Your gut is the thing that tells you if something is pleasing you. I think it’s a good source to consult.

#2 – The reason it’s “better” to draw from “reality” than photos to start is because you’re learning how to see. It really is different. “Drawing from the Right Side of the Brain” is good. And I’d suggest that setbacks in learning to create are normal, as with anything. You are continually growing but the evidence outward might not show it. It’s ok to produce “bad” work at the beginning of each step. Then you practice, get what the lesson is, and your work gets better. Now, that only applies if you want to “get better”. Certainly drawing only for posting wasn’t good for your creativity, as with rushing the post, but just make sure that you know how you’re defining “good” and why. Remember it’s the journey, not the destination along the way.

#3 & #4 – I totally get those, as they happened to me. When I modified the blogger template to match my redesigned main website, and added a couple widgets, I got that grin. It had become me. Then I told everybody about it.

Deciding when something creative is “done” is one the HARDEST things to do, EVER. My sculpture teacher goes back years later to rework and touch up pieces. I don’t. I made the decision that a piece of art is an artifact, a document of a moment. My job was to let it out, to let whatever comes through me from wherever out. I do this with blog posts too, not editing hardly at all, except for grammatical and spelling errors and so forth, not content. My trick has been to go with my gut. My gut has been the one source of truth in my Life, telling me against everybody else’s suggestions and my own logic, that moving to Arizona to be with my future wife was the right thing to do. Buying our house was another. So I go with my gut, and certainly to an extent, my eye, to determine when a painting is done.

Sure, days later, or even that afternoon, I can find “flaws” if I want to, details missing or slightly off. But I leave it. It’s done. Has nothing to do with me anymore. I don’t question my gut.

Peace.
@vinylart

Reading your posts always reaffirms what I’m feeling or just plain sheds better light on things for me anyway! Thanks for always clarifying things for me!

Oh and PS – I’m really glad you kept pushing despite the ‘professionals’…what do they know anyway?