Hey yall! I took a long break from basically all art except for photography because of motivation and art block issues, especially due to orders and the sorts, but recently, I've felt compelled to pick up the manips again. And I always forget how much I truly love my art and I think that that is where I always make the mistake is trying to get it so perfect for people to enjoy that it turns into a job, and I feel overwhelmed. So, I definitely dont want to get back into shop orders yet, I am only strictly doing art that I want to do. I guess I'm just frustrated because while i JUST got back my joy with my art, I really really really want to keep it that way. Light and fun and use my art as an output for myself, but I can already feel art block coming back and inspiration and motivation slipping away. And it is super frustrating when I just got that back. Ugh.

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Also, I'm ADHD, so, like, I already know my interests and hobbys are gonna peak and then go away, or ebb/flow, but art has always stuck around for a while like, reading and horses. Well, reading has recently come back too but, still. Horses never left lol.

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And so, I guess I need life advice to avoid some sort of life crisis about my hobbies, which is such a stupid, like, complaint. I mean, I'm so blessed to be able to even have hobbies so know I just feel like I'm a whiner becuase of art of something. Oh gosh. 🤦‍♀️ Okay I'm just gonna stop there before I feel like I have to start apologizing for ths entire world 😢

You can't control what you are and aren't interested in, even if it's always been a consistent hobby. The best you can do is let it do as it does. The more irritated you become, the less and less likely it'll stay.

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But you should ALSO consider some of the things that chased the motivation away to begin with. For me, it was ANY kind of custom order, even if someone vaguely requested like. A theme or something. So now they're restricted to solely when I feel like having something particular specified. Do what you need to do, not what others tell you to do, is the ultimate end goal here.

Maybe just do some premades to sell or if you want to take orders, keep it free reign only for you creative purposes.

I completely understand where you're coming from. I have experienced the same thing with my art countless times, which is why I haven't opened another art shop and mainly do premade auctions (some custom auctions if I feel up to a "challenge"), I like the have freedom with my art, so orders get overwhelming to me.

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I agree completely with what Versailles and SCF said as well.