Openly showing our insecurities seems to be trending and it’s good that more and more people are sharing their struggles! I won’t be lying when I tell you I get people approach me nearly every day, expressing their insecurity in their work and seemingly unreachable goals for their career. They’ll ask me to look at their work and I’ll help them lift their spirit. I tell them that we all started somewhere and all we can do is work hard and see ourselves grow over time and that their work has potential.

Yet the more I do this, the more I realize that simply having someone’s spirit lifted doesn’t help them, it’s not the answer, it’s merely a band-aid to the real problem. 

Let me start off by saying that artistic insecurity comes at all levels, from beginners, to people in the middle of their careers, to seasoned artists. The only difference that may be seen in the latter, is how we deal with it. Artists with more experience under their belt have seen more years of making mistakes, experiencing growth and failure. People that have fiercely stuck to their artistic career for some years have only done so by not ever giving up, even if their work failed at times.

So how will you deal with your insecurities, now?! How will you get the courage to post your work online, or apply for that job you wanted? Well, I realized some time ago that the moment you start understanding your insecurities is the start of beating them. I’ve put it down in steps.

1. You are insecure for a reason. I know this is an unpopular statement, but it’s usually true. We are insecure because we know that what we do, can be done better. Even if we gave it our all, it can still be done better.

2. Are you doing the best you can? Think about it. Have you spent enough time doing research, making sketches and planning things out? If you’ve done so, you have probably done your best. Sometimes we tend to cheat our brains into thinking we’ve done our best because of different motives: the need to wanna post it, the need to stop working on a piece and start on something else. Don’t let that influence you. 
   When you do commercial art, you work with deadlines. So you can only uphold your job if you have a clear understanding of planning and delivering quality. 

3. Fix the problem. Now, instead of lingering in the thought of how we’re not good enough. Find out exactly what you’re not good at and make an effort to improve just that. This all goes in steps too, you cannot be a noob at painting hands and then a master on day 3. Accept that to become as good as you want, you’ll need to work and learn for it. Accept that this doesn't happen in a short time, so give it all the (healthy) amount of time you can give it. 

4.  Share your journey. Now this is optional. But for me, it has always helped to post my work online and share in what I’ve learned. Talk with some other artists on how to improve and help each other do so by talking about it.  

After these steps you’ve successfully entered the cycle of: Accepting what's wrong, finding the cause and improve those flaws. You can now tell your own insecurities that they have a place and that it’s being worked on. Don’t let them freeze your productivity. 

Have a look at this artwork I’ve done for my illustrated novel: Caldyra.

It’s a project I’ve been working on for years, this means that over time I got better at my job, so often times old illustrations nee dot be revamped and in some cases even completely redone. 

What’s important to me is that the illustration tells the story it’s meant to and is of an average quality compared to the rest of the work in my book. I have accepted there will be a difference throughout the pages, but I’ve set borders on exactly how much it may differ. 

So even with this newest step, it can be better: It can be more realistic in terms of materials, lighting, and proportions. But I accepted that it’s just within the borders of quality to match the rest of the work and it still tells the situation as I want it to. 

Now have a look at these ones. I’m very happy with these. But in time I will also outgrow this and feel the need to improve them. But, they are the direct result of my insecurities being taken care off, tackling the exact topics that made me feel inadequate. That why I often pick strange and hard topics, just so I can learn to design and paint them. 

So close those social media tabs in your browser and work on your weak points!!

Here are my previous artist journals:

The 5 bullshit myths of concept art.Concept art is getting bigger and bigger. More people know what it is nowadays, it gets shown in the media more often and more books get released. This automatically results into more people wanting to become concept artists. So many artschools are now creating special courses all towards game art or concept art. (Game art can also include UI design, 3D modeling etc.).Yet it is a fairly new thing to most people and the idea of "becoming a concept artist" has grown rapidly over such a short time that a lot of people who are new to it seem to get a lot of misguide info. I am going to try to list this misguided info and direct you to the corr...

