Why I gave up on learning how to draw
And what finally kept me keep going.
I’ve dabbled in art several times in my life. Always in short, intense spurts that always fizzled out after a few months.
As a teenager, I drew a lot of anime-style portraits and figures. Purely out of passion and curiosity. Having been a game nerd all my life, I was particularly interested in character design for video games. Much of my practice was coming up with cool ideas and drawing them to the best of my (very limited) abilities. It was a lot of fun, but the more effort I put into it, the more frustrated I became. So I quit.
I later went on to study game design in college. Now I was surrounded by droves of talented artists, which sparked that old desire to want to improve my drawing skills, but also demotivated me quite a bit. I felt hopelessly behind my peers who had dedicated most of their lives to getting better at drawing. Seeing their seemingly effortless skill made me jealous and deflated, and I quickly gave up.
I had another brief love affair with art during 2018, when I started practicing bird drawing, and took my first, shaky steps in learning watercolor. Like so many of us, I was immediately bogged down by the sheer amount of tutorials and tips online.
It seemed like the more time and energy I invested into learning art, the more overwhelmed and frustrated I became. And so, once again, I gave up.
I’ve heard similar stories from so many aspiring or beginner artists:
“I’ve dabbled a bit here and there, but I always quit after a while.”
“Drawing was fun at first, but I sucked at it and wasn’t getting anywhere. Guess I’m just not made for this.”
“I’m so far behind everyone else. It’s probably too late for me.”
“I would love to become a good artist, but it seems like too much work. I don’t have the time or energy for it.”
Why do we so often give up on our art dreams?
Because we focus on the wrong thing.
We focus on the outcome, and the external markers of success. We compare ourselves with people who have done this many more hours than we have. We place high expectations on ourselves, with self-enforced time limits and very little patience for mistakes. We demand quick and effortless progress.
We forget to have fun. We forget our deeper “why” of wanting to become artists. We look at our sketchbook and feel a sense of dread, and then go watch Netflix instead.
After half a lifetime of dabbling in art, and finally reaching a level where I can do this professionally, I can tell you with 100% certainty: The answer is NOT stress, struggle, boredom, performance anxiety, and beating yourself up over every failed drawing.
It wasn’t until I took the complete opposite approach that I started seeing real progress - and most importantly, enjoyment - in my art practice. In fact, that enjoyment has been the main key to my progress.
So when I teach art to fellow aspiring artists, I do it knowing that technique is only a small piece of the puzzle. The real challenge lies in the mindset and the strategy behind the practice.
I’m about to launch my brand new drawing course for beginners: Animal Drawing for Absolute Beginners. It will be my biggest and most ambitious course to date, but that does not mean a long and complicated curriculum.
In fact, I’m aiming for the opposite. To simplify the fundamentals of drawing as much as possible to remove that feeling of overwhelm that’s held me back for so long. I’ve distilled down the technique of it down to just four key concepts - the four skills that are responsible for 80% of my improvement as an artist.
The rest is all strategy, mindset, and making drawing something you actually long to do. So that when you glance at your sketchbook you just can’t wait to crack it open and do your “sets and reps” for the day. You’re addicted to the challenge of it. Your art practice is a self-care routine. And you always feel satisfied after a drawing session, regardless of what your sketches look like.
This is the way.
This is how you finally go from dreaming about becoming a skilled artist to actually taking the steps, day after day, to get there. And I can’t wait to share it with you.
P.S
The course will be released on the 28th of November 2025. Starting next week, there will be a generous early bird offer for those of you who are on the waitlist. So if you’re not yet on there, join it here. 🥳