ramonn90
Dealing with Frustration in Art... in Life
Published: November 12th 2024, 5:00:15 pm
So, I'm making a book. A few months ago the 3D Total team proposed the idea of creating a book about my art. I've always been a digital artist, not very oriented towards physical products like prints, merch, or simply books, so I wasn’t initially very interested. Nevertheless, I've enjoyed several books from animation productions and the work of great animators like Hayao Miyazaki, among others. So I thought, why not? It might be fun.
While working on the first drafts of the book, I was thinking: what is the most effective way to provide value to artist readers? And also, how can I encapsulate the essence of my work or who I am as an artist? The word "frustration" eventually appeared while making a few layouts, not in a dramatic tone, but more as a comical way of portraying the struggles of an artist. After that, the idea of using that emotion as a representation of my work (and even myself) slowly grew to the point that I’m seriously considering making it more than just a chapter. We’ll see.
The point of today’s article is about frustration, not just because of what I said, but because I've realized how present this feeling is in my daily life, especially while creating art. I thought it would be interesting to share my insights and perspectives with you; perhaps you can find something useful.
Frustration is a feeling of dissatisfaction or annoyance from unmet expectations or obstacles. While summarizing my art in such a way might not be ideal, since I believe I have shared other valuable things besides frustration, I consider the experience of struggling a worthwhile topic to discuss.
Frustration is not just something negative; that dissatisfaction or annoyance has kept me moving forward since I was a child. It’s a need to overcome obstacles. I hate to admit it, but I often find myself fighting against a device like a laptop just because it does not perform the way I like, or simply an app where things don't go how they are supposed to. I've noticed how others have the patience to approach casual issues in a calm and effective way. I envy them and also admire them. "Why can't I just be that calm?" I say, but I also see great value in being the way I am because that stubbornness and frustration that follow me everywhere, as I said earlier, have been the fuel that has helped me achieve many things in life, especially in art, for instance.
Have you tried to draw? Creating art itself is a process that involves struggles, as you are trying to guess with your hand what it is your mind wants. This process constantly involves unmet expectations and obstacles all along. I assume being patient with no frustration involved will also help you arrive at a result, but if, to some degree, you encounter frustration and it's not something you usually manage well, eventually you will quit.
How to deal with frustration? I guess accepting the fact that things may not go the way you want in advance will alleviate the impact if something unexpected happens. That does not mean you should assume things will not go the way you planned, but that things CAN not go the way you planned, and if so, what options could you have? If you calmly approach important challenges this way in advance, I assume you would get better outcomes. That being said, expecting no frustration is not realistic; as I find myself struggling over banal situations, I think one cannot be aware of this fact in every challenge, yet it's worth trying to build the habit.
Lastly, I have a theory that this sort of friction when reacting to challenges is shortening my life. Most of the people I've seen live into their old age are calm and take things slowly; they don’t seem to worry too much. But maybe it’s because they are old? My grandmother turned 85 last week. Besides being a very lovely old lady, she is also very sharp and still fights a lot with her sons, something I assume involves frustration. So maybe it’s not just about stopping feeling that way but being wise over what kind of battles you decide to fight.
In conclusion, awareness and wisdom seem to be the way. Later this week, I'll share the process video and file of these practices I did! Don't forget to upgrade your tier in case you want to know more about my approach.
Thank you so much for your support. Take care!