With a Digital Media Arts major at my university, I spend a lot of time in my sketchbook, in the lab, and on my own devices drawing. Half the time is spent on my course work and the other half is spent on personal works. But whenever I sit down to draw, two things always remain constant. I need my music, and I need some form of solitude. Whether it be blocking others chatting in the lab out using my headphones or actually going to my room to be completely alone, I need to have my own space. I literally closed my door for three days during finals week and sat on my floor drawing my final illustration project while blasting out music from my iPad. Only leaving when I needed food.

And I realize this might seem odd to those who flourish from constant communication with those around them and love hearing critiques as they go, but I already know my style, I've found where I like to be. Hearing others constantly telling me how my own projects should be only hinders me more from finding the true feeling in any piece I create. All of that belongs in the commission zone when you're getting paid to create something that someone else is passionate about.

In fact, a lot of my better work displays heavy emotions because they are what I feel the most connection to. And I believe this is not only true for myself but for most artists I know, that it is so much easier to put out work when you feel a strong connection to it, be it to the characters you so lovingly built up designs and stories around for years, or the background that has places you remember from dreams or your childhood, or even that still life of a bowl of pears. Cause you REALLY like pears.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say through all of this blathering is that when it comes down to it, you, as an artist in whatever field you are in: writing, theatre, illustration, music, animation, film, design, and so on, it is your duty to make the most out of your work. Because it is all you. Your art form is an extension of your heart and soul and you should never let anyone put you down for doing what you love, even if they don't understand it. Because there will be people out there who make it their goal to destroy you, to block your inspiration with insults. I've heard before that it takes years to build up an artist's confidence to the point where they are willing to share their work with others, and yet it only takes one person sharing their displeasure to end that person's desire to move forward and kill their passion for their chosen subject. I know this is true because it has been me through my years at college. I didn't start off with a very pretty style, and I have grown so much through constructive criticism and loving nudges from very dear friends and family to keep going and keep getting better. But even with all of that, I have thought of quitting my senior project which is so very dear to my heart so many times over this Christmas break because of peoples' negative opinions, but I have not and will not. And so I say to them, as you should say to anyone trying to tear you down, "If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all."