The Dreaded Thoughts of Giving Up

I’m going to be really honest here—lately I’ve had those dreaded thoughts about giving up. Not on painting, because I love the process too much, but on the whole messy, confusing, exhausting part that comes after: selling.

Painting has always been my high, my way of looking after my mental health. When I pick up a brush, I feel calm, grounded, and connected to nature. Each animal I paint brings me back to myself, reminding me why I create in the first place. But when it comes to actually sharing my work and trying to sell it, the joy can quickly slip into frustration.

Where are the people who want to buy my art? Where should I be advertising? How do other artists seem to find their collectors so easily? These questions circle around and around until I feel stuck. And then comparison-itis creeps in—scrolling through social media, seeing other artists seemingly smashing it, selling out collections, and announcing commissions left, right, and centre. Suddenly, my own progress feels small, and that sneaky little thought slips in: Maybe I’m not good enough.

But here’s the truth I keep coming back to: painting isn’t something I want to give up. It’s part of who I am, part of my wellbeing, and part of how I process the world. Those dreaded thoughts are just that—thoughts. They don’t mean I’m failing. They just mean I’m human.

I’ve realised that selling art is a skill in itself, completely separate from painting. Just as it took years of practice to develop my style and confidence as an artist, it’s going to take patience, learning, and experimentation to find the right collectors and the right places to share my work. And that’s okay.

So instead of giving up, I’m choosing to keep going. To keep painting what I love, to keep sharing my journey, and to keep believing that the right people will find my art in time. Because the truth is, even if I never sold another piece, I’d still paint. That, to me, is the biggest sign that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

If you’ve ever felt like giving up—whether it’s in art, work, or anything you care deeply about—I want you to know you’re not alone. We all face the doubts, the comparisons, the frustration. But those thoughts don’t get the final say. What matters is that we keep showing up, keep creating, and keep remembering why we started in the first place.

💬 I’d love to hear from you—have you ever had those dreaded thoughts of giving up? How did you move through them? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments below—I think we could all do with reminding each other that we’re not alone