goshh anon i'll share my tips but to be fully transparent i have to tell you upfront that i have SO many stranded wips in my collection :')) so unfortunately this is simply something everyone deals with sometimes! but here's some of my own methods and experiences anyway, i hope they can help you out somewhat 💕

for me personally, i can usually (not always!) tell i'll be happy with a piece within roughly the first 2 hours of working on it. even if i still have a long way to go to finish it, i'll notice how confident i feel about the result, or how much fun i'm having, or i'll have a very clear vision of what i'm working towards, and i'll know "oh yeah, this will be a nice one". i might still feel some hesitation when i'm almost done but that's just my perfectionism kicking in; those first few hours are really the most important and reliable tell for me.

most of my stranded wips were works where i did not have that feeling; i'd stubbornly keep working on it for hours and hours but still not be excited about it. now, sometimes when i have that feeling i still continue despite it all, and the art turns out pretty good in the end! but in those cases i'm never sure if it was worth the pain of getting there, bc i'm usually truly pretty miserable when working like that, and i know that sometimes starting over will get me right on track immediately.

i think when you're feeling stuck it's good to sit down and make an objective estimate of how much time you'd still have to spend to make the drawing look nice. how much do you need to change, what parts specifically will you need to work on, is it just about facial features looking off or are you dissatisfied with the entire color scheme, etc. really take time to have a critical look and take it all in and make a list. don't to this while you're trying to draw; try to see it as a separate exercise (maybe dont even look at it in your drawing program but simply in your picture gallery). doing it this way removes you from the equation for a bit and can help in not getting too distracted by insecurities and frustrations about your own skills. after this, you can decide whether all that work is feasible and worth it.

for example, this one time i'd been working on a jisung portrait commission for a few hours already and he really wasn't turning out the way i wanted it to. the colors looked dull and his face wasn't looking like his face and the angle wasn't satisfying. i knew i'd have to work on it for at least another 3-4 hours to turn him into something i'd be happy with. i also knew that when i work on a portrait and it goes well, it sometimes only takes me about 4 hours total. combined with the fact that i knew the hours i'd spend on the portrait i already started would be hours i'd be feeling miserable, whereas starting a new one could make me feel hopeful and excited again, i decided to drop the wip and start over, with a different ref! and i loved the result (it's the one titled "claimed", if you're curious) :)

it can be a painful choice when you have already spent a lot of time on a work, but that should be no automatic reason to then keep punishing yourself by not letting go. besides, when you start over you do have the advantage of already having tried it once before, meaning some things are bound to go more smoothly this time!! so it's never wasted time, it was simply practice.

on the other hand, sometimes i'll feel mentally very stuck on a drawing, but after some reassessment i realistically KNOW it's really 80-90% done and probably not actually looking that bad to anyone who isn't me. in that case it's not always worth it to give up, i think! sometimes taking a little break or working on another piece can help a lot already, but usually i just show the wip to my friends or my priv to get some validation and that also helps a lot :') when you can't convince yourself something is looking good but 6 friends are yelling at you that they love it, it strangely becomes a lot harder to keep looking at the drawing in a purely negative way...

but even when you decide not to give up, there will still be the matter of actually having to work on something you're not enjoying atm. there's different ways i trick myself into doing that. one is creating pressure; for example by sharing the wip with people and telling them i'm aiming to have it done by the weekend/in a few days. this way i'll have a deadline, and i might plan some moments in my calendar when i'll actively want to work on it. sometimes i'll even tell a friend i plan to work on it that night and ask them to check in on me. in that case i'm kind of treating it like work!

the other way i sometimes trick myself is to actively take away pressure and NOT treat it like work at all. in that case i'll sit at my desk while watching a fun video or hanging out on twitter, and i will subtly put my tablet on my desk as well. maybe i'll even open procreate. maybe i'll even open the canvas. this is all done in a very casual non-committal way... simply having my tablet there with the canvas open doesn't mean i need to work on it, after all!! but usually at some point after i've put everything in my field of vision like this my brain will go "oh you know, might as well work on it for a few mins now that i've got my tablet here anyway...", and then i do! and i won't try to think of having to actually Finish the drawing, i'll really just try to treat it like.. idk. like i'm knitting a scarf and i just want to add some rows. i'm not thinking about the ending, i'm just adding a bit of work to a project, and if i happen to start feeling excitement again that's lovely, but if not, then at least i'll have added onto it a bit! and it'll be less work for me next time!

