Art: a real passion or just a "phase"?

[Klaustasya]

Sometimes i get the small feeling that drawing is not really a passion for me. I always started drawing whenever i was boring but inspired, alone, because with people was too hard to feel in the flow and i was more invested in the present relationships.
Now i've been drawing and sketching for 3 years straight and i thought about making it into a real work career one day, but i'm honestly worried about getting tired of it at some point.
So the question is, how do you know when something to you is a passion or just a phase of your life when you need to do it (temporarily)?

[BobbyjoeX]

well i had this phase for over 20 years so....

art isnt for everyone, or more so people havent found the type of art they are passionate about yet

[vothnthorvaldson]

I can't really answer, but I can add more to ponder on:
Even when it's not a phase but a real passion, it may or may not be a passion that can become a job.

Some people lose their interest when they are forced to make money out of their passion. That's what happened for me with biology. My passion for it is back about 6 years after I (mostly) gave up research as a career. But I did hear about that in creative careers too. I think one of the good questions to ask yourself is: Is being forced to work on a project a drive or is it offputting, for you?

[DokiDokiTsuna]

I mean...maybe you don't expect to hear this in a community of artists, but there's nothing wrong with art being a 'phase'. And the fact that art might not be a passion for you doesn't mean you no longer have the right to continue with it.

In the end, just do what you want, and let other people worry about the labels. If you feel like your interest in art isn't very strong or might not last, just don't make any long-term plans on it. That's all.

[SleepingPoppy]

For me art is a permanent life long thing. I get a lot of personal satisfaction from it. But even I go through periods where I'm too busy or not inspired, etc.

Possibly it's nit about passion vs phase for you? Your creativity may ebb and flow. Or it may be an obsessive thing where you get really into something, burn really bright until you reach burn out, then need a long break.

As far as careers go, I think you're the only one that can figure it out. If you are someone that can deal with a lack of stability or are very adaptable, you might just go fir it. If you're not, maybe you want a full or part time job in a more stable area that can help support your art interests. Or you can find something related to art but less reliant on inspiration and constant production. There are lots of options!

It's also okay if you try something and it doesn't work out. That's a normal part of life, and we all face various set backs.

[Azifri]

Like @DokiDokiTsuna said, I also think there is nothing wrong in it being a phase, and maybe you just have to try and see what happens. Personally, at this point in my life I have realized that I get tired of everything I do after a while. Sometimes the passion comes back (like with research or art) and sometimes it seems that it will never come back (like with veterinary medicine). I have never been able to understand people that do the same job for their entire lifes and claim to be happy; even if it's an occupation that is mentally stimulating and/or is well remunerated, I still get tired of it and need to take breaks, or else I get depressed to the point where I'm not functional anymore (been there twice for trying to continue in a well paid job).

I may have the problem of putting too much passion into what I do, and when that ocupation becomes a job where you are obligated to produce something, or when there are way too many things out of your control, then it looses its charm to me (@vothnthorvaldson I can totally understand what you're saying).

[JeanGuillet]

Is it somehow less legitimate if your interest in the subject is not a lifelong passion? Why not enjoy the phase and move on if it's not enjoyable? Art is surrounded by this mythos of 'the artist' 'the muse' & 'suffering for art', the idea that one needs to commit oneself wholly to a thing, & art's legitimacy is directly related to the artist's dedication. No one feels this way about collecting stamps. Or working on cars. Or flower arranging. Even if they make a career of it! Have fun, and worry less, that's my advice.

[borzoiteeth]

Curious, how long are "phases" of this kind suppose to last? Are they like fads and only last at best a few years?

[Klaustasya]

I don't know, i've always drew ever since i was 6, just as hobby though, only started getting serious about it in the past 3 years (for serious i mean, studying art, applying to an art school etc etc..) sometimes i get highs and downs too (it's normal) but know that art is something that like anyway

[mariusthered]

well let me see...started drawing from about the same time as walking....sold caricatures all over the world...yer i think it's more than a phase. thats not to say i love digital art as much as oil painting but my flat is not suited conditions to do fine art.

[ble]

This post was flagged by the community and is temporarily hidden.

[borzoiteeth]

I notice that if people want to dismiss something will call it a "phase" (especially adults to teenagers) and wondered what the actual math would be behind it.

If you've been drawing since your a single digit, I'd say what you have has already been a passion, even if on a more passive scale. Deciding later that you don't want to make it into a career choice doesn't turn it into a phase. There are too many factors that are beyond one's control that can prevent someone from doing what they love.

