Remember who you want to be.

It's really hard to be everyone. I've tried, believe me when I say you really don't get very far on the whole finding happiness challenge.

It should be much easier to just be yourself although I KNOW it looks easier to just copy someone else.

Definitely take what you like from them, let them inspire you, guide you into the things you find fascinating but don't compare yourself to them and find yourself constantly lacking.

You will always have things someone else doesn't have and vice versa.

It's really really obvious but sometimes when you're sitting looking at pinterest or facebook or tumblr and filling your head with things you want but others have, it's really really easy to forget.

Plus! I don't know about you but I have endlessly recreated my wardrobe mentally when browsing pinterest...nevermind the fact I don't even want to really wear half the outfits, they just look so goooood. Its so draining...I forget the style I feel happiest in. 

Also, if i actually got an industrial style, minimalistic kitchen i think I would be hopelessly unhappy and probably quite cold. I'd end up sneaking in doilies to place over my vintage 10ft metal crate/ kitchen table!!

Its good to experiment but its great to know what you like and can always come back to.

It's one of the hardest things i've had to overcome as an artist and its something i think the upcoming generations of artists are having to deal with. Instead of comparing your drawings to the masters and trying harder, studying more techniques and driving yourself forward. You can now also happily compare yourself to a 16 year old who is doing amazing things with photoshop in California. Plus theres the 23 year old who is mastering portraiture and character design in germany!

 At times it can feel so overwhelming and pointless, and it is so so easy to compare your work to other artists and see everything it lacks because it's not the same as their work. 

When you're trying to find your own voice you naturally look around to how other people are expressing themselves and start copying what you like. This is fine as practise...but you have to remember to take the training wheels off and leave their styles behind and develop your images through your own style filter.

Just stop...take a deep breath...and switch off the computer. 

There is just you in the room, with your favourite music of the moment playing, and all you need to do is pick up a paintbrush or pencil and focus on what you want to create. It can be emotional or technical or dark or colourful. It really doesn't matter. It can be inspired by another picture or it can come completely from your own mind but it has to be drawn as you see it

At the end of the day, you create artwork from within to show others how you feel and see something. People will buy your artwork because they see something they love within what you create.

 What is important is that you're doing the thing you love.

These thoughts have been running around in my head for a while so i thought I would share them as i feel they're important.

Everything looks so darn pretty on the internet its so easy to just dream your life through its pictures.

I'll leave you with a few beautiful words written by Charles Bukowski and spoken by Tom Waits

I found this link via Gala Darling who is always inspiring when trying to be yourself.