You’re welcome!
That was so good. So true. Thank you!
shared this with my pre-animation class on facebook, this is great stuff, keep it up!!!
This is amazing, thank you for helping me XD
Just wanted to say thank you for this. It really helped me and I really feel encouraged by this. Thank you so much.
That was really inspiring. Thanks a lot. Sometimes we need to hear stuff like this from other people to really internalize it and help us keep going. Great job man.
I once told my friend that his artworks are so amazing I can never achieve that level.
He then told me that he thinks someone else’s work is amazing too and he can never achieve that…so the cycle goes on.
In the end, he said no matter how good you are, there is always someone better than you. Thus we must always humble ourselves and be willing to learn, at the same time acknowledging that it is more important to improve on our own skills through failure rather than envying the work of others.
Thank you for reminding me once again not to give up. Your posts are truly an inspiration! Keep up the good work
Thank you so much for this. You have an astounding ability to perfectly explain concepts that I’ve been trying to wrap my brain around for years.
<3
[...] Alley, ‘A Picture Blog About Sustainable Creativity’, featured a colourful post titled ‘Be Friends with Failure’ (thanks Isley). The few excepted panels above provide a flavour for its fun style and apropos [...]
Wonderful thoughts well presented – thank you!
I’ve read all the entries. I’m amazed with such burst of positive energies and words flowing out from these comics.
I wish you all the best in life, and of course, I’m looking forward for the next one!
Cheers from Spain
Thank you, Morgan!
i just love it, this is everything!!!
keep being awesome!
Thanks!
Ian: I find your comments and comics taking you away from improv and into philosophy. Amazing. I love it and i get so much out of what you post. Can always apply it to my life. Keep it up. Thanks.
Thanks! Wait– who’s Ian? 0_o
Just wanted to add my voice to the general chorus of “yay, this is awesome!”
I was linked to this comic through a friend’s Tumblr, and found it so truthful and inspired that I read the rest of it. Going to RSS your site and send it to all the creative people I know.
Thank you, sir, for making this blog. Your dedication to sharing your experiences, your clarity of expression, these are valuable things. I am so grateful you’ve put this together. : )
You’re welcome! Thanks for stopping by!
Hey, this comic is amazing !
It makes me think about how I see my fails and how I see myself. Thanks a lot
thanks this is lovely!
Thank you for this! I love this cartoon so much. I’m sharing it with all my facebook friends right now and plan on saving it so I can look at it often. I’m a musician and an artist, and it truly applies to all arts as well as EVERYTHING in life! You portrayed the message so well with humor, words, images, and a gentleness that isn’t easy. I’m going to peruse the rest of your work now as well.
I told you I would on DevArt, and here’s the comment. You are right, the critique within is always the worst, but here’s what I’m facing. I look at my work that I made before, and I loved it, or I hated it. Either way I put it up on DevArt to see others’ reactions. As of recent, I’ve been seeing not just mistakes that I’ve made, but things that I /tried to do/… It looked like an abomination… I loathed it… all of it…. I removed it all… it’s locked away in my computer now, since my boyfriend still wants the images, poems, and passages I’ve made. I don’t dare look at any but one. The one that I set as my avatar almost everywhere now. I do loathe it, but it looks happiest out of all of them… So I just have to say, thank you. You did help, but only one of the smaller things. I’m also in need of apologizing, since I wasn’t specific and possibly confused you. I’m sorry.
[...] it and making it part of your life, will ultimately free you to be the writer you can be. Please head on over to Stephen’s blog to read the rest of the [...]
Thanks for the reminder. I’ve got 12 published books behind me and I’m still failing on the new one. It happens.
I know how it is! I’ve done 3 books– it seems like with writing, you fail and fail and fail, and then when it’s good, then it’s done. You fail until you’re done. Kind of a miserable struggle, but so worth it. THanks for sharing!
Superb
I’m truly creative at heart but failure has always made me kill the Art. One of your saying, truly depicts me..! That is- “some artists are so adverse to failure they would rather repeat the one method they know works…”
It’s been two years since I found that ONE METHOD of cartooning and I still can’t move on. It’s truly the fear of failing while trying something new.
I thank you from bottom of my heart for such an inspiring blog and also to christopher jackson to recommend readers to read your blog in his “FUEL YOUR WRITING” blog.
I looking forward to try something new.
Keep up this good work.:-)
[...] I LOVE this. It has made all the difference in my self-esteem as a “writer.” [...]
Thank you
Bullseye, man. Just bullseye. You are doing brilliant work. Never stop to encourage people with this art. Never stop to fail, never stop to grow because in you is so much we need to see and read. Thank you so much.
Wow, this comic was really spot on, when it comes to self criticism, but with trying hard as well. I thought that it was really inspiring, awesome job =D
Thank you so much. This is really helpful and encouraging.
I felt very inspired by this artwork. I decided to print this and put it up in my sculpture class. Some of the my classmates read it and also found it inspiring. Keep up the good work. I love all of your other work too. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Thanks for this, I’d love to show this to my art students lol.
This is a really goood inspirational comic.
Well done sir, well done.
[...] same topics that we often talk about here on Skinny Artist. Things like dealing with creative failure, not getting overly discouraged, and the importance of separating your personal identity from your [...]
This is just the best! It seriously just made my day.
Thank you so much.
This is so inspirational thank you! Failing is part of the process to achieve greatness
Thanks so much for this comic. I was in a spiral of negative thoughts for most of today. This helped me decide that I’m not defective or un-helpable, or pathetic, or a loser…I am just starting out. I can totally do this.
That’s right! Failure is not proof that you are irreparably broken, it is only evidence you are learning something new.
Wow.. I’m really crying right now..
This is really helpful and cute, thank you so much for making and sharing it!
It’s a relief that I was able to come across doodlealley.com: it has the resources I was definitely hunting for. It’s very beneficial and you’re obviously quite knowledgeable in this field. Thanks to your wealth of information, I’ve
figured out a whole lot more about the subject and will be coming back for more.