Like many other artists, I spent a lot of time waiting for someone to care. I waited for someone to say, “Hey, you’re good at this. We could sell this. It’s good enough to make a living off. You’re a working, professional, successful artist now.”
The problem with this is that, even if it was possible, it’s highly unlikely. There will be no long days in the studio where you can work contently for 12 hours a day, everyday, funded by a kind or generous patron or your own work. If I keep waiting for that, I’ll die waiting.
Instead, I’ll move the ball down the field one yard at a time. An hour before work, a couple of hours after work, every extra frame I sketch and ink is another inch further down the field of having a completed project. And, once I’ve reached the end zone, it’s unlikely there will be a crowd waiting to cheer, there will be no celebratory victory. I might treat myself to a nice dinner, but then, I’ll just turn around and start moving the ball down the field in again, one yard at a time.