This week was one where I learned two important lessons: Time is the key to everything, and patience is a virtue for a reason.

I’ve been looking back on the art that I’ve been making for my entire life. Going back to when I first was on DeviantArt (about 2013), I was just making art for the fun of it. Letting my imagination run wild, making character designs that weren’t the most well-thought out, but still having fun.

But as I grew older and tried to be big on social media*, chased trends, being impressionable, not having your own thoughts, letting a single post trigger intense panic attacks, I couldn’t think about what I was doing. The atmosphere on these websites consists of flying shrapnel and smoke.

It’s also why I feel like my art got worse over time. I wasn’t giving myself the distance and the time I needed to process my emotions. I just kept thinking if I made characters, then everything would fall into place. But reality had other plans for what my hands wrought.

Looking back at my old art, I saw a lot of stiff body poses, same-y faces, cheap ideas, and safe artwork that didn’t challenge me. And looking back on the art I’ve made recently? I still see these issues. I’m angry. Angry at myself for letting this happen. It could’ve been so much better if I had just let myself have some time to breathe.

So why am I telling you all about this? It’s to hold myself up to a better standard and make it public to you all. So that if I ever slip again, you guys will notice and call me out for it. And maybe this’ll inspire you guys to stop fretting and start cooking.

Smug out.

Edit March. 16th, 2025 - Added some context for the third paragraph.