Are you on the right track? + Fuck Talent!Am I on the right track?This is a thing people often wonder and think it's a complicated to find out, but it is actually pretty simple. It's a different question you need to ask yourself based on different topics.As for: Fuck talent! You'll find it if you scroll down :P :bulletblue:  Topic 1: Am I on the right track to becoming a better artist? Does your work from today, look closer to your initial goal than your work from last week? (this needs to be both in skill and idea.):bulletgreen: Good skills: Honing your technique, training you muscle memory, being more knowledgeable about your tools and art rules. With art rules I mean: Perspec...

How to win Art-contests! (+ Caldyra winners!)Let me start by saying how incredibly happy I am with all these amazing and inspiring entries! This definitely calls for doing another such contest soon! Most of you have really tried their best and it shows! I couldn't have asked for better or more, choosing the winners among these was already aching my brains. This journal will show the winners and the special mentions but also a bit about how to higher your changes on winning contests (maybe good for the next one). This was my contest for those interested: How to win contests?! The change on winning a contest always gets smaller based on the amount of people joining in, however this do...

A big black hole called: Procrastination.Procrastination is an infinite cycle that becomes bigger and bigger the longer it's there and the time wasted being sucked into it is a dark matter of nothing. :P hahah I figured this was the most dramatic way to put it, but yeah, it's real and it sucks.For those who don't know what it means:  Procrastination is the practice of carrying out less urgent tasks in preference to more urgent ones, or doing more pleasurable things in place of less pleasurable ones, and thus putting off impending tasks to a later time, sometimes to the "last minute" before the deadline. We all suffer from procrastination. It is pretty innocent when you have it wi...

What to do as an artist in training.There are many ways to Rome they say. But I meet a lot of aspiring artists lost and asking me for guidanceand this is what I tell them. (This is a revisited version of an old journal with new and updated guidelines/info) Find out what you really want to do with art, there are so many different professions or hobbies to take on.Graphic designer, Concept artist (mobile and high end), Illustrator of book covers or for card games and so much more.Once you can make your pick, or at least pick 1 or 2 you must do research on the most valued artwork from that niece. Find out what makes the best artist of your favorite field the best artist. What d...

Where to get started before you can apply for workThere is no such thing as suddenly knowing when you are ready to turn yourpassion into your profession. But there is a way of measuring your chances on beingable to get work and eventually sustain a living from it. Accepting commissions or freelance for low payment won't help you. You can think any penny counts, but it will lower the worth of your work and damage the market. :bulletblue: How to measure that you are ready? You probably have high goals, but they are usually not your first step. You must search out the clients who can be that first step. Often found in the card game industry, book cover illustrations and smaller game company'...

This is why you (and your art) get ignored.People often get the sense of being ignored in the art-scene, especially here online. We all try so hard to get our foot in the door, it's like trying to stuff yourself in an overfull bus like a sardine in a can. Sometimes you just want to socialize with other artists you admire and you seem to be talking into a brick wall or perhaps you've send your portfolio to a company over a dozen times and still don't even seem to get the smallest response or feedback. I will try and tell you WHY you get ignored and HOW you can get noticed instead.I will go through the following cases of being ignored: :bulletgreen: Your comment. :bulletgreen: Your a...

The problematic behavior of online artists.There is a bunch of things online artist do terribly wrong on a regular basis. Some of it might be directly aimed to you and some might be things you from others. Shortlist::bulletblue: Way too little time spend on painting/practice.:bulletblue: People making nit pick pointers.:bulletblue: The extreme fuzz about labels and methods.:bulletblue: Witch-hunting/ talking smack.However I'd like to start with a totally opposite note:This year I've also experienced great support from the art community for which I'm dearly grateful for.:icontituslunter: got me an amazing birthday gift(video), made by him and fellow awesome artists: https://www.face...

Don't let the crap of the internet brainwash you.warning: This journal is my opinion and my view on things. I support open-mindedness and the possibility of anything. The internet is full of it: People with strong opinions. Usually about 'how to do things' and 'how to absolutely not do things'. Ask any given person this question: What is good art? They will all give you a different answer and some of those answers are waaaay to specific for their own good. Meaning they have a very specific view on what is good and see other work that does not meet up those qualifications as: bad, fake or cheating. It is natural to have a preference toward certain topics or techniques when making art, but...

