Feeling Insecure

Today I spent time perusing a wide variety of mediums and art pieces online. I saw architectural pieces, 3D, paintings, collages, fabrics, drawings...you get the idea. There is a plethora of images available to us at any moment with a few mouse clicks. I am a member of multiple art groups online and I often get inspired when I look at other peoples' work.

And then there are days when I feel utterly insecure. I compare my work to the professionalism of some others and cannot help but feel woefully inadequate. I am reading a book about Maxfield Parrish at the moment, who was extremely detail oriented. I recently finished reading a book about the Impressionists and Post Impressionists, their lives and techniques. How hard they worked to gain the abilities that they had.

I have had an epiphany today while inspecting my feelings of insecurity. It's totally okay to feel insecure....to have doubts about your work and your work ethic. This can act as inspiration to keep you motivated to improve. So it's a good thing! Why not compare yourself and your work to other people....how else can you learn? This is all part of our process as artists, no matter where we are on our cycle of evolution.

This little doodle piece is one that I finally completed last night while watching one of the worst Monday Night Football games ever. I had started this piece some time ago with the sole intention of using the Painting Out technique to make it into something else once I had this background completed. I have it slated to be added to my Sassy Kats series at this point, but who knows if that will be the final destination.