Anu's Story:

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I think every artistically-inclined person, myself included, goes through very dark and harmful periods of self-doubt which can lead to depression. We can also be our own harshest critics. I can't count the number of times growing up when I couldn't bring myself to draw anything, or gave up half way through a piece, believing my work was not worth showing anyone, wasn't as good as artist A or B, convinced that I wasn't as good as I could be, or frustrated by a big artist's block. The worst thing we can do is compare ourselves to other creatives, and feel intimidated instead of inspired. Nobody developed their own style overnight, and it keeps evolving so long as we continue to create. Also, find peace in the fact that there will always be people who aren't fans of your art...it's subjective after all! 

 

Somebody once told me to treat life like a marathon, not a sprint. When you're feeling stressed and unable to translate what you see in your mind's eye to the canvas, just breathe and step away, you might find inspiration in a random place! Same goes for anyone who feels like they have a huge to-do list for new drawings (this is me currently!), because frantically drawing and drawing will only burn you out. Taking care of yourself is never a waste of time. Art is a journey, and every artist is on a different one. 

 

-Anu (anumation)