This is a bit of a vague topic but important nonetheless, so I thought it'd be good to have a thread filled with encouraging words and approaches in what it takes to become a better artist for those days when you just want to rip your hair out. It takes practice! It takes time! Enjoy the process!
I really like these notes by Robert Ryan Cory, they deal with visual appeal, but really what he's talking about is being in it for the long haul.
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of course, Proko is a traditional painter at heart, so in contrast to the advice above, there's much advice for experimenting.