Does this feeling go away? I don't care about getting good fast, I'm just terrified I'll NEVER get to a pro level.
Sorry if this sounds silly, but I'm extremely anxious and I just need to vent somewhere. Also, I translated this from Portuguese (my native language) to English, so sorry if it sounds a bit weird or unnatural.
Hi everyone. I’m writing this in a moment of reflection and a bit of frustration. I absolutely love animation and I just can't imagine myself doing anything else for a living. I'm 18 years old, I've been animating for about 1.5 years, and I feel this immense pressure to learn how to do this right.
So far, I've relied mostly on practice and trial-and-error rather than deep theoretical study. To change that and build a solid foundation, I just bought The Animator's Survival Kit. I'm also seriously considering going to college for an animation degree. Thankfully, the financial side of it isn't an issue for my family, but that brings another heavy burden: I'm terrified of not being good enough and becoming a disappointment to my parents.
Recently, while animating, it really hit me how far away I am from my end goal. It’s not that I expect to have the skills of a senior right now. My biggest anxiety is this paralyzing doubt: will I actually EVER reach that level? It's not about the speed of my progress, but doubting the destination itself (and fearing I might waste the support I have).
I keep practicing hard every day, though maybe not in the most optimized way. I know about Ira Glass's "The Gap" concept, and it gives me some hope, but the journey still feels incredibly daunting sometimes.
What do you guys think about this? And if there are any senior animators reading this: what advice would you give to me right now?