If you've never been creative in your life then you're a liar. Everyone can be creative, even at work. Being routinely creative, however, is something that must be practiced. It's not easy to sit down and write a first-class novel, and it's tiresome to draw sketch after sketch. Any artist knows that repetition is the best practice.
I wouldn't say being an artist is something you choose; but it's not for everyone. There will always be someone better than you, and you have to accept that. Creating art isn't much of a living, to be honest. Good art takes time and patience. Fads come and go, so you can't guarantee a sale on paintings for ten years because—let's face it—will people even like paintings in ten years? Not to mention that there are styles of art, not just mediums. Da Vinci's art doesn't look like Picasso's. There are wide and narrow strokes, dots and swabs, layers and textures that compile a canvas into what the artist envisions. What works for you may not work for your friend. Also, just because your art is good doesn't mean it will sell. There are factors—economics, customer interest, supply and demand—that influence the desire for your product.
However, just because you're an artist doesn't mean you're always looking to sell out. My uncle sells some of his art, so I've always been the prodigy child ever since I drew my first Mickey Mouse. My mom's always talked about me making fantastic artwork and selling it to help pay for college. Frankly, I don't believe my art to be that great.
Of course, lighting and filters help (the original doesn't have the lighting effect). Me, I prefer a cartoonish/anime style because it's simpler. I'm also horrible at drawing realistic pictures, especially when it comes to human portraits. But my art's not good enough to sell. I'm not saying that to be modest: I have a long way to go before I can make a profit off of my doodles. And that's something that you have to be conscious of when you're an artist: you're not going to sell everything you have.
Writing and drawing have always been passions of mine. I often find myself drawing up sketches and maps for locations and characters in my stories. It helps the flow of my writing to have a visual aid to look at. When I'm not using color pencils, I generally go to soft pastels. I have a beautiful piece, if I do say so myself. I made it in high school, and I've never achieved anything like it since. It took hours of class and staying after class to finish it. At home, I practiced drawing dog faces and fur textures to make sure that I got the right look. It didn't turn out how I wanted it—the soft pastels bled, and it was handled more than I'd like—but take a look.
It's a Maned wolf (not a true wolf, mind you). I can't tell you how many times I got frustrated with this piece! You see, art takes patience. Even a colored pencil drawing can take me three to five hours depending on how much detail I want and how many distractions I have. It's not easy being an artist, and I may never sell my work. But it's a passion that I'm not getting rid of any time soon.