The stuff that artists go through.There are so many pro's and con as to being an artist, professional or as a hobby. It feels nice to be able to express yourself through something you make and when that something turns out to be looking good we get this sense of accomplishment. Most of the time though there are bad feelings mixed with the good ones.:bulletblue: Not being understood. Those moments where your friends or family does not understand that you have to desire to be alone and work on your art. Those copious amounts of hours you spend working and they wonder why you wouldn't rather be outside relaxing in the sun or hang out with your friends.The only people who will...

Overcome your unfair obstacles.We all have certain obstacles that gives us the feeling of: 'This is so unfair!.' To me it's one of the most annoying feelings in the world because in general we don't really know how to deal with it. One little part of us says: 'Don't whine about it, you are just being jealous.' the other part of you tells you: 'If I didn't have this obstacle or disability I would rule the world!!'So you bounce around anger, sadness, hopelessness and envy. If you were just sad about something or simply angry it would be a lot easier to deal with, you cry or you just vent a bit towards a friend. But how to deal with he feeling of unfairness? :bulletblue: ...

Fast lane to becoming a better artist.I often get this very question: How did you get this good this fast? Now as I consider myself not being as good as people tell me, even struggling quite often with being an artist in general. I do know how to get better and how to reach it fast. I'm still growing as I go and it's the main thing that keeps me going.You need to get into the right mindset and the rest will follow. With the rest I mean:1. Willpower.2. Endurance.3. Positive energy.4. The NEED to draw.:bulletblue: Seeing growth in your work gives you the courage to work harder. You know that feeling when you're just about done with an imageand feel like this image is better than...

Why it's so important to unite as artists.We are with many though yet we are with few. We're all divided over little subgroups such as, fantasy illustrators, concept artists, comic book pencilers, photomanipers, techartists, anime drawers, realism sketchers etc. You might even find your place at multiple sections.I found that the biggest united groups on Deviant Art are mostly evolved around fan art, such as Sonic, or My little pony. Observations aside, I think the good thing about those groups is that they serve for companionship. Being an artist all by yourself with no one to share/talk about/discuss your work with can feel rather lonely. And that lonely feeling is not encouragi...

Are you being honest with yourself?As part of becoming good at something you need to be able to reflect upon yourself. Judge your own abilities and work and consider the possibility that what ever you have been doing it wrong all along. Or perhaps you're actually being to hard on yourself and you're better than your conscious is telling you. (This is bad too because it leads to insecurities.) Signs that you might overestimate your current skills. Do you often feel these things when you look upon work from good artists?: I can totally do this too. This is not so hard, I can do this faster. My work is way more interesting. It's not fair that this person gets way more attenti...

When someone brings your art down...Putting our art out there makes us very vulnerable, especially when you've made something close to your heart. Perhaps something of your own fantasy, a story, a fan fiction your passionate about?As much as most of us really want to improve, we also simply want to make art because we love it and when we share it there is a slight hope there is someone out there who will love it too.There are all kinds of ways other people can bring you down by saying something about your art, or by doing nothing at all! Perhaps YOU are even part of making someone feel down and you're not realizing it!:bulletblue: The harsh critique. This person might want ...

How to deal with or get feedback.Getting feedback or critiques may be hard for people.Some people want it really bad but can't seem to get it, at least not from the people he/she is hoping for.And other get it all the time but feel a little attacked or bullied by it.Pretty much anyone with eyes and some intelligence is able to spot mistakes or irregularities in someone's work. This person doesn't have to be more skilled than you. However, this person... might be wrong.... :bulletpurple: How do you judge a critique?You initially made your artwork according to the knowledge you currently have. Leaving room for mistakes in the elements you're not trained or knowledgeable in....

