I've been doing these little sheep doodles on another site that has ponies. I was doing them for free, but a friend poked me and said I should open a shop (it would be for game currency) so I asked for a price check. A couple of people have been very rude in my thread. Saying that anyone can draw a blob or glowing line and get lots of the game currency for it. That people like me who aren't artists make REAL artists feel bad. Blah blah blah.
People who make comments like that are a combination of jealous and insecure. I create Pokemon coloring pages--I started years ago, back when there were NO official Pokemon coloring books. I have a friend who was really interested in what I was working on because she also wanted to color Pokemon. We were discussing it in front of her brother who informed me in a sneering tone that it wasn't that hard and he could do that. So my response was, "Yeah, but
will you?" I think it shocked him that I had the audacity to snap back at him. (He's very spoiled, to the point where their mother would blame my friend if he didn't eat because, even now, as an adult, he doesn't know how to make himself a peanut butter sandwich.) He doesn't like me and that's fine. I think he's a {word I shouldn't use on this site}. I've made 600+ Pokemon coloring pages so far and plan to complete the entire set. The kids at the library where I work love them.
I am currently working on pieces to sell at a big event a few towns over. I don't do custom pieces. I create what I want and if people buy them, great. But does that make me NOT an artist? Because I do something that someone else claims they can do or I don't take commissions? I don't think so. I'm an artist whether someone else likes it or not. There are lots of famous art pieces that I think are hideous and wouldn't have paid money for but they're in museums so obviously
someone out there thought they had value.
And it's been my experience that the people who are supposed to have my pieces don't always show up at the first place I show them. Sometimes it takes a few times before a piece sells. I don't take it personally. I would rather my pieces go to someone who truly enjoys them rather than selling them just to sell them. If you're only an artist to make money, it will show. But when you love what you do, the people who also love what you do will find you.
Which reminds me...I really need to remember to start taking pictures of what I create and adding them to my DA page. I haven't added anything but coloring pages since I started making resin pieces.