ART IS FUN

Taking the fun pill.

music:
からっぽのおもちゃ箱 - DovaSyndrome

Earlier this year I read these articles by C. Thi Nguyen which reframed how I see art, and evidently, after I wrote this I couldn’t help but tell how much his writings had influenced my views on art. I think if you want to read more about this kind of thing, these are some great reads:

#animation

[mjaddix]

holy shit this is like god tier children's book

[nule]

Im a musician and earlier today I bombed an audition that I’ve been working towards for months. Its been the only thing I’ve really worked towards for the latter half of this year and I just watched all my hard work go up in smoke. I really didn’t feel like I could continue on this path, that maybe i was just destined for failure.

I don’t know if its a massive coincidence or an act of cosmic fate that you would upload this video today of all days, but thank you Mattias. This was exactly what I needed, and i feel a lot better now. I now realize I’m not trekking along a path; I’m climbing a tree.

[filipmokrejs]

I like monkeys. Feel free to draw more monkeys Mattias

[eterna_light]

i feel personally called out and spoken directly to
thank you mattias

[ameryaser]

I like how the red monkey is more triangler reflecting his edgy nature where the yellow monkey is rounder reflecting his innocent nature.

[joehole]

I'm stuck on a tree and cannot get down.

[josuelservin]

As my great teachers from Drawfee once said: "Delete your art!"

[pandafluffiness]

These monkeys can let go of things better than me, dang.

[HarmonicHewell]

Fuck yes. This is it. This is what it means to be an artist. This video means a huge amount to me. Thank you for making it.

[derpfestorderpderpness]

I've been having a problem with art very recently that is precisely that. When I first started, I drew art for fun. But as I improved over the years and started to think that everything about my work had to be perfect, making art became more of a chore than anything else. It wasn't until recently that I got so frustated that I couldn't replicate my past feelings that I just sat down, and just decided to draw what I wanted to draw not what I thought I should.
Your video helped a lot to cement that for me, thanks Mattias. Have a wonderful christmas for all the introspection your videos give me.

[lauramaue]

I always tell artists never to compare their work to others', but to their own work from the past. Great video!

[micalyptus]

Just broke down last night overwhelmed by the same things, struggling with adhd and my place in art, and how I feel I’ve failed to get anywhere thus far. Comparing the ease I *perceive* yellow monkey has, even if it’s not a perfect product, thinking not all monkeys are made to paint. Today this video was recommended to me. I needed this and it just showed up, cute and well spoken. Thank you.

EDIT: typo

[creditsunknown]

I extremely love two things: 1.The fact that your videos are morals for life, not just specifically art. 2. They talk about things I never see others talk about in the process of making. About the pain, the burden, and the difficulty of having fun on something that, though once brought you joy, somehow feels more of a forced labor now.

Im glad I found your videos, and I'm glad you made them. Thank you.

[ShadowMantis]

I have been both of these monkeys.

The yellow one is my childhood, and the red one is my current adulthood. After I graduated high school, I was left wondering how I was keep going as an artist. What career path I should take, what to specialize in. I needed a worthy portfolio, I needed to compete in the market. So I took learning very seriously.

But it made art making as dry as a desert. I learned things I didn’t even want to and found myself dreading the thing I loved doing.

Now I’m left with a decision. Go back to being the yellow monkey, and create art for fun with no profit in mind. Or buckle down and be the red monkey, and pursue art as a dream career - but potentially burn out my passionate flame.

I just don’t know yet.

[clementinecloudvods]

This was the major issue for me and it's something I hear over and over talking to other artists. This is a wonderful video that not only describes the problem, but the solution. I'm going to draw something fun right now, thank you Mattias.

[watercup]

As a trumpet player and a silly digital artist I really felt this in my soul

[fishflake]

i'm a writer who usually would only write a scene if i felt it was coming out perfect on the first try - if it wasn't working out exactly right, i'd give up on it and "come back to it later." of course, most of the time i never did, so i barely ever finish anything

recently i forced myself to just write through those moments. even if i felt like the dialogue was coming out stilted or the scene wasn't flowing right i made myself power through it, and now for the first time in as long as i can remember i have a full draft. it really did feel like breathing fresh air at the top of the tree.

thank you, mattias!

[kernium]

I relate a bit too much to the first monkey, I'm scared of failing even though Art... Is about failing.
You fail again and again until one day, you find something that works... And succeed!
Yet even though I know that, I can't shake off the feeling that I shouldn't fail.
I should be like the second monkey, do things for the hell of it, not caring if it's good or bad, just do it.

[chinemapictures]

My mom said if you never tell people your mistakes (in art) then they’ll never know. No one can see the mistakes YOU see in your art.

[pax]

I like the idea that you have to climb down the tree as you have to throw away what you have draw not because it's bad, but because you finished