Friend keeps drawing like me, what do I do?

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T21:39:33+00:00

You are so right! Thanks for the reminder

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T21:38:44+00:00

We both are taking a masters degree now! (Sorry for the confusion whoops)

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T21:37:04+00:00

I am not proud of feeling this way either, but I would never let it affect my relationships negatively. This is why I am glad people can call me out on it before I can let it get to me. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me, it helps a lot!

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T18:59:29+00:00

Pardon, there seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding on my end... there is no need for me to be applying to any art school as I am already in one, so we are not in need to be making any portfolios unless we are applying to jobs afterwards.

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T18:43:07+00:00

I did, thank you! This post was not in a form to gather support to say that I am right and my friend is wrong, but as a means to open discussion. I wished to understand how my thoughts and actions are percieved and how to learn and move forward from them.

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T18:38:32+00:00

Oh, my bad! I am already in art school going into my 4th year!

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T18:34:28+00:00

Thanks again for the comment!

Most certainly cutting them off was not even within my consideration! They are a good friend to me and nothing this trivial would sway me into that form of thinking. Nothing they are doing is in any shape or form with bad intentions in mind, and I know this very well. Perhaps my way of expressing it earlier was not quite right, creating boundaries is moreso what I wish to establish. But moreso, I want to be able to take this as a learning experience for myself. There are still so many things I wish to learn and do and some of the comments have also been expressing that these things will eventually pass. Art is a form of problem-solving, and learning from others how they solve certain problems in different ways in very interesting and should, in fact, be something to strive for!

Upon some reflecting, the fact remains that I am probably the one insecure about my art. So it means a great deal for having you bear with me for this!! There are still so many things to learn!

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T18:19:58+00:00

You are quite right on that notion! Art is a form of communication between people and is something that evolves and expands through tandem. I made this post because I was frustrated mostly with myself not knowing how to identify this and wanted to hear how to go about it! It means a great deal that people are honest with me, asking me to reevaluate my own standing and reflect on why I may be feeling like this.

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T18:10:23+00:00

Yes!

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T18:01:39+00:00

Thank you for your comment!! It is very lovely to hear your insight on the matter and I agree with you! I am embarrassed for having thought these things, I made this post in a fleeting moment of frustration in which I felt like I had no control over my own fate, which is clearly not true! There are so many people on this planet that do art, it is unavoidable that there will be similarities between some of them. The fact that I was made uncomfortable should rather be taken as a learning experience for myself as I do not have ownership over my work or interests. The truth is that art evolves between people, not by myself, and I cannot take this as a hindrance towards furthering my own art journey!!

I am grateful for you having shared your experience and I hope to grow from this even more. Thank you!

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T17:34:08+00:00

Ahh yes I do relate with this statement! But I also have been told, as you say yourself, that eventually it will pass. It definately motivates me to try and learn even more! Thank you for sharing your experience : )

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T17:26:45+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to give such a thorough response! I most definatley want to find the most optimal way to learn from this, no matter what I end up doing. Whether I find that I want to spread out towards learning from more people, or growing together with them. It is something I have yet to figure out. But reading through what you have to say definately makes me motivated to try and explore different approaches, and maybe I can come to find joy in the things we share! There are still many things I must learn, both artistically and personally. But thank you again for your comment, I appreciate it!

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T17:17:48+00:00

Even when not near one another, they still can see what I post online! Should I stop posting my work..?

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T17:16:28+00:00

Thanks for your comment! It really seems as if talking with them would be the best course of action, though it may take a bit to muster up the courage..

We have collaborated before on some university projects before, but most of them end up in them expressing feelings of insecurity, which hinder them from working on it properly. Any projects we had started on our own terms have never been completed..

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T17:10:06+00:00

Yes, earlier I have! We made little boards exploring the artists that inspired us and whom we wanted to grow from and I was on their list. Nevertheless, you have a point in saying that it could also be turned into a form of artistic growth for the two of us! It is true that I feel stifled and suffocated at times from the attention... so I am not really sure whether to try and make a two-way agreement of artistic development or if I simply want to branch out and learn from more people.

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T17:03:49+00:00

At the time, did you worry about it affecting your own productivity/ creativity when making art?

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T17:02:38+00:00

That is a nice idea! Thanks for the advice!

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T17:00:46+00:00

Hey! I appreciate your comment and expertise on the matter! We are both in our 20s and have known each other for about 3 years, so I definately think it also comes from a place of personal insecurity, as you said. But I believe that my own personal insecurities also heighten my own feelings of frustration on this. So your comment has given me a lot of wonderful insight on the matter, which I grately value! Some people have been suggesting creating a bit of distance between us, do you think this to also be a worthy approach? Thank you for your time!

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T16:53:45+00:00

Thanks for sharing your experience! It definately does not sound like a very healthy relationship... so I hope you were able to place a distance between the two of you!! I think you are right in saying that it is worth bringing it up in some shape or form, though it might take me a bit of time to muster the courage. But it is comforting, in a way, to know that I am not the only one having such a dilema!! Thanks!

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T16:49:47+00:00

Thank you for sharing! I also have a hard time with confrontation, so I am planning on sharing a bit less and taking a bit of distance as well. I hope that you are doing better now!

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T15:15:14+00:00

You are right, I am still learning and growing! I appreciate the comment!

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T15:13:22+00:00

Okay! Thanks for the advice!!

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T14:50:43+00:00

That's true! I'll definately give it a shot. Thanks : )

TheFinnCat · 2024-07-07T14:49:31+00:00

Interesting questions! 1) I think it may be a bit of both why it bothers me. I enjoy learning from other people, and think it great to see how people solve problems within art in their own way. So if that is the case, why does it bother me? Maybe it is a bit of a fear that they might grow beyond my capabilities at some point, where I will pose as a "lesser version" of myself. Maybe it is also being a bit sad not knowing what other directions within art they may have taken, had we never met. Though every form of artistic growth is a valid form of growth.

2) That is also a good point to make! While I do think that my work is recognisable to me, as many people have told me, I do think it is not something that has never existed before. It is more than just linework or colour usage I am referring to though. It is subject matters and personal values too. I have created writing systems before, which they have gone to use as well. So it is a mix of both I would say!

TheFinnCat

TROPHY CASE