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21 Awkward Moments That Artists & Illustrators Recognize

People who draw are often painfully self-conscious. These moments do not help.

1. "Can I See Your Sketchbook?"

2. "Why do you buy so many sketchbooks?"

3. "Can you draw me?"

4. "Why won't you hang out with us?"

5. When you read art tutorials:

6. When another artist says things like this:

7. When you find out that a talented artist is ten years younger than you:

8. When you realize too late that you drew thumbs on the wrong side.

9. When this happens:

10. When you have a billion in-progress sketches lying around:

11. When attractive strangers approach you and you're convinced this is what they're thinking:

12. When people you barely know email you to draw flyers for them for free:

13. When people think art classes are easy:

14. When someone looks over your shoulders as you draw:

15. When fan art gets 1000x more reblogs than your non-fan art work:

16. When people find your old DeviantArt/Livejournal/Blogspot gallery:

17. When college art classmates call everything 'meta' and think using bodily fluids is still transgressive.

18. When you think about the job market at all:

19. When people actually want to buy your work:

20. When you're drunk at a party and doodle on everything you see.

21. When you're meeting your favorite artist. Or a fan meets you:

Finally: you feel weird and insane spending hundreds of hours doodling, but whenever you get discouraged, remember what Ira Glass said: