hello!
I'm a 19yr old dude who loves drawing and have always wanted to make a living with art.
recently though, reality is kinda catching up and it's depressing me to realise how impractical that really is
Is there anybody here that would like to commiserate/give advice :*(

Why do you feel like it’s impractical? You’re 19. Start drawing right now and do it everyday for at least 2 hours, or during whatever free time you have. Pick up a course or follow a curriculum and stick to it. You can do it. Impractical =/= impossible.

Don’t give up before you even try. That’s weak.

Just take a big, deep breath, and do what you can. That moment hits everyone like a bulldozer. You need to lock in and make work that is absolutely undeniable if you want what you say you want. Dont espouse the starving artist trope if you’re fortunate enough to not have to

Every kind of art is competitive as f*** when it comes to being known and s***, but there are so many lanes to live comfortably and not be a rockstar, s*** i gave up on even any of that and i feel fulfilled making my s*** just for me and homies who ask to hear it

that helps. yr right, im certainly not a starving artist - lord knows I'm privileged asf

ah well it's mostly my parents that don't think it's practical - they want me to do graphic design at uni instead of making my own stuff. i have an art style im happy with and i generally draw more than 2 hrs a day it just never feels like enough yk?

not young or creative just sad

You probably don't want to hear this but if you think your life is difficult or you have been through a lot you haven't seen anything yet.

A lot of people are talented, a lot of people are gifted but not everyone can make it through the other side. If you can stomach the pain and tolerate the agony of your future you just might make it.

I feel you. It never feels like enough when there’s so much to learn.
Well the truth is, breaking into the art field is brutally difficult, especially with endeavors of original ideas, but finding success is still like 50% networking like anything else.
Do you actually want to go to school? I’m assuming you’ve got some proficiency at graphic design which is why they’re pushing you there.

i wouldnt recommend graphic design unless its a clear path you want. source: graphic designer.

yeah that's what bums me out... and I'm not a particularly extroverted person either.

i like the routine of school but the actual work is brain numbing.
I did like $2k worth of reddit graphic design jobs in early high school, but my work and the clients were cringe I didn't really enjoy it.

my gf thinks I'm pretty enough to do tiktok which is an idea... idk

are you in the art field yrself?

damn
do u enjoy it?

ur a graphic designer? interesting and surprising

currently, no and yes haha . im working on one brand right now week in and out and I know it back to front so it just gets boring after a while, but this is where most steady jobs lie. On the other hand ive got a good team and work life balance in my company so its more those factors which are enjoyable. One thing to note a lot of the media channels in design are rapidly shifting to digital/social media etc so being good at design from a traditional sense in layout/typography/concepts is taking less priority to having a variety of digital skillsets eg, coding, after effects, UI/UX - Adobe XD etc (from the companies i've worked for anyway).

what did u expect

not sure, honestly.

Bro, I'm 32 and I've been grinding out songs and stories since I was a kid. I've just had a few things published and play live for free every week to improve and test my material, but I'm still doing it because I love it and couldn't imagine being without those outlets. I have a full time teaching job and family and still make time to write, rehearse and record when I can. The process is slow but I do it because there's nothing else I'd rather be doing.

And some things really do take time. My #1 dream and ambition is to have my own animated series. I started developing one with a friend in 2016 and only just now in 2023 are we finishing our first tangible product for it: a 150 page graphic novel. It's going to be finished in late summer and it's f***ing phenomenal. I'm so proud of it. It also took 2-3 years and thousands of dollars to write and illustrate, money that was saved up over time.

Be patient with yourself. Maybe you'll sustain yourself with your passions and maybe you won't, but you should use them either way.

drawing is tough especially if ur tryna do it on ur own, like rly tough tbh, might have to compromise for a while

You're 19, your future's Bright

Becoming an architect or an industrial painter your safest bet if you want to make a living and still be involved with art. Everyone I’ve met who’s an architect or in the paint field is wealthy AF

This response is ai forsure lmao

You don’t necessarily need to be extroverted, just know how to talk and hold a conversation. Making 2k in early HS is damn good though. The work won’t always be glorious, but you’re a beginner in that regard, so you take what you can get to get your name out there and build experience. Try doing that as a main gig now that you’re graduated and have the time to do so, and take it seriously. Maybe you can prove to your parents you have what it takes to freelance it and build your name.
Not sure what to say about TikTok.

I’m just another cog in the art machine trying to make it. I host all my art on @gatlashine on twitter, but I think we’re very different types of artists.