So tired of not achieving what you want?So tired of not achieving what you want?:thumb351497375:Everyone has something they really want dearly, a career, to have a certain loved one, to be able to make certain things...The most common one among us artist are:- I want to be able to draw better- I want to be able to draw like "this"person.- I want to earn money with my drawing.- I want to be able to draw what I imagine in my head.- I want more people to appreciate my art.- I want more feedback from artists I admire.- I want more..- I want better....All this wanting.. dreaming of... hoping for.How about doing it!! With these sort of "wants", it's a matter of DOING IT!How? You ask?T...

Avoid getting ripped off by a client.As a freelancer most of your business takes place online, which makes it really easyfor people to rip you off. How many times have we seen the following scenario's:1- Someone offers a descent payment for your artwork but wants you to do an art-test first.after the art-test you're being told you're not good enough. Later you find out that other peoplegot to do different art-test topics and also weren't good enough. The client clearly ripped people off to get free artwork.2- Someone offers good money for your artwork. The sketch gets approved so you continue working. Right when it's done the total image suddenly becomes a great disappointmen...

The emotional shield that prevents hurt.Being an artist = Being sensitive. We all know it. Making something and then showing it out there makes you very vulnerable, emotionally. What if people think it's shit? What if they think it's weird... what will they think? Will that reflect on how they think of me as a person?I know what some of you are thinking right now... 'You should care less about what people think of you or you art.' In a sense you are right.. than again, you SHOULD care what people think of you and your art! They are your market and potential clients. It's easier when you're already doing your dream job and couldn't care less for other potential directions... but ...

Being a miserable artist = being a bad artist.I recently felt it being one of the most important things, not just for an artist; being happy with what you do. No one wants to get up every morning thinking.. shit .. another work day. Of course there can be days, maybe even a full week of that, but the majority of your time you should be feeling content and happy even.With that lack of love and enthusiasm it is most likely reflected into your work.Now it's not always your own fault that your work doesn't make you happy and doesn't feed your creative monster. But it can be in these cases.You make your OWN workday miserable when::bulletblue: If you don't speak your mind and stand up for y...

Timing fucking matters.Time does a lot of things, it makes you older, it gets you to places, it never stops going forward. However you control when and how you use it!Everyone makes choices on a daily bases, most of them are actually done with your auto-pilot function out of habit. Most people usually sit in the same spot on the couch, chooses what to wear based on previously made combinations and so on, unless they consciously become aware of their action and might decide it's time for a change. It can be a small thing that makes people aware of their options You can count that pretty much every person out there works like this and YOU often depend on THEIR cho...

Things I learned at: The Industry Workshops 2014Holy shit amazeballs... this past weekend.... But let me start of by shortly telling you what the industry workshops actually were. (The artwork in this journal are from some of the lecturers.) :bulletblue: What is: #IW_14? The Industry workshops took place last weekend August 29 to 31 2014, at 2 venues both located at Hoxton Square, London United Kingdom. It was organized and hosted by a group of industry professionals in the fields of concept art, matte painting and illustration in film, games and freelance. Let me name the people that profited the lectures and demo's from 10 in the morning to 8 in the evening, ending with a 1+ hour QA ...

When inspiration is far to be found...We all get these anoying times when we really want to make something cool, get inspired and work that magic. We see everyone around us (online) do it, but how come we are not? So we look for ways to get inspired, we ask around, find these usual answers: go watch a film, listen to music.. take a walk...But even when we do that, we still end up stuck most of the time. Part of the solution is knowing WHY we get stuck and this is my theory.:bulletblue: ADT - Attention Deficit Trait. 'Experiencing an inner frenzy of distractability, impatience, difficulty in setting priorities, staying focused and managing time. Those are our biggest enemies as...

A simple guide on: Commissioning an Artist.It's often not as simple as one wants it to be when both artist and client want it to be: Cost efficient, time efficient and quality efficient. I've often spend my time discussing the best way to handle commissions with clients and artist friends that I came to the conclusion that clarity and understanding is key. I will divide the guidelines I work with based on 3 commission types. :bulletblue: Character commissions. :bulletblue: Book covers ( or illustrations) :bulletblue: Concept art.Reading all 3 parts will give you the full scope as a lot of it applies to one another as well.:bulletgreen: Character commissions.:bulletblue: 1. Referenc...

