I see you’ve finally picked up some art supplies and are ready to dive into a new hobby or possible future job but you simply don’t know where to start. So you hop on the internet for inspiration and suddenly your gut twists as you see millions upon millions of artwork from strangers all across the world. They’re all so lovely and vibrant and you can’t help but feel inadequate at your lack of skills.
STOP IT
One of the many things that can end a career or hobby before it even begins is doubt. You shouldn’t compare your first step to someone else’s hundredth marathon. While some amount of comparison is healthy and normal, one huge mistake beginning artists make is comparing themselves to others and giving up because of it. In fact, some people (including my former art instructor) might think comparison is what makes someone a good artist and to a certain extent they are right, but in a different scenario. If you are looking at other artists’ work in order to see techniques or aspects of their art you want to incorporate into your own work (WITHOUT PLAGIARISM) then that is perfectly fine. That’s a natural part of any artist’s journey in improving their work and completely different as you are fixing what you don’t like in your work rather than disliking your work before you even make it.
So, to reiterate,
Looking at other art to improve your own= Perfect For Improving Art
Looking at other art to compare your skills to theirs= Horrible For Self-Esteem
Sam's Art Tips 