The pixel artists I've looked up to/admired the most are always the ones who engage with and are kind to smaller artists or those who have less experience. Artists like these have made the pixel community feel so welcoming!!

The artists who take what their experience and put it back into the community, who share their insight + their expertise and use it to lift other artists up are so wonderful and make me proud to be a pixel artist.

But yet, some artists still have this elitist attitude and I don't understand why? It just makes them seem cold and unapproachable. Imagine having so many years of experience and using it to leverage yourself against smaller artists instead of lifting them up?

Years of experience is very valuable, but it isn't everything. Every person progresses at a different rate. There are artists with less experience than me who can make WAY better art. I think that's so awesome!! Others take more time to build their skills and that's awesome too!

Comparing our own progress to others can be really damaging. Sometimes I look at beautiful art and wish I had the skills to make something like that too. What really makes me feel better and put things into perspective though, is when I compare my current art to my old art.

I try look at beautiful art and aspire to be just as good one day. There's no point in feeling in competition with everyone, when you can learn so much from each other instead. The only person you should compete with is yourself, and at whatever pace feels best :)