When Did You Know You Would Make It?

TwiggyT

I wish I had half of your all's confidence. My biggest downfall is that I don't believe in myself. My teachers never liked me, except for a drawing professor and a painting professor in college. The other students all seemed to like my work, except for the few classes where I was obviously terrible (like that weird 3d design class I had freshman year--pretty much anything that wasn't a 2d medium was a complete catastrophe in my hands). But now I've wasted all these years doubting myself, my health isn't great, and I feel like there's not much of a comeback for me. I wish you all would share about failures more often, because it helps low-confidence people like me feel like failing or messing up isn't the end of everything.

Coley

@Whitney-Simms the billboard and the restaurant live painting stories cracked me up so much. I almost spit my tea out all over the laptop lol

sigross

@TwiggyT Claude Monet took 10 years to develop his iconic style. He hit his stride in his 40's.

DOTTYP

@TwiggyT Try not to be down about it ,I can really relate to what you have said here about wasted years and poor health and it helped me to read this, just keep going and your confidence will build up.

TwiggyT

@DOTTYP @sigross Thank you both for the encouragement! I try to stay positive about my health and hope for the best, but it definitely eats into my productivity and how much I can do. Doing things most people do in a normal day makes me unable to function the next day. It's really frustrating.

Is that an actual photo of Monet? I've never seen a photo of him before -- but I'd recognize that bridge anywhere. I hope for me, like Monet, the best is yet to come.

sigross

@TwiggyT yes that's Monet in his prime! Also, Michelangelo suffered terribly from illnesses while he was creating. He was making stuff chiseling, painting etc until he was almost 90.

DOTTYP

@TwiggyT I can really understand as although I dont talk about it much I have been quite ill for a number of years and I know it makes me really slow at creating art even though art is the one thing that keeps me going as I cant get out much. I also have the problem of fatigue you are suffering after doing ordinary things. Have you received any proper diagnosis ,blood tests and investigations, because maybe there would be some hope of you getting better.

TwiggyT

@DOTTYP I've been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder that can make me tired, but it shouldn't be making me so tired that I have difficulty functioning. Doctors either don't seem to know, or can't be bothered to investigate further. I'm going to a new endocrinologist this fall; maybe they'll be able to help.

Su

@TwiggyT You are a good artist! I enjoy seeing your posts about your art. Your teachers were totally wrong to have made you think that you don't have talent. Art is so subjective — I wish you had gone to a school that had more teachers that were able to appreciate your style. And I'm so sorry about your illness. I can't imagine how difficult that is to be tired all the time. There's a new Netflix series called Diagnosis. I've watched a few episodes and it's really good. Wondering if watching it could give you any insights on your health issues.

Best of luck to you. Keep on creating!

TwiggyT

@Su Thanks for that! I appreciate your encouragement and I'm glad you like my work! I haven't heard of or watched that show yet, so I'll check it out. I enjoy shows like that; it reminds me of Mystery Diagnosis.

BichonBistro

@DOTTYP

DOTTYP

@TwiggyT I was worried when I read your symptoms doctors get it wrong all the time I was misdiagnosed for years,it could be something really serious, make sure they check your kidney and heart function. Good luck at the endocrinologist (I had to look up what that was) and let us know how it goes and look after yourself.
Your art is really cute and fun I am pretty sure I already follow you on Instagram I will check.

DOTTYP

@BichonBistro Thanks!