The Truth about Artistic Improvement

It's all too often that I hear "I'll never be a good artist" or "my art is so lame compared to ____'s art" and "why can't I get better".
Stuff like that is garbage. Artists: you all have your own way of living, and therefore you all have your own way of creating art. Some people improve fast, some people take ten years to get to where they'd like to be in terms of skill level, and some people will never ever get to where they want to be. It's what I've come to know over the past 5 years of being a serious artist. It's the facts of life, and it's all we can do to just roll with the figurative punches. Art is an extension of ourselves: it's part of our identities. Accept who you are and learn to love it. Even though you might not be the next Michelangelo or Van Gogh, you're you, and that is something no one else can say. (Unless you have an evil twin who tries to take your place and elope with your lover. I have no advice for you, in that case.)
So, budding artists, do not despair. You will get better as long as you enjoy what you do and do it often.
Here, let me show you. Proof of artistic improvement!
These are pieces of my character Jerreith as he's evolved over the years. Click to full-view.

2006


2007


2008


2009


2010


So next time you think you'll never get better, remember: as long as you enjoy the art you make, that is all that matters. Skill level is relative (and often trivial). But that's not to say don't try hard. If you want to be an amazing artist, go for it!



((UNRELATED!))
Here are some hilariously bad sketches I uncovered while tunneling through Mt. Oldart. Mt. Oldart is a relatively small mountain, receiving little snowfall and barely reaching Mt. Rainier's "butt". Some people have even called it just a really big hill. Either way, this is what I uncovered during my excavations.



Here we see naked dancing furries, terrible handwriting coupled with neopets fanart, and terrible terrible anime (can you believe I used 'kawaii'? If I could go back in time I would punch myself in the face for using 'kawaii').

My childhood and young adolescence were AWESOME, YOU GUYS.

Oh, and then there's this.

No comment.