in the end, we all work differently, so it really comes down to trying out what will work for you specifically, by trying different methods whenever you feel stuck. and please don't overlook the value of asking for help or validation from friends! or asking another artist friend for advice on how to make something look better! a pair of fresh eyes might be scary when you feel vulnerable about your work, but sometimes someone can help gently pinpoint a problem area and as soon as you change that you're like. oh! suddenly i feel excited to work on this again! you really don't have to do it alone, it'll only make you a better artist in the end :)

i am sadly still not someone who is able to consistently push through my mental hurdles, so even with all these methods mentioned, things don't always work out for me. but as the years continue i do feel a bit more familiar with my patterns at least, and it becomes easier and easier to estimate when it's worth it to give up on a drawing or not, or feel more at peace when something is taking me a bit longer. i'm sure you will get to that point eventually as well, if you keep at it! i'm hoping i'll continue to grow as well :) (stares at my two almost done wips that i've been intending to finish for weeks now.... i'll get to it eventually.... aghghh)

i’m really so so happy i was able to reach you with my answer!! i’ve just been through a lot of these feelings myself and honestly still regularly experience struggles, so one of the main things id like to do here is not just share my art but also share my experiences and my love with people… if i can help someone through something by simply being their safe space or listening to their struggles or letting them know they’re not alone, that truly gives my life meaning too!!! whenever someone reaches out like that i just feel so honored, and also in awe bc i know it can be hard ❤️ so thank you again, and know you’re always welcome to message me again :)

ohh what a fun question!! i have some thoughts but please take them with a grain of salt bc lets be real i Dont Know This Man even though i think about him every single day :’)))

anyway back when we only knew his chest tattoo ended in “-ed” i was like wow… imagine if it says “loved”… and part of me kind of still envisions him with more descriptive words like that all over his body you know? and “loved” would be like.. him fully accepting the fact that he is, and always will be, loved… that he is worthy of it, that it is part of him. im not saying at all this is exactly what he’d do btw but like.. something about jsng using his tats to express not just what he is passionate about but also what defines Him as a person, the qualities and things that matter to him most, to keep those with him, to resolve to always accept himself for who he is, and to express gratitude and respect for those matters.. i think that does seem very him. in my mind, anyway.

in general im not even huge on lettering in tattoos and often find it a bit corny BUT jsng gets a pass bc im soft on him and also i think there’s something poetic about him being the artist and writer he is and covering himself with words.. it would be fitting! id love to see more Out There fonts on him tho, with some wild, barely legible lettering.. like someone just took a paint brush to him and splattered a word on there. or maybe his own handwriting.. altho i dont actually see him doing that now that i think about it. i dont think he’d use his own handwriting or lyrics on his body actually. i mean what do i know, i wont be surprised if he does, but in my mind i find it easier to believe he would find using his own lyrics or handwriting both a bit too vulnerable AND a bit too arrogant, maybe? idk the exact right word to use here.. but i think he’s too modest and too particular about his own works to want to put them on his body like that.

apart from that im sooo bad at thinking of actual tattoo designs honestly.. i’ve been wanting tattoos myself for a long time too but i’m so overwhelmed with all the options that it just never happens :’) i mean i COULD see him going for ghibli tats for example, since that is one of his main returning interests and i think he would get tattoos that are at least somewhat sentimental or meaningful to him in a way? so not just for the aesthetic!! altho i bet he does really like the look.. in my mind he does feel pretty hot with them hdkdjdf like why else would he get such big ones… also he does cover up the tats when he notices them peeking out on camera but in my mind thats mostly company policy; they also give him clothes that cover him up quite a bit more but then hes just been taking off his jacket himself anyway multiple times now and i dont think hed be doing stuff like that if he Truly didnt want anyone to see. idk. thats just me being hopeful maybe.

(long essay ahead)
sorry for taking a while to reply, i have a lot of thoughts about this and i wanted to make sure i could give you a coherent answer 💕 (author’s note: i’m not sure i succeeded)

first of all congratulations on gaining an audience, i know it might feel overwhelming and a bit scary but i think it is something that you should allow yourself to be a little proud of too, if you can ❤️ bc ultimately it means you shared something you created, and people connected with it, and that’s beautiful!

on the other hand, i do completely understand the apprehension you’re feeling too. having many eyes on you, especially when it’s not a gradual change, can be a very uneasy sensation! one thing to remember is that while YOUR experience feels very different now, not that much has changed for most of your followers! you suddenly see a big number of people in your following list, your notifications look different etc, but they all simply followed one new person, to be added to the ocean of other people they were already following :) it’s all about perspective!

