Okay. Don't take any of this the wrong way, but you've been posting threads like this for a bit of time now. So i'm going to add my two cents to do what I can to help you out with two possible options:

1. TAKE A LONG, LONG BREAK.

This might seem counter-intuitive to what your friend said about getting started with your project on the spot, but sometimes you just need to completely clear your head of any ambitious projects and maybe pick up on another hobby in the meantime. If it means postponing Drachenseele for six months, a year, whatever, you need to make sure that you're not putting your eggs in one basket, which in turn, makes you ridiculously tired of anything your passionate about. Personally, I find it helps to do something else entirely out of the "arts and entertainment" arena such as fishing, sports, maybe creating a small business to gain fresh concepts about life outside of art that I can revisit later and incorporate into my works when the time is appropriate for me. I'm pretty sure that if you take some time for yourself, your audience will still be waiting for your next project, and will probably anticipate it even more.

Or

2. YOU REALLY GOT TO STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHER POPULAR WORKS, SERIOUSLY...

I get it. We all have our favorite franchises we in some form or fashion want our works to live up to. So we set the bar high (which isn't a bad thing), only realize expectation doesn't always equal reality. So here's a thought: who really cares? I see you trying to compare your works to Bionicle and Knack 3D, but why not start from the ground up and see where it takes you? Obviously you know the folks that created such works didn't get successful overnight. I'm pretty sure some of their early concepts were dumpster fire, and they had reasons for wanting to throw in the towel, but they didn't, and it worked out for the better.

If creating Drachenseele is really what you want to do, and you're willing to go the distance of making it 100%, you first need to realize that "You are not them" nor should you want to. This field is far too competitive and if you allow your mind to be overwhelmed, always checking the web to see "who did your idea better", you're not going to get anywhere. That's just what it is.There will always be someone who has your same concept, but had a little more success with it. So what? Good for them. Maybe it isn't as glorious as you wanted it to be, well don't hide it, let others be the judge of that.

And remember the famous quote “You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time”.”

This is just an idea, but you know how people draw like...fanart that is clearly secretly their OC? That they're too afraid to draw/afraid to be judged by/afraid to do poorly at drawing their OC so they draw Link but he's like...a completely different person?

So...what if you did a draft where drew a storyboard of Drachenseele but it was all Muppets? It's just a sketch anyway that no ones gonna look at it and get confused, right? And you know who they're supposed to be. Then later, when the dust settles and you feel better--just change those Kermits into your OCs.

(not saying I've never done this with my own stories, but I aaaabsolutely have. It's really freeing to work with fanart, it's sort of difficult to work with OC's sometimes because we hold our own original content to higher arty expectations. Like I follow this one artist who only draws Jack Frost and the Tooth Fairy, but they've done it for so long that now it's...very much OC wish fullfillment. They've drawn Jack Frost and the Tooth Fairy in a nightclub, a bakery, and more recently, pooping on two separate toilets. Not many people can draw their favorite romance OC's pooping on two toilets in the same bathroom while looking at eachother. And few can draw it as well as this particular artist did (it was very impressive! For so many reasons!) But you can, if it's Jack Frost.)

And like sometimes it is hard to draw when there's a lot of anxiety around a particular project. I've never had a personal project give me that much anxiety, but when I do have a hard time getting my pen to the tablet, I...stop drawing. Sometimes you need a break. Sometimes you need a break for a while from a project that may have some heebie-jeebies attached. I got a comic I started eons ago, and it broke in a nasty way--I lost like...over 2/3ds of the initial comic. It's a hot mess in it's current form because of it. I don't really think I'll ever go back to it because...that frustration comes back.

It takes time to let go of whatever we consider a "failure" (which it's not) but luckily we do more than just one project. I am very, very thankful I took those years off (It's been 5 years since). And the time I've spent away from that particular project I've spent getting much better at storytelling doing different things. When the North wind blows the right way through the trees, I'll know when I'm ready to start that project again. But it's not today.

You're gonna live a long time, and if you can't draw Drachenseele today...maybe you can do it later?

I just stream my stuff on discord art servers. Seems like a simple answer but that's just cause i don't know exactly why it helps. I just put my stuff in front of an audience and essentially i try to get stuff done so the people can always see me engaging. I've only done this recently and so far, the doubt has kinda slipped away. The hardest part is starting but even that doesn't seem to be an issue.

For so long i was sure of myself but the doubt kept me from pursuing anything. Now with the pieces there, all i need is that push to keep me going.

well i have worked at the 110% fuel before, when i was working two jobs and going to school full time. Its amazing what you can do. I know that feeling. efficiency but i think that you might just be mentally tired. take a break and come back to it. (don't take too long of a break)

i quite one job and I ended up taking about 2 weeks off to just relax, which is hard when you are in the 110% mindset. if you have your thumbnail sketches done, take a break. reward yourself. honestly, self reward goes along way. now I feel like a struggle with initiative, as i lost my other job due to the pandemic. when you break that cycle of work-work-work you feel a little.... slow. i guess. the way i deal with this is I i create a weekly list of things i want to accomplish, and mark them off. like: ink 5 pages. I will have a box for complete the whole task, and 5 smaller boxes to mark off as i go. sometimes seeing your progress motivates you to continue forward. Another thing you can try is breaking up your work flow. I find that it can be daunting to draw 25 pages, tone 25 page, and etc... at once, so i break it up. maybe i'll draw 4 pages, ink 2, and tone 1. or i just write my script all day. it really depends on how i feel, but changing up what you are doing can help too.

I'm done with putting pressure. Making something from start to finish is already more than most people achieve, so thats good enough.
If feeling too much presure, just remmember Nobody cares how much you bleed over something, put your healt first.

Definitely, cry if you feel like crying

Time to sketch then

You could also try writing a script before you start sketching. Then again, if that's not the way you work feel free to ignore my advice

As someone who started publishing online what i considered at the time as one of my magnum opus......

Remember that what becomes your masterpiece is not set in stone. You may love your current project and that`s cool, but maybe in the future you will do something even better.

When you stop seeing your current work as your "ceiling" you will stop putting unneccesary pressure on yourself.

When I feel like I'm putting too much pressure on myself I remind myself that just cause my expectations are up there. I have to remember that I got to pay my dues and work my way up so I can have the skills and experience that meets my own expectations.

Accept that you will make imperfect works. and once you do that, Embrace it! Heh! Heh! Heh! One of my mottos is too make as many mistakes as you can now so you can get it out of the way and learn faster.

I noticed that you said when drawing something that only yourself will see. Try drawing with no expectations. A doodle of nothing in perticular. The Goal: don't think about it and just have fun, doesn't have too look good (or look like anything). re connect why you enjoyed drawing in the first place. Drawing for the sake of Drawing itself.

We all want to beat the final boss, but we all have to grind to get there.

They like your stuff because you're the one who makes them. They won't be disappointed with something you give your all into

I'm glad to hear that, no need to thank me

I will tell you a secret......there is no ceiling. As long as you are willing to improve and practice, your capabilities will increase.

A trick that helped me to overcome these worries was to understand that different works appeal to different audiences. Even a genuinely amazing story will not be everyone's cup of tea.