Struggling ‘artist’

I feel so stuck. I want to be decent at art so badly, and while I have improved, I’m just not where I want to be. I’m terrified I’m gonna wake up one day and not have my passion to keep trying despite it all. I just had surgery a few days ago and am anxious to get back into drawing but I guess a silly part of me thinks I will have regressed my skill in the few days I haven’t created. Upon picking up my supplies again today I feel a bit off, which only heightened my fears. I guess all I’m really on here for is to ask anyone else who does any form of art if it’s normal to have dips, or frustrating periods. I want to be able to create what I see others create, or the things I see in my head.

Hi Mayday! Sorry you're queueing. Hopefully someone will respond very soon. If not - I will, but first I have to tend to my long-haul thread-owners/OPs. Bear with a bit longer. :)

I'm back. Sorry - multiple bugs and viruses this Winter. Well, I've read your opening post and I think you can stop worrying. Having surgery counts as a trauma ("The Body Keeps The Score"). This means your brain cannot possibly allow you to 'play' until all the 'work' has been cleared from its processing in-tray and that is that. The good or even superb news, however, is that, once the processing's done - out pops the results. In your case, this means your creativity will start spilling out even stronger and better than before - think, starving poet in the damp attic (they would put themselves into these situations deliberately in order to suffer and achieve the said same effect). But you can't put these things into the Out-Tray/Filing-Tray until your mind knows what's ready to be released (sense?). Once they are, the ideas will flow and you'll be getting more ideas than you can handle (ensure to write them down for later). But for now... Why are you being so incredibly unsympathic and impatient with yourself, hmm - I say, HMMMM? Where's that come from? So anyway (I'm creative/artistic too) - what sorts of 'flashes' of inspiration have you 'seen'?

PS: Have you tried any other media? E.g. writing or poetry, or photography? The list is endless. What's your favourite media anyway, normally - do I take it it's painting? (Goache/oils or watercolour?) I say 'normally ' because this, in fact, NOT being 'normally', could be the ideal opportunity to explore the full scope of your creativity. How old are you, if you don't mind my asking? (PS from my experience, all creative people are Worriers. Goes with the territory. It's a good sign you're getting frustrated though...mean's stuff's starting to come to the boil before spilling over. But you're being too impatient, that's all. :))

Oops, nearly forgot. If the 'bursting at the seams' situation gets too much (that's why the 'fear' btw) - grab yourself a sheet of A1 (or a second-hand guitar?) and start filling the entire space with Doodling (in miniature if you can) - here and there all through the day, every day, all stream-of-consciousness-like, switching colours, pens, orientation/direction.... See what comes out. But that'd be as good as opening the valve on a pressure-cooker, JUST A TAD so that all that lovely 'steam' doesn't escape, just alleviates a little. Fancy trying it? PS: What was the surgery? (You're a needle in a global-sized haystack so don't worry about your ID when it comes to shared 'universals' like that. Too MANY people are artists who have just had surgery, IOW.)