Going to have a little moment here with you. I have known of these charts for a while but I looked them up again recently. If you are not into deeper moments or my own self reflections, just enjoy the charts and ignore the text.

Upper chart: The first one is practical. And it can be applied to work, life, games, anything really. But in this case we can apply it to art. Lots of people complain that they pay a lot for art, like between $25-100 and that it takes forever. However if you look at the people who are charging a whole lot more (Like $125+), they tend to make more frequent deposits. This comes back to if you are getting paid a lore more you are more likely to be motivated to finish it faster. Where as if you are making minimum wage on art, its a job and you get it when it is done. Now there are lots of artists who like to sketch, like me. And I would charge low fee's $5-10 and I could finish it in half and hour to 2 hours. And people seemed to like it. And I trained myself to be fast. But looking back now, I see it was training me to be a fast cheap artist, causing my quality to suffer in exchange for pumping out lots more art. I remember when I used to be more slow and good. In fact I think the most I was ever paid was a comic that made me like... $200 something dollars. I used to be a much better artist. I have still improved over the years but my overall quality is pretty low. Over the years people dropped off commissioning (before I learned about people ruining artists through paypal) but I still got all the "Oh I would commission you if I had money :(" but I see they had like 3 commissions in the past few months by other people. So what I took from that was, people wanted to commission me, but I was not worth it compared to other artists. So I started doing a lot of free art to get my name out and spread some good will. My thoughts being I would give out some samples and then people would come back for the main course. Didn't work. Mostly just got a lot of freebee fans who were avid lovers and requesters, but their interest in me dried up as soon as I didn't feel like drawing their many suggestions. So I fell into a limbo. A limbo where I was just well known enough to be that person you might have seen something in the past, but only enough to sort of remembered as "yeah that artist who did that uh... that pic, with the uh, dog?" I haven't bothered to want commissions in a long time. Mostly because Paypal may be secure, but the information is unsecured. I may not make much money but after hearing horror stories about people ruining furry artist lives after getting a hold of their information. And I haven't gotten any in years so I don't even bother anymore.

Lower chart: As I mentioned I had a sort of Dark Epiphany recently. I found this chart not to long after it. I was thinking and reflecting on a new comic idea to start drawing. And I was talking around and then someone pointed out something which made me think. I was trying to keep things cannonish and they pointed out that it was already no longer cannon. Then they suggested only having people in the comic who appreciate the art I do.
I thought about it for a long time. How do I classify appreciate? People who like getting my art? Nobody has commissioned it for years and those that have gotten free art 'appreciate' in the sense they like that I did it for them. Well how about people who I have designed characters or sona's for? And that is when the Epiphany hit. No one has. I have made hundreds, maybe even a thousand. Characters, Sona's, Icons, elaborate comics, sketches and more. Nobody has. And it hit like a cold lump of ice in my gut. Suddenly all the symbolize in my favored mememe style pictures made sense. None of it served any purpose. I have been doing this for years, and several times it has blown up in my face. Then I found this chart. And I applied it to my life and art. and it slowly started to make sense.

Does the world need another artist or art? No, there are plenty of people who fill that position.
Does the world pay for it? No, they pay some a lot, but the general income from that is meager at best.
Is it something you are skilled at? Yes, I would like to think so.
Do I love doing it? Yes, drawing is some of the times I feel most alive.

So since I only had 2 out of 4 that left me in Passion. I am very passionate about art. But I get no fulfillment because other artists can do it, and better. So I am not serving a need. I get no satisfaction because nobody is willing to buy or appreciate it.

So that is where I am. And passion can only take you so far before you burn out of energy, motivation and will to keep going. I won't lie, I have thought about "retiring" but the only thing worst than having a skill you love and want to do, is having a skill you love and want to do but don't use. I thought about making a new account. Start over, have a more professional name. domino2 afterall sounds like a weak AOL name, but I have spent years trying to get to this point.
So what does that leave? I don't honestly know.
I used to think I understood what I was doing and what I did as an artist. But I realize now that I was perpetuating an endless cycle that led to disappointment, depression and an empty dream.
I don't know what I will do next, what I will pursue drawing or continue to do here on FA.

A lot of people have been asking so here it is.



This is not my art or ideas, I am simply borrowing it for example purposes. Credit where credit is due.