After 3 years of studying art and making new artist friends recently, now I'm 99% sure to say this.
I'm not talented in art.

I started around the same time as an artist I admire. Today, we stand in very different places. I look up, admire, envy, and ache to reach them.

Another artist I admire rarely practices, yet creates with pure intuition-while I carefully construct a pose for 2 hours, only to see it pale beside their 30-minute sketch drawn for me to use as a reference.

Maybe with my lack of talent, those great artists will always soar faster than me. Maybe new artists and my friends will pass me by in skill, style, and followers - well ahead, while I grind slowly behind.

But I also get to see these during my art journey:
- "You're learning quite fast heh" - an admired artist
- "just wanna say, youre a legend. keep making awesome art @/Wapeul"
- "GOAT FOLLOW BACK??"
- "freaking awesome"
- "absolute peak in my notifs"
- My fanart featured on the Carrd of someone I admire
- Best post reaching 1.7K likes
- 400+ Twitter followers
- My first Ko-fi donation and subscriber
- My first returning commissioner
- Someone asking me for advice in art
- My Klonoa art was reblogged by klonoa-at-blog

Those are not nothing, right? 🏆 If I haven't heard any of these, I might gave up my journey at this point.
I'm not sure if I'll ever become the great artist I dream of. But-
"Not everyone can become a great artist. But a great artist can come from anywhere." - Anton Ego

But I'll keep trying, failing, grinding. Maybe I'm slower. Maybe I started later. Maybe I began at zero while others were already steps ahead. But I can't get worse - can only get better.
I promise this to you, and more importantly, to myself:
I'll never stop growing in art. 🥺

And lastly, thank you so much for your support all this time 🫂 You are my real reason keep walking on my art journey. I'll keep on going!