The artist’s struggle in the modern era

They say life is a journey, not a destination.

More artists need to hear that—especially now.

I’ve been making art since I was a kid. Drawing, cartooning, folding origami, Chinese watercolor, printmaking, digital design... I’ve tried everything. But across every medium, one problem followed me like a shadow:

Impatience.

Until now.

Oil painting is the first medium that truly challenges me in a way I crave. It slows me down. Demands more of me. And somehow, I love it for that. With origami, I’d follow a step-by-step guide, fold a bird, and move on. There was no evolution—just completion.

Photography was my next love, and for a while it felt like the one. But then came Instagram.

At some point, I stopped creating to grow as an artist and started chasing the algorithm. I watched people with smartphones and trendy filters become overnight sensations. Meanwhile, I was studying composition, lighting, editing—craft. But my feed didn’t explode. I didn’t land a book deal. And slowly, I took fewer photos. My joy shrank to fit the size of my follower count.

Comparison kills art. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s like rust—it spreads if you don’t catch it.

Then I found oil painting. And it changed everything.

Studying the post-impressionists—Van Gogh, Matisse, Derain, Vlaminck—I finally understood: The artist’s path isn’t about instant success. It’s about the slow build. The body of work. The journey.

“Insta-fame” is the artistic equivalent of a one-hit wonder. Sure, you might go viral. But you won’t have a greatest hits album. You’ll be track 7 on a $3 compilation CD no one asked for.

What I want is a legacy. Not in the grand sense—but in the sense that every painting matters. Every brushstroke moves me forward. I’m not chasing likes. I’m building momentum.

That shift has made me a better artist. A more grounded one. My milestones aren’t metrics—they’re moments:

• Getting accepted into an art fair

• Selling a piece I’m proud of

• Seeing my work on a gallery wall

Those are the metrics I care about now.

There’s a video I love—The Bamboo Tree story by Les Brown. It’s about how bamboo grows underground for five years before you ever see a sprout. But all that time? It’s building strength.

Keep watering your bamboo tree.
The roots matter more than the reach.