How to know if I'm good enough?

[brugluiz]

Hey, guys!

Generally, I create some Graphic Design materials and Motion Graphic videos, but what I really want is to work with Drawing and Digital Painting. I want to face challenges in order to get better at drawing because just studying Digital Painting is not providing me it.

How do I know if I'm good enough to start offering my Digital Painting and Drawing services?

I don't feel comfortable with drawing realistic Digital Painting, but it's okay for me to draw Cartoon characters. Should I just offer what I think it's okay for me to draw?

By the way, I'm realizing now that I need to work on a very good portfolio, but I appreciate your feedback.

Thank you!

[aurum]

1 hour ago, brugluiz said:

How do I know if I'm good enough to start offering my Digital Painting and Drawing services?

Start putting out content, and if people buy it, you were good enough.

[Nahm]

@brugluiz Stop equating the quality of your work, with yourself. You are good enough, times infinity. Awareness of conditioned thinking which leads you to equate your work, the output, to who or what you are, “if you’re good enough”, is paradoxically reducing the quality of your work. (This is attachment to a thing - your work - )

[brugluiz]

11 hours ago, aurum said:

Start putting out content, and if people buy it, you were good enough.

Thank you, @aurum! They say content is gold.

59 minutes ago, Nahm said:

@brugluiz Stop equating the quality of your work, with yourself. You are good enough, times infinity. Awareness of conditioned thinking which leads you to equate your work, the output, to who or what you are, “if you’re good enough”, is paradoxically reducing the quality of your work. (This is attachment to a thing - your work - )

Sorry, @Nahm, didn't grasp entirely what you mean.

[Strikr]

7 minutes ago, brugluiz said:

Thank you, @aurum! They say content is gold.

Sorry, @Nahm, didn't grasp entirely what you mean.

she mean this

 

[Nahm]

13 hours ago, brugluiz said:

How do I know if I'm good enough to start offering my Digital Painting and Drawing services?

I think this is what’s at the core of the ‘issue’. It is subtle, but like splitting a nucleus in comparison to an atom, more power is found in the more subtle.

What is the difference between:

How do I know if I’m good enough to start offering my Digital Paiting and Drawing services?

and

How do I know if my Digital Painting and Drawing services are good enough to offer?

 

 

 

[rNOW]

@brugluiz  The only way to know is to start. And grow steadily. Nobody gets good at something unless they are willing to be bad at it first. Put up a portfolio and ask for feedback and then implement the feedback (only from people who are actually doing what you want to be doing). 

And if you're an artist of any kind, you will have this constant voice in your head that says - "You're not good enough'' or ''Who do you think you are" or any other versions of it before you even begin it. Because you feel like you're putting your mind out on display: and that is why it is important to dis-identify yourself with your mind. You're not your mind, you're not even what it creates. You're just a channel or catalyst. So even if you think your work is not good enough, you're still going to be good enough to try it. 

The thing about realistic drawing - people think drawing is a skill of putting pencil on paper, but it isn't. It is a skill of 'seeing'. Once you learn how to see light and shadow and shapes and negative spaces, colours and textures and how they all relate to each other, drawing becomes easier.  There maybe some 'seeing' or creativity exercises available online, you can look it up, or practice on your own. I'm sure with time and practice, you will gain confidence in it. Remember, confidence is a result of doing something well, not a pre-requisite. 

[brugluiz]

23 hours ago, Nahm said:

I think this is what’s at the core of the ‘issue’. It is subtle, but like splitting a nucleus in comparison to an atom, more power is found in the more subtle.

What is the difference between:

How do I know if I’m good enough to start offering my Digital Paiting and Drawing services?

and

How do I know if my Digital Painting and Drawing services are good enough to offer?

The first question is about me and the second question is about my drawings/work.

I think I understood it. It's like thinking I'm not good enough due to my works. Being good is not about what I can do, but about what I am.

23 hours ago, Strikr said:

she mean this

 

Awesome video! Lol! Thank you!

21 hours ago, rNOW said:

@brugluiz  The only way to know is to start. And grow steadily. Nobody gets good at something unless they are willing to be bad at it first. Put up a portfolio and ask for feedback and then implement the feedback (only from people who are actually doing what you want to be doing). 

And if you're an artist of any kind, you will have this constant voice in your head that says - "You're not good enough'' or ''Who do you think you are" or any other versions of it before you even begin it. Because you feel like you're putting your mind out on display: and that is why it is important to dis-identify yourself with your mind. You're not your mind, you're not even what it creates. You're just a channel or catalyst. So even if you think your work is not good enough, you're still going to be good enough to try it. 

The thing about realistic drawing - people think drawing is a skill of putting pencil on paper, but it isn't. It is a skill of 'seeing'. Once you learn how to see light and shadow and shapes and negative spaces, colours and textures and how they all relate to each other, drawing becomes easier.  There maybe some 'seeing' or creativity exercises available online, you can look it up, or practice on your own. I'm sure with time and practice, you will gain confidence in it. Remember, confidence is a result of doing something well, not a pre-requisite. 

Great post, @rNOW!

I ask people's feedback, but generally just inside my social circle. I think I should ask for feedback in Facebook groups of artists.

I never thought about this seeing skill. Are you also an artist of any kind?

Thank you for your post!

[zenjen]

On 11/25/2018 at 10:18 PM, brugluiz said:

I don't feel comfortable with drawing realistic Digital Painting, but it's okay for me to draw Cartoon characters. Should I just offer what I think it's okay for me to draw?

By the way, I'm realizing now that I need to work on a very good portfolio, but I appreciate your feedback.

Thank you!

@brugluiz Have you heard of a website called fiverr? It’s a good site for creatives to start offering their services for income. I’d suggest getting a few of your best paintings together and creating an account. Take a look atwhat others are charging for similar services, but don’t undervalue your work and how long it takes you to produce a good painting. It’s good to have a specific practice, so you can say you’ll only draw cartoon characters for a single gig. I’m a graphic designer by trade but I use fiverr to specifically offer the service of making 15-30 second video advertisements for Facebook and Instagram.

Edited November 27, 2018 by zenjen

[rNOW]

22 hours ago, brugluiz said:

 

I never thought about this seeing skill. Are you also an artist of any kind?

 

@brugluiz I'm sure you've heard or learned about how to draw in 'perspective'? I believe they teach this as the first step in any art course, but in case you don't know, you can look up on YouTube and there are many tutorials there: Look up one point, two point and three point perspectives and practice practice practice... (I'm a designer, but I sketch a lot and like studying art; used to paint earlier). 

And you're welcome (:

[denydritz]

On 11/26/2018 at 11:44 AM, aurum said:

Start putting out content, and if people buy it, you were good enough.

I second this opinion.

The question isn't "Am I good enough?" but "Will people buy what I sell?"

If people don't buy, it isn't related to your sense of worth.

Simply change your product (or your price) and offer it again.

[ajasatya]

On 26/11/2018 at 0:18 AM, brugluiz said:

How to know if I'm good enough?

fail 42 times in a row.

[Dan Arnautu]

@brugluiz Very simple. You accept the job anyway, and if it doesn't turn out good, you give the money back to him.

You get lessons out of it, and the client doesn't lose anything.

The worse situation would be to find out you could have charged double the price for your current level of skill.