The Key to keeping yourself motivated properly.Let me start off with telling you what motivation is and why you need it.A motivation is a reason behind doing something a certain way to work yourself up to a certain goal. Just having a goal but no understanding of how to get there, means you have no way to motivate yourself and your goal will be hard to reach. Therefore motivation is needed desperately in order to become truly good at something.The motivation to eat is the feeling for hunger and the end goal of ending the hunger and feeling healthy and energized. This type of motivation is a feeling. Which brings me to: Intrinsic motivation and Extrinsic motivation.Shortly explained: In...

How fear motivates my art.:bulletred: When I first saw Jurassic Park in 1993 I was four years old. The animatronics they build had me convinced real and the cinematography was amazing. All from the toilet scene to the dismembered arm to the kitchen scare had me high on adrenaline. This was the first time I had felt scared enough to pee my pants but I loved it! The fact that these dinosaurs were scaring me was the same reason why I was so fascinated by them. The oldest toys I can remember were tiny plastic dinosaurs and my bed sheets had a lovely 'Land before time.' print on it. Every day of my childhood life was dedicated to dinosaurs (and perhaps a bit of Indiana ...

Tenacity is your ultimate super power!100 no's and 1 yes means YES! :P Applying for jobs in the art/commercial industry is not hard you simply need to know what to do and how to do it. (Concept artist, Illustrator, 3D artist, UI designer, Mattepainter, SFX artist, Lightingartist, Designer.) Often when I have a back and forth with artists 'trying to break through' I ask them where they applied and with what. A common respond usually indicates they send out their personal portfolio to 1-5 places at the most. This is exactly what I did as well when I tried the first time. Let me paint you a hypothetical situation: You worked hard and long on your artwork and it somewhat reached ...

Achieving your dreams. Before during and after.It’s been on my mind for 5 years now, started as a whisper in the back of my brain, hardly believing that I am capable of achieving it. Than slowly it developed into a goal, something that I might be able to achieve after all … perhaps. I want to illustrate for my favorite realm in the world: Magic the Gathering. Phew, feels heavy saying it. The notion warms my chest and raises my heartbeat ever so slightly feeling the rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins. I’ve witnessed my boyfriend and some friends do work for them for 2 years now while I was too burned out from Studio work (concept art for computer games.) and honestly, too inse...

Are you a cheat or the real deal?Let’s talk a bit about using references and other media for your (digital) paintings. Everyone has a right to their own opinion, however there are some assumptions that people make that we are better off clearing up. Often during my Twitch streams people ask me: :bulletblue: ‘I want to paint characters from imagination, how do I do it without copying from a reference?’ You have to train yourself with reference before you get the information memorized in your brain. That's why we do anatomy studies with live models, 3D models, photos of naked people etc. When doing these studies you must try and understand the thing you are studying and no...

A guide on making an art portfolio.Hello! Very often people ask me to review their portfolio, often enough to detect a certain pattern of wrong choices that cause potential proffecional artists to sit longer on the side bench than necessary. The following article serves as a guideline but in no way it it the absolute truth or only route into getting yourself a concept art position or illustration job. See it as a checklist, before approaching your dream job.It's the big artist dream to simply paint what you like and be able to sell that and make a ton of money so you can simply keep making what you like. Even though there are some artists out there that are pretty much livi...

How to stream your art! And benefit from it.Has any of you ever thought about streaming their art on Twitch creative? But something keeps you from it.I certainly recommend trying it! The audience on Twitch Creative is generally very encouraging and supportive.You can grow your art-skills, get tons of work done, broaden your social circle, broaden your audience and if you like, even earn some money to buy food for your pet. Here are some great benefits to streaming your work, in terms of skill development. :bulletblue: 1. It keeps you from getting distracted by external things (Like social media, Youtube, gaming, procrastination etc).:bulletblue: 2. It expands your social circles, it...

The Kickstarter

Here are some great benefits to streaming your work, in terms of skill development.

But what if you hardly get any viewers or a very inactive chat?