My biggest mistake as an artist was thinking I wouldn’t be able to make a living off of my art. I focused on other things for generating an online income as art repeatedly took the back seat.
I didn’t realize at the time how much it was possible to make a living with this skill.
Granted, I started learning how to draw when the internet was basically still in its infancy. Websites like DeviantArt – I created my first account in 2003 – weren’t as big as they are today.
Everything surrounding digital art was still upcoming. Art for (indie) games, websites, digital coloring books, printables, sticker. For commissions, I would have had to use my bank account anyway and with how the situation was back then, the bank took a large sum of money just to transfer between currencies.
Gradually I saw that making art could be done for a living. Sadly, because of insecurities about my art and because I was still learning (I never felt ”ready” or good enough) and difficult times in my personal life, other skills took precedence. Instead, I started online freelancing and became a self-taught but skilled translator.
Fast forward a little over a decade and the rapid development of AI, this ‘career’ is coming to an end. After serving hundreds of clients and translating thousands of documents across various industries, I have joined the growing list of people who lost their job to AI.
Will I Continue Doing Art?
Yes, I will continue to create art. Making art and being creative have always been my biggest passions in life. It’s impossible for me to give that up. And I have a lot of plans for 2026 that I will be talking about soon!
I also think there is still value in being an artist. A human artist. Although AI will definitely shake things up badly, and honestly, it’s gonna ruin a lot, I do think there is still room for artists. And through my blog, I hope to inspire more people to create their own art.
