Losing your art and finding it again

I used to draw fanatically until 5yrs ago when life changed (finished high school, left home, met ex-bf who was older and a mad skilled illustrator... Got discouraged and gave up.) now I'm going to pick up where I left off - there's so much to learn and I'm looking forward to using this site as a practicing tool.

Has anybody else had a similar experience of setting the drawing aside and later regretting it?

I feel like drawing is the one thing that makes me feel truly happy no matter what and I'm so glad I came back to it. I'm also hugely sad about my complete neglect of my drawing skills over the past 5yrs. It's so intimidating to start again! I could have become so much more skilled in that time! On a more positive note, i've also realised how much a sense of pride holds you back. A few years and a bit of age made me realise how unimportant being better than others is. Now I just want to be the best artist I can be. I love the process of creating so much that the end results and their value (or lack thereof) is relatively unimportant.

Here's a couple of bits of practice from this week. Humble beginnings but beginnings nonetheless. Hopefully will be seeing lots of improvement over the next few months. Will keep updating as I go.

How did you get back on the horse? Was there a catalyst in your life that spurred you to start, or restart, an art practice as an adult? How did your experience differ the first and second time around?

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Selfie
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Yes. I went through a 2 year long hiatus (although shorter than what you described). I completely feel the same about drawing - it's the one thing that allows me to step away from life and truly be me.

Actually, I'm currently struggling with the pride thing. I get so worked up about making things look PERFECT that sometimes I hardly enjoy the process itself... I also compare myself to other artists, but recently I've been converting that negative energy into motivation to improve. The thought of being as skilled as them one day is exciting enough to keep me going.

It seems that changes in my life is what prompted me to start drawing again. It began with some concept doodles inspired by something - then in no time I began creating character after character (these are hypothetical people I imagine), developing them, giving them distinct personalities, and kind of imagining/illustrating how they move, talk, think, and interact with one another. Finally an outlet for all my creative energy. This is the reason I'm on this site, by the way - I don't have much experience drawing people so I have lots of room to improve and get comfortable with drawing human figures.
Before, I wasn't serious about drawing. Now I am. I'd say I'm back in the game with more inspiration and motivation than I had before :)

As for your drawings, I can definitely tell you haven't lost your talent. I would recommend doing MANY practice sketches while paying close attention to the shape of the objects, how they connect to other structures, etc. This is the single thing that has helped me improve the most.

I look forward to seeing your improvements!

Yes i went through nearly 10 years of not caring about my creative side. But it wasn't due to frustration with my art it was my deadly bout with alcoholism that did it.. A life threatening experience in the ER made me put the bottle away for goods.. almost drank myself to death. that was nearly 2 years ago and sobriety is giving me a second chance to be the artist I should have been.

It is easy for us to get caught up in our worlds to the extent that it can actually have a negative impact on our creative aspects. With it can come a flair of arrogance nothing wrong with pride but when it gets in the way of your goals it can have a negative impact. This is especially true when comparing yourself to another artist. A shattered ego can lead to the frustration of feeling not good enough. But you need to realize art is not a game of competition it is a matter of expression. I have to constantly remind myself of this.

I also struggle with the need of striving for perfection but more recently im discovering that sometimes what appears to be imperfect is what gives it its own perfection. It is so easy to overwork and ruin a perfectly good thing when trying to uphold irrational standards that we impose on ourselves.. its ok that its not prefect thats what gives it character.

The way to get back on track is to do not think about doing. The rest of the pieces will naturally fall into place along the way.