[Jenny-Toons]

Deciding later that you don't want to make it into a career choice doesn't turn it into a phase.

Exactly this. A good number of people these days seem to think that if something's your passion, you have to turn it into a career. And it's like...that's not how that works every time.

For me, I love art. It's my passion. But it's never going to be my career. I'm just a person who likes to keep work separate from pleasure, and there's nothing wrong with that. So if you feel like it's a phase because you don't want to pursue it as a career, don't worry too much -- not everyone gets to have their passion as work.

But if it's something else and you're ready to move on, that's perfectly chill. You're not married to what you do now and feelings change over time.

[Wumbl]

Damn I been on a phase for my entire life? That's wild.

Okay but seriously if it's a phase you'll figure it out once you try to create a long term project. That stuff will test your dedication. Animated shorts, comics or even series of works...
The first comics I made were when I was about 5/6 years old on copy paper with felt tip pens.

You don't have to make it your career for it to be your passion, either. So long as you get joy from doing it, it's a passion in some measure.

Passions can be temporary as well - hyperfixation is pretty normal for neurodivergent individuals like myself and sometimes we fixate permanently and other times we can switch between interests. My interest in film and comics has been permanent in my life, but the fandoms I'm into can fluctuate and evolve. Doesn't make me any less passionate at any given time!

If you grow tired of it, that's fine! There is nothing wrong with deciding not to draw anymore or deciding to draw less. Sometimes people are just meant to throw themselves into art, and others are not necessarily destined for it in the long term. There is no shame in that.

[amortelito]

Well, "passion" comes from the lain root "pati" which means suffering or resist. Something that is your passion will be something you love but also something you suffer. It is not a continuous feel of wellness and happiness...nothing in life is like that anyway. What really matters in life is never easy or always keeps us hyped, just like love, you can work on renew that spark of interest.

So art can be your passion and the process will have a lot of phases and ups and downs. Or maybe it is not you passion and its okay! Maybe is something you like occasionally. Don't worry too much.

[punkarsenic]

everything in our life is a phase

say you were a painter, and your thing was you painted cubist horses. after a few years and some success, you cant bring yourself to paint anymore. youd rather die than look at another weird horse. youve been really interested in clay lately, maybe youll make some ceramics.... was painting just a phase? were you never a 'true' painter? or are you just evolving as an artist?

we always change and evolve, and even lifelong artists can find months or years where they Do Not Want To Make Art. i think if you have a creative curiosity and a desire to make, that will never go away, even if it takes you somewhere unexpected.

[qwerty]

There is no fundamental difference between a 'passion' and a 'phase' - a phase is just a passion that lasts for a short time, and a passion is a phase that lasts for a long time (e.g. the duration of your life).

As for how to know how long the phase/passion will last... "the best way to know the future is to create it".

Personally I was never serious about art until less than a couple years ago. I used to jump endlessly between different hobbies and get frustrated that I couldn't stick with anything (art was one of those hobbies too). When I finally started being consistent about it, it wasn't because some 'passion' just appeared and allowed me to do it. Rather, it started as just another phase, but then I was able to gradually nurture it into something more stable.

So basically I'm saying not to think of passion as some external thing that just comes and goes independently of you. It's not some magical substance that you're born with, or that you either have or don't have; it's something that you can cultivate.

[demthorshie]

You know it's your passion when it's something you don't mind doing for free almost everyday. It's kind of like a person who enjoys cooking deciding to go to Culinary school to become a chef and work at a restaurant. The one thing you never hear from a cook is that it's just a phase. It's literally a way of life and the same thing applies to artists. Some people are just born to create things.

I Illustrate story books and design graphics full time for a living but the art styles that I use for the story books and classroom designs are drastically different from the styles that I use to draw comics and design Twitch emoticons. I feel that in a way, doing this always keeps me interested in my projects and never makes me want to give up on doing the things that don't pay, such as comics.

[Next121]

Where would Looney Tunes be if it were a phase?

[TJSchongar]

Career or not, here's a kind of dark answer:

You will know art is a phase or a life-long need if you stop and your mental health declines.

I am NOT suggesting that as a way to test, but rather as a warning. I stopped writing for a LONG while, and my mental health hit rock. friggin. bottom. I didn't even think about how not writing might have been the cause, or at least the one solution I should have been trying but wasn't. I picked writing back up, though, and SO much of my anxiety has been relieved, and my depression has cycled out.

If you are a creator at your core, you HAVE to create. Keep it a hobby or make it your life - but do not stop.