Hey fellow creator

Wanted to talk a bit about the whole "child prodigy" thing when it comes to art -- I don't understand it.

I actually didn't start taking art seriously whatsoever until I was like 17.
Didn't ever even touch Blender before a few months before my 18th birthday.

Now I know some of you reading this started when you were even older (and if that's you, don't worry, because it doesn't matter as I'll outline later)

-- but let me tell you:

A lot of people at that time when I started were younger & very good compared to me — in multiple areas of art, like illustration as well as 3D.

And honestly, it used to get in my head.
I'd see people who were 15, 16, 17 doing good work, and I'd think,
“Damn… am I already too late?” while I was stuck on a default cube.

But here's what's funny:

I ultimately ended up surpassing a lot of those people in my artistic pursuits.

Not because I was special, had talent, or started early,

but because I just didn’t stop.
I kept learning, kept practicing, and most importantly:

kept trying new things, and kept pushing through the dips.
Slowly, the skill gap closed.

Your age doesn't really matter — it's your commitment to long-term growth.
very few people stay on the path long enough to see what their 3-year, 5-year, or 7-year self becomes.

And that version of you?
It beats 99% of “prodigy” stories.

I actually put up a story of this on my instagram, and someone replied with something else that was really insightful:

"A problem that can occur is that those who develop a reputation of being some "childhood sensation" eventually grow up, and the attention they're used to may go away. So it's cool, but it's not a good thing to rely on long term."

So if you're starting late… or feel behind… or feel like you missed some imaginary window:

You're not too late!

--zha

IG

YouTube

1 comment

Write a comment

Why you're already a successful artist...

the shortcut to learning Blender (black friday special)

you'll figure it out.. you always do

The weird truth about progress no one tells artists…

The moment I almost quit making art (true story)

See all posts from crzyzhaa