Age does not define your skill level. -

I'm currently a 26 y/o aspiring Digital Artist who still struggles, but I'll get into that a bit more after I discuss the beginning of my journey. 

I started at a very young age, I would say around 6 to say the least. Being a kid, I just felt the desire to colour a picture.. draw a random thing. I never knew how much I loved Art until' I kept doing more than just grabbing a pencil and going to town. As I continued to age, a comic wasn't just a comic to me, I enjoyed the artistic side that was put into it. The same mentality went toward Manga, Logos; yes - even Graphic Designs became so beautiful to me. There became a point in time where I wanted to actually learn, get better. I started like most of us do, with a pencil, some paper and some inspiration. 

The internet as an Artist. Oh boy, I got my first PC experience around the age of 16. I learned that I could take a picture of what I drew on paper and upload it to be digitally done - that blew my mind. I downloaded a free program called GIMP and did exactly that, not with any tablet mind you but with my hand and a mouse. It was a struggle but it made my desire to be an Artist even stronger knowing there were ways around things for people who didn't have it all. The art world began opening up to me more, I started to learn about pixeling! Pixeling opened the door for me at the time since I was a mouse user. It was so hard but I remember how proud I was to learn a new thing and exceed at a different skill level. 

Getting my first tablet. My parents, especially my Mother, knew how much I was into drawing. I believe I was around 17. I don't want to go off on a tangent again as you all know that getting a tablet doesn't mean you're automatically good at it. I struggled. I struggled so hard I didn't think that I would be able to properly use it, but I was wrong. People who've been there were kind enough to create tutorials, give their insights on how to properly use a Tablet. I thank you for that. 

Acceptance.

I want to make it abundantly clear that age does not define you as an Artist. I want to make it clear that yes, some people are born with a natural talent. Yes, some people have to work harder than others. Yes, some people achieve things faster than others. As a continued learner, an aspiring Digital Artist, my skill level for my age is constantly judged by myself. People probably expect more out of a 26 y/o Digital Artist is what I repeat to myself. There are 10 year olds that can draw better than I, people with more of a disadvantage that draw better. We have to remind ourselves that it's okay to be slow and to go at our own pace. Everyone is going through something, everyone has been through something, everyone is different. I am not where I want to be at 26 but I also acknowledge how much I've achieved even if small. It is something to be proud of, you should be proud. Which is why I wanted to get this out in the open. Do not let your age define you, you can start any time you want and learn as much as you want if you put your mind to it. 

Thank you Artists&Clients for offering a chance to tell our stories. I was introduced to this site when I was desperately seeking a way to find people interested in my work. To those of you who are new to it, give it a chance. Do not be discouraged by lack of commissions or jobs. It took me a while to get any and when you do it is very important to stick to them. I went on a long hiatus and now I am back to zero but BE PATIENT. This is a trust-worthy, easy site that supports both buyers and creators. 

There is a lot more that I could say but I feel as though I've already said too much. I just wanted to inspire people to continue what they're doing or start something that they've been wanting to do for a long time. Baby steps! Good luck to everyone and thank you for the read.