What to do when your (im) not good enough? [serious]

Everyone writes quite a few books before they get "good," youknow ("good" being a very subjective term because you should only compare yourself to yourself if you're starting out). Everyone's first (and 2nd and 3rd) book is kind of the throwaway, in terms of whether it will be successful or not (and outliers who are successful at their first book are exceptions, not the rule)--and that's typically after they graduate from college and working hard. When it comes to comics, I think it takes even more attempts, because you're learning 2 skills at once.

So seeing your work as a step on a journey, and recognizing that these are the steps it takes to be much better one day is important. Try to see yourself as you in 20 years looking back and have some compassion for who you are right now--you're putting in the time, you're getting better...it doesn't happen all at once. And like...I'm saying this as someone in my 30's who looks back at myself in college when I was working my ass off but like...still wasn't there yet.

But here's the thing about not being there yet--I was getting paid work in college when I wasn't amazing at art. We spend so long trying to be the best there is, that we forget there's people that want to buy our art and read our stories at the skill levels that we're at right now. Maybe not as big an audience as the superstars--but there's someone around somewhere...so I think it's good to acknowledge what your skills are, what's appealing about what you create, and write that down so you don't forget and so you hold onto the hope for who you will be in the future.

Well if you want a direct answer from my idealistic ass perspective then I just keep writing and drawing anyways.
I write stories for myself first and if people enjoy it then that makes me happy.

Besides your first stories aren't gonna be good anyways (not trying to insult you), hell mine weren't.

Well that is kinda it for me honestly, I like to keep my answers short and sweet. I'm not good at these things but I felt like I should toss my two cents into this.

I think this depends on your goal. You said you want to tell stories. You may never be published or make money off your art or writing, but that doesn't mean you can't share your story and that there won't be people who connect with it. And as others say, no one's first novel is great. Or good. And sometimes, even when we have a story in our head, we're not ready to write it. I have at least 10 or 12 WIPs, some I've never finished, some I've gone back years later and turned into something else, and some that are sitting until I can do them justice. And I'm not a great writer. But I love writing, so I just keep plugging along.

Have you thought of trying a collaboration? Maybe you have a great story idea and great characters, something that people will love and want to hear, but maybe you need to collaborate with a more experienced writer or an artist. Or even another learner like yourself. Plus, it's just nice bouncing ideas off others and getting that constant feedback.

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You are in control of how "good" your story is, because it belongs to you, and no one else.

Societal pressures can be a hard burden to bear, but what society expects of you may not be what's right for you. What matters is doing what you want with your life, and making the most of it. If you want to create a fantastic story, then just chasing that desire is the first step to making it a reality.

Edit: Also, did the person you turned it into say why it was bad? I feel like negative feedback should be constructive. There's always room for improvement.

In my case, I have also always tried to draw and say things but its kind of hard. For a lot of time I have always of the mind that I only have to practice and some day I will be 'good enough'. But the truth is that there is not something as 'good enough' anywhere. Of course, there is people who I admire and I aspire to be like them, but as long as I just keep 'practicing' on my little room, I will be advancing, but very little because I have no one who looks at my things. So, one day, out of the blue I decided 'the hell if this is not good enough, I gonna draw the thing and gonna show it on a site on the internet, and if someone likes it, nice, if not, at least I will be practicing way more than I am doing now'... and there is where I am now. With only 14 chapters drawed (8 submitted) I know for certain that I am better than yesterday. And tomorrow I will be better than I am now. The goal is not 'get better', its the road.

Also, I decided to do this at my 37? The age is not an issue. Of course you may have responsabilities, we all have, but take your time, a deep breath and beleive in yourself. As long as you keep writting and drawing, there is always be a chance to 'get there', if you have a goal at mind, but if you just stop, then any option to 'get there' dissolves.

Try to enjoy the journey. There will be a lot of rocks, but everytime you stand up, you have learned a new trick. And if the end, you still think that you have not achieved what you tried on the beginning, feel no shame on that. You tried your best and did all you could. As long as you could say that, you will be able to look at the mirror the next day, proudly. There is no shame on stepping down, if you take the decision without presure. Only you are responsible of your hapiness.

Besides, you can always take the pencil again if you decide to try again. There is no rule that says that you have to do the things in one go.

(I'm starting to feel like we need a 'thirty-something married woman with no kids pursuing our storytelling dreams' club.)

I´m turning 46 in 2 weeks and I´m bad at everything but that´s just a question of perspective.
I´m a musician all my life and I never cared about being bad, I got an upright bass and jumped
on a stage 2 weeks after I got it. I´m a lousy musican with a wrong and primitive technique
when I compare myself to educated players, I have 1% of the needed musical knowledge and
I write primitive songs with it. I start to cry when I record songs because I put so much emotions
into it. Making people dance and sing along to one of my songs is the best feeling in the world.

One of my most favourite comic artists is Charles Schultz (Charlie Brown) and I look at his comic stips
whenever I feel not being good enough and not being able to tell a story which touches people

I totally agree with the opinions on here.

"being good enough" is not a goal you can work towards.

it'd be something like "finish writing a book"
or "get x amount of subscribers within that chapter/time frame". idk. tangible ones.

then you when you succeed or fail, you can analyse why. ... was the goal too unrealistic? what were things that went well, what did go wrong?

choosing goals that are vague like "I want to make a good story" or "I want to have a lot of subscribers" will never make you happy, since you can always say "it should be better, it should be more"

try to think of small and short-timed goals that you can complete in a forseeable future.
and some bigger but still concrete goals that you can still work towards.

another thing about age and feeling like what you made isn't on the level you want it to be ...

keep it smaller? try to go for short stories that you can complete within a few months.
having a finished thing, and then another, and then another is super satisfying. and even if one story flopps, because that is just always likely, you will have the satisfaction of completion, the growth from the experience, and you can find out what worked and what didn't and use it on your next project.

and then, when you've hit your stride, or when one of the short projects gets received very well, you could build on it and go for a longer series.

I find it really liberating to not "be stuck" with a story that just doesn't seem to work and only makes me frustrated.

... that is, if your feelings of dissatisfaction with your work are not just external through lack of outside validation (tho I wouldn't blame you either. A storyteller wants to be heard after all.)

and again, about the age.. that's nothing.

people usually don't yet manage to have their break during their twenties. that's just a time for testing limits, and trying all sorts of stuff.

there's also a chance that you only make a hit in your 40s or 50s.
experience does improve ones story telling. and even five years with classes, isn't a lot yet.
what I'm trying to say is, you still have time. sticking with it is always worth it. and you will only continue to grow. both as an artist and as a story teller.

Fellow 30+ woman here. Let go of the social standard. Let go of what others consider accomplished. Success has many forms, and every person considers success to be something else. I am happy I chose to pursue a art and writing career in my 30s, I never would have gotten that going in my 20s. It pleases me to see my fellow peers pursue whatever they choose to (and I really don't care how good we are at it, we're doing it baby!) because that is what life is about. To do what YOU want. To develop in a way that's good for you. I am a firm believer were all exactly where we need to be and will achieve greater heights.

Remember, there's already someone out there making their money being mediocre at what they're doing, so there's nothing stopping you from going far and beyond that. You may not think you're good now, and that feeling may never be there, but we will always be our harshest judge.

Good, bad, I just want to be the one with the cash.

You can always make up a discord server or something for that