When Making Art Stops Feeling Easy and How I’m Trying to Find My Spark (Again)✨

The reality of second-guessing yourself all the time 🥲

I’ve been struggling with my work for a while now. Lately, I’ve been looking back at my older illustrations and realizing how simple they were. I remember how carelessly I could sit down to draw — just grab a couple of reference images, and before I knew it, an idea would turn into a finished piece in a matter of hours. It felt so easy.

I was learning back then, but honestly, I still am. So why does it feel so hard lately?

Now I constantly feel pressure — pressure not to make something that looks too familiar, to always “elevate” or “refine” my style because it doesn’t feel polished enough. There’s this constant voice telling me to hide the imperfect parts: the off perspective, the weird proportions, the messy lines. I’ve been so focused on doing things “right” that I feel like I’ve lost the thing that made me happiest about drawing — that pure joy of creating just because. Back then, it didn’t matter how it looked in the end, as long as it felt good. And my definition of “good” has never been “perfect.”

I love when a piece of art is simple but full of emotion — when you can feel the artist in every stroke. I love when you can step into the image and become part of its story. And yes, I still adore adding tiny details that make your eyes wander through every corner to find hidden little things. That’s where I find the most joy.

So when did I become so obsessed with polishing everything? When did I start feeling like something was missing — like I’m still searching for a piece of myself I haven’t found yet?

I know the answer: self-doubt. The endless comparisons. The beautiful art I see online every day. I love discovering other artists — not just to admire them, but to learn from them. The problem is when that learning turns into questioning my own intuition, making me feel like I’m not good enough.

After feeling drained and detached from my work for a while, even while still creating, I had that moment of clarity — the “wait a minute… what am I doing?” moment. I’m not gonna lie, this isn’t the first time I’ve been here. It’s a cycle I seem to repeat every couple of years — only to realize, again, that I need to stop getting in my own way. It’s harder than it sounds.

But this time, I want to do things differently. I want to take everything I’ve learned from those talented artists I admire, and keep looking inward. I want to keep making the art that feels like me.

If you’re reading this and see yourself in these words, leave a heart 💕 or share it with a friend who might need the reminder too.

The doubts never fully go away — but they can either help us grow or remind us to stay rooted in who we are. What we do with them is what makes the difference.

Anyway, I’ll see you in the little things 🌿