peterdraws

I've learned that I just need to create things because I like creating things, and let the pieces fall where they will. I think there's a much larger chance that both I and the people experiencing my art will be better for it if I'm making the art because I love making it.

The path to frustration and disappointment as an artist is when you make art to please other people, to get more likes and views and compliments. Those are great things to get, and it feels good, but they're unpredictable, and people are weird. Half the time something you made that you put hardly any effort into and you barely care for will get way more of those likes than something you worked really hard on, something you're proud of and think better exemplifies you as an artist, and if you're not careful it can really get into your head.

It's a little weird, I'm still getting used to it. There's definitely an element of unpredictability to it that keeps me on my toes, it keeps me from getting too complacent, for better or for worse. Sometimes I'd really like to just hunker down and get lost in one boring little idea for a year or something, but YouTube comments can get testy when I even draw a few lines next to each other the same way in two different drawings.

Over time I've gotten better at balancing the desire for inspiration and entertainment from a community that supports me, and also my desires to follow my own rabbit trails.

What other places do you get income from?

I try to get a few different sources of income trailing in. I also self-publish some little books, little compilations of my art every now and then that help, and I've published a coloring book. I have some of my stuff up on websites that let people buy my art on prints and canvases and shower curtains and t shirts and mugs and stickers and duvets, etc. and even though the revenue splits on those are pretty bad (I guess since you're not really doing anything besides uploading a file) every little bit helps. And there's probably other little income sources I can't think of off the top of my head. I do sell some original art every now and then, I would probably sell more if I didn't price it so high, and I do get persuaded to do commissions for the right amount of money (not very often.)

No, I get bored of not drawing for extended periods of time, so I pick up the pen.

He's lookin pretty cute

Yes! I also loved encyclopedia diagrams (I think my parents had a set of The World Book (1994)) and old maps. I remember poring over those Incredible Cross-Sections books by Stephen Biesty, too, I would get all of the ones the library had in stock whenever I went.