First Contact: Connecting with a Fellow Artist

In my early artistic journey, it was during 2019 when I ventured into the realm of doodling, armed with nothing more than ballpoint pens from around the house. What commenced as a casual pastime quickly burgeoned into a fervent pursuit. Hours were devoted to honing my craft, experimenting with various pen types, and venturing into the world of artistic expression. The pivotal moment arrived in 2020 when I procured my very first sketchbook. It was at this juncture that I made the conscious decision to share my creative endeavors with the online community, specifically on platforms like ArtStation and Doodle Addicts.

Now, ArtStation is more about digital art, but I still made some art buddies there. Doodle Addicts, on the other hand, is a smaller and friendlier gang.

“Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.” --Margaret Mead

I also created a "Feel Good" folder for those gloomy days, thanks to some wisdom from the book Steal Like An Artist (pg 168) by Austin Kleon Back in June of 2019, I was posting my drawings and paintings. I'd browse through other artworks, leave some nice comments, but I never plucked up the courage to say, "Hey, check out my stuff!" Especially when I saw the crazy high-level art on ArtStation. So, I just posted my work and played the waiting game for months.

Then, one day out of the blue, I received a message that made a world of difference. It kicked off a long-distance chat that lasted over a year! We talked about all sorts of things, and the whole document now has almost 18,000 words. Let me share the very first message I got from my friend, who I'll call "Artist," over in China.

"I like your work very much, I pay attention to you, I hope to see your work often in the future!" --Artist

Upon receiving a message from this artist based in China who expressed appreciation for my work and expressed a desire to see more of it in the future, I promptly perused his profile. My initial observation revealed a collection of art that I would categorize as professional-grade, with a predominant emphasis on digital artistry. While there were occasional traditional art posts, the majority of his portfolio was dedicated to digital creations. Regrettably, I deleted my ArtStation account at some point in 2022, making it uncertain whether I can successfully locate his work, though I intend to make an effort to do so.

Recent Sketches and Paintings as of November 8, 2023:

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“One day in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful.” --Sigmund Freud

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