Self-doubt and a comfy job held me back for the longest time.
I’VE DRAWN LANDSCAPES since I was a teen. I lived in a small town and always wanted to escape, so I drew the places I daydreamt about. Out of habit, I continued to draw from other references, and one day I realized I was limiting myself and my perspective. From there, I made it a point to leave town every year to see someplace new and to find my own references and experiences. Now most of my drawings are from my travels, and each art piece is a part of me and who I am.
I was my own biggest obstacle to becoming a full-time artist. Self-doubt and a comfy job held me back for the longest time. It’s hard to take a chance, especially when there are no art clients on the horizon. I had to trust that my self-motivation, passion, and hard work would get me where I want to be. Being an artist is learning to deal with rejection and doubt. It’s difficult for artists because our work is both personal and professional. Rejection hurts more because you pour your heart into your work. Doubt builds when no one reaches out, but we learn most about ourselves from these moments and we train to push forward.
There are going to be moments in my work where I get lost. I question myself, my motives, and my goals. During these struggles, I have to remain focused and push through, even when it’s slow and painful. The world feels so instantaneous that sometimes I lose the sense of how much work goes into creating. The most incredible work must contain passion, madness, relief, and, some days, delusion, but it will never be instantaneous.
SAM LEE
