cami blog

june

art journal: letting art 'rest', creating multiple drafts and selfish art

(19/06/25)

i learnt to not let one draft hold me back when i can create multiple of them. sometimes i work on one piece for too long. so, i would usually let that draft 'bake' for a few days (by just not looking at it in my folders), until i look at it again with more fresh eyes. then i decide whether if i still like this piece and if i want to continue it.
please note that not all of your ideas won't flourish at the same time. some of my two-point perspective drawings don't look exactly convincing nor interesting until the colors are in place. sometimes it's the composition, or even the lineart- if not, maybe even further- the shading.

if possible, don't delete your initial ideas. i'm a very visual thinker, so only 1-2 sentences are enough for me to think of a rough composition- the visuals in my head basically do everything for me.
however, sometimes the results are not what i intended, in which it instantly convinces me not to carry on this piece.
usually it's the process and the amount of thinking i have to do with a piece that puts me off with a draft entirely. so it's important to let it 'cool down' and see the artwork for what it is visually (additionally the meaning behind it too)- to remind yourself that it will look stunning once it's finished ^^

and despite everything, don't forget that the art you created is overall for you. it is not content, it is expression. embrace selfish art. i have tons of completed artwork that i don't post because it is for me.
i may create fanart that will be seen more than my original work, but i post it because i love it, it is for me.
you don't have to do what i preach, i don't follow up to it either. i also post because i love to impact people. but i love to know where i stand.

the most important reason is that you are the one who decides your own art journey, whether if it is the projects you discard or continue to polish, what you post is what reflects you.