Yahoo! Got my first completely negative review a while ago, the kind that says I have no hope of becoming an artist or selling my work or anything.

Funny he should say that after I get a lookover from my old graphic arts teacher from high school who wants to recommend me to do a CD cover for a garage band here in Indiana.

Bah, I know my work is amateur at best, and that I've got a long way to go to compete against some of the bigger name artists, but then...it's not about the money, the fame, or recognition. Granted, the only way to survive in this world is money, hence why I want to sell these things, but I've always been led to believe a career is a job you love to do irregardless of the pay.

So I work at a Subway to make ends meet and haven't sold more than six bucks worth of material here, who cares. I love doing this, it's not a tool or skill I use to make money, it's not some commodity to make something of myself, I draw for me and only for me.

Now, it takes a -lot- to impress me with damn near anything, especially artwork. Most of my own work here on DA I look at now and find rather trivial and somewhat plain, but even that doesn't deter me from getting back on PSP9, and trying again and again and again. So who cares what internet trolls think, I know I'm trying my absolute best with this work and steadily improving with each drawing and really, isn't that what this is all about?

In any case, this is a message to all those out there fighting for their hopes and dreams. As cliche and 'motherly' as this will sound, don't ever let anyone tell you that you cannot do something. There is no such thing as natural talent versus skill when all you need to have is the passion and determination to better yourself in whatever field you study. And if you think I'm spouting nonsense about the "Talent" thing, lemme say this. I'm a left brain person who was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at the age of 11, that means I'm supposed to think logically, linearly, impartially, and with below average social and empathetic behaviors. Yeah...I call BS on that, if talent were a true factor I'd be in a cubicle somewhere making data entries for some random jackass of a boss who probably thinks of me as expendable in the first place.

No, I'm 21 years old, I live with my parents, I work at a subway to support myself and them, draw on my computer and ya know what, I'm happy.