7 Annoying Things All Artists Can Relate To

Being an artist definitely has its perks and downers.

Sure, you can create some pretty cool things from your own head, but those things don't always turn out the way you had visualized them. There are very few things as annoying and frustrating as that. I can see the concept in my brain in vivid detail. Why can't I just translate it on the canvas?

Here's a short list of some other annoying things I've encountered in my years of being an artist. I'm sure someone out there can relate:

“Draw Me Something.”

No. Seriously, no. Do you know how long it takes to create a piece of art? Even the simplest pieces of art can take at least an hour or two. You're asking me to give you my time, energy and creativity for free.

I don't want to draw you something. Occasionally, I even prefer not to draw something that someone is paying me to draw. I especially don't want to draw an image of you. This isn't "Total Request Live." You can't just request whatever you want for free.

Ruined Paintbrushes

It doesn't matter if I buy the 4 dollar brushes or the 20 dollar brushes, they all end up ruined. There are always stray bristles, especially with the small brushes. I've gone through at least a dozen. The struggle to find the right brush for what you need and to keep it in a workable condition is the hardest thing.


Often, someone's chosen image does nothing to stimulate my creative juices. Regardless, I'm going to have to bust this sucker out and make it look amazing, because I don't feel right about taking your money and delivering a failure of a piece. Obviously, I said I was open to commissions so I can't exactly back out now, can I? Dammit.

A Nonexistent Market

I tend to obsess over obscure people or shows, as they speak to me on an artistic level. I base some of my art on these subjects; however, there's generally no market for them because of the obscurity. I essentially end up with eight pieces of some character actor sitting in my room. While they were really fun to create, I also don't really care to have them hanging up. It results in a bit of wasted time and energy.

The Perfection Factor

It's incredibly hard to actually hang up your own artwork. It seems that every day you stare at it until minute errors become glaringly obvious. You constantly pinpoint the mistakes you made and all the things you would have changed, and the list only seems to grow.

Lack Of Inspiration

Trying to create something when you're not inspired is hard. Your attention to detail suffers, and you aren't doing your best work. You start to care less about the important details within the piece in favor of finishing more quickly. Whether it's a commissioned piece or whether you're creating for the purpose of creating, it's easy to lose steam halfway through.

Sometimes, it's difficult to be inspired and to stay motivated throughout the entire creation process. Since the creation process may last for a few hours or for weeks or months, maintaining the same level of inspiration from beginning to end can sometimes feel impossible.

Wanting Other Artist's Work

I love stalking other artist's pages on social media channels. There are some truly mind-blowing artists out there, and I basically want to hang their pieces all over my house. Anytime I mention this to someone, however, they ask, “Why? You can just create that yourself.” To be honest, I really can't. It won't be the same. It takes a lot of time, effort and focus, and I want to support my fellow artists.