Why New Artists Are Better at Art Than Skilled Artists

When you're doing something new, chances are, you are bad at it. Horrifically so. You either keep going because you enjoyed the process itself, or you get frustrated you weren't immediately good at the thing and give up. There seems to be little to no in between with how trying something new turns out.

No matter how you react to being new at something, you might be in a better spot than people who are either immediately good at something or have years of growing their skills. You might already be at your peak, and it will only get worse as you get better. How?

New Artists Learn More

This phase in your journey is where you are doing the most learning. You're starting with little to nothing, so you have this entire universe of skills that you're being introduced to and strengthening. The more of these skills you master, the less you will be actively learning. It may not be a cliff, but it definitely is a hill you're descending.

New Artists Experiment

Not only that, but this is the best time to experiment and try new things. You don't have any habits yet, and you're less afraid of "ruining" anything, as there is less to ruin. You will find what works and what doesn't without any fear simply because you're not set in your ways yet. 

Meanwhile, With Skilled Artists

Skilled artists, on the other hand? They're like stone. They might want to experiment, itching for it, but they won't. They're perfectionists, afraid of ruining their own art. They will dip their toe into something at most and proceed to shutter themselves back into the old.

They're Setting Themselves Up to a Moment of Pride

The biggest disadvantage a new artist has is that they will someday degrade to a skilled artist. Their learning and experimentation will plateau and be nothing like it was before. 

However, when they do become a skilled artist and the end product improves, they will be able to look back at their old works and see how far they have come. They may be unable to believe how they used to create or be impressed by how they create now. This special feeling is perhaps the one true advantage that skilled artists have.

Even I got that feeling. You can see an example of my own growth in this beginner-centric blog post right here: https://dextiveblog.blogspot.com/2026/01/dear-beginner-artist-on-finding-art.html

Conclusion

Art is not the end product you see. It is the journey. It is what the artist knows, what the artist doesn't know. It is every decision that the artist made, either with thorough thought or because it felt right to them at the time.

My own journey is something I have documented a few times. One of which includes how I created my fursona and why he looks the way he does. Which, if you're interested, you can read here: https://dextiveblog.blogspot.com/2025/10/how-i-created-my-fursona-fursona_30.html

But for now? Keep creating and enjoy your journey. It may be a long road, but it is an enjoyable one.

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments and follow the blog. You can also see what I have to offer on my shop and Artistree, which are linked through my profile.