#bb i totally get it i almost went into cognitive science

[pepperful-qt]

pepper do you have any advice for people who want to pursue their passion (art/music/etc) as a profession or get it as a college course but arent really that good at it? i dunno dude, theres a lot of greater artists out there (u included btw) and i jus kinda ?????? yk? + having art/music as a profession doesnt really pay well in my country

hey lovely! you flatter me hahahaha 💖 it's a pretty complex situation but i'll try my best💙 i do want to clarify that the nature of my profession is moreso based on clients and studios rather than freelance do-your-own-thing illustrator type thing. bc of that my thinking is a bit different, but I still have musician and other fine arts friends

you say you aren't that good at it, but natural talent isn't what matters. true that to a degree there is that "artistic sense", but like your skills it's something that can be honed, refined, and built upon. very few are prodigies. know that anything artistic is malleable and dynamic and will change, you just need to be willing to both do it and put in the effort to do so

if it's your passion, don't let it go. just don't. i promise even if you don't make it your profession, looking back years later you will regret giving it up completely.

there's always someone that will be better than you. it's just reality. for someone outrageously competitive like me it's infuriating and disheartening (i get it, trust me). there's different approaches to this depending on you: you can go with it & pursue your passion anyway because it's something you enjoy and that's what matters, and you let the fact that there are others above you drive you. Or, like me, you push yourself to specialize in a certain area and become unique enough to stand out. there's no easy or straightforward answer to it, but it's a reality everyone has to deal with, artists more than anyone

MOTIVATION & SELF CONFIDENCE & INSPIRATION ARE NOT CONSTANTS wow i wish i could scream that from the rooftops. it's so so so normal to get stuck it a rutt or block. they last a long time occasionally. some artists have tricks they do, but know that slumps are normal and it's okay to take breaks!

have another job! this was my high school art teacher's advice to me & even though i kinda ignored him it is good advice! it's literally what Semi does lol. you can have a well paying job you use to keep yourself afloat (in Semi's case, civil servant) and fund your artistic pursuits! you can even double major or minor in whatever art or music you're interested in if that's an option. for me, ik how computers work and some niche programming that could definitely get me by in a software or IT company if i needed to. i also draw/paint/do photography on the side, the latter of which i get a bit of money for. it's totally a viable option for you if the arts don't pay well in your country.

fine arts is not just painting and drawing and music etc. i go to an art school where everything is a BFA. film, vfx, game design, graphic design, industrial design, dance, etc are all fine arts. your options are open! i'm not sure exactly what your interest is, but there's lots of options for you. all i knew was i wanted to work in film or games, and i ended up doing something very tech savvy that could fit in both! true there's less creative freedom and more technical skill involved, but i still have those other passions i do on the side :)

those who just rely on natural talent don't make it that far. there are countless technical and life skills you need to learn as well. for something like graphic design, sculpture, drawing, etc, you can learn about composition, color theory, and the principles of design

ik i said don't give it up, but also don't strain yourself to make it work. mentally, financially, physically, or otherwise. your quality of life is important, and the phrase "you'll be happy as long as you're doing what you love" only goes so far if you're struggling to make ends meet and starving or not feeding yourself well, or giving yourself injuries in the very body that allows you to follow this passion.

Art is a risk, in more ways than one. it's upsetting how art has fallen to the wayside and is disregarded as a waste of a profession when the world functions on art, and has literally since humans had original thought. take an art history class, it'll change your perspective. look out for yourself and your quality of life! push yourself, yes, but not over a cliff

i'd pay money for someone to tell me a universally accepted answer to what makes art or an artist "good"

i hope this was somewhat helpful and if you have any follow up questions lmk!