the thing is, if you really don’t like having this many eyes on you, no one is stopping you from starting over, or going priv and being picky about who you allow in. there’s no right or wrong way to do twitter, but there IS a way do to twitter that’s most comfortable for you, and you will know that way better than i do! but if you think this is just something you have to get used to and want to work through, i’d love to provide you some advice from my own experience ❤️

one thing that i’ve noticed is that the anxiety definitely gets less big and intimidating as you continue to grow. i know i am by no means a big account if you look at twitter outside this specific community, but still; at some point numbers just start becoming so big that they’re hard to fathom. but i remember being way more intimidated by my followers number when it was around 1500, because back then my brain was like “wow, that’s a big number but i can kind of imagine that amount of people, so every follower gained or lost is still somewhat noticeable, oh no!!!” and i would stress about it quite a bit because i felt very… Actively perceived. now that i’m nearing 10k all i can think is “oh 10k will be a nice round number! how fun” lmao 🧍‍♀️ like, it matters less now, bc i cant even begin to imagine 10k pairs of eyes on me! like that’s fake, that’s not a real number!!! these people don’t exist!! (and honestly a large amount of followers in fact probably Actually dont exist bc theyre bots or people that are no longer active or people that follow so many accounts that it hardly matters that they follow me, yknow?)

so all in all, in my experience it does get a little less directly nerve-wracking with time, partially because you’ll get used to it as well. however, i definitely still do feel perceived in a lot of ways! for example i am pretty careful with what i retweet or post (although im working on being more brave about it hdkdjf), and back when likes were visible, i often even found myself overthinking what posts i should or shouldn’t like. as more and more people saw me, my brain was trying very hard to make my presence as palatable as possible, because i was incredibly scared of upsetting people, getting judged, or unwillingly getting involved in drama. and this wasn’t entirely unprompted: i’ve had anonymous messages from people that checked who exactly i was following, what fics i had bookmarked on ao3, who i was interacting with, etc… and you can bet they had a lot of opinions about all of that too :’) it’s not always been very easy! but as time went on i kind of realized that the people who do stuff like that are just… not the people you wanna be on twitter for anyway, so it’s easier to just accept their existence and delete their messages when they bother you, because the majority of people following you genuinely will not be inspecting your every move; they’ll just be happy to see you on their timeline and then move on with their day.

i think the main thing that always kept me sane is having a nice group of friends/moots that i’m closer with. it helps me keep my focus: i dont have to think about posting art for thousands of people, i just post art for the people i care about. i truly appreciate every stranger that comments nice things on my art a lot but i try to see all of that as mostly a nice bonus, basically, not the goal. the real goal is to make my friends keysmash and yell at me in my dms 🫡 and maybe i’ll even find some new friends in the process!!

now, IDEALLY id love to make art just for me and not even with my friends in mind, but social anxiety and a low self esteem are not things i have been magically able to get rid off all at once, so i’m taking it one step at a time :’)

i also really like having my priv account where i retweet and share personal things more freely!! it’s nice to have an outlet where i dont have to think about everyone potentially seeing my every move. absolutely recommend if you don’t have one yet!

anyway apart from the general perception stuff, one important aspect of having a lot of followers when you’re an artist/creator specifically is that it honestly very likely will impact your relationship with your craft. it’s a double-edged sword! positive feedback can be motivating and boost your confidence, people might give fun suggestions and offer inspiration for your projects, the thrill of engaging in a community can give a lot of energy and drive to create and post more things. but on the other hand, it can create a lot of pressure too. when you dont manage to create anything for a while, that is in and if itself already a bit of a bummer, but knowing that (large amount here) people have seen you post stuff before but can see you not posting now can feel kind of terrifying? for example i have posted so many wips that i didnt end up finishing and i feel quite a bit of guilt about that when i think about it too long 😵‍💫 and then even when you DO post art, suddenly you’re aware of how there’s bound to be people having opinions that might not be all positive! perhaps they will zoom in and find mistakes, perhaps they will feel like your newest piece isnt showing much improvement, perhaps they hate you and will kill you with knives etc etc… now of course, realistically the amount of people wanting to do that is very low, and they Dont Matter. but it’s hard to fully believe that sometimes, so i get you 🥲 just remember that again, it’s a large number of people for you, but you are just one single blip on their radar!

but yeah for example i do absolutely feel paralyzed with fear every single time i post art and i’m not kidding. i usually ask some friends to hype me up when i finish a drawing because once it’s time to post i will suddenly literally lose the ability to see if my art looks good, if there is enough likeness, etc. it’s kind of pathetic but it happens every time, and i often end up pressing post with my eyes closed while going “euUEUEUHHEWGHG” and then i sit and wait for positive comments to come in for a few minutes and then im like “okay im calm now im so calm and cool and i never should have doubted myself” 🧍‍♀️ but the important part is that i do press post, and every time it gets a little less scary… or like, maybe it’s still scary, but i have simply accepted it as part of the whole ordeal, and feel more at peace with it. so yeah definitely know you’re not alone at all, and there’s no shame in asking for help from others ❤️

lastly i think it helps a lot to befriend or at least talk to other artists!! (obviously only befriend them if you actually like them as persons but you get what i mean) the thing is imo almost nothing is quite as healing as seeing other artists that you look up to being absolutely terrified and/or filled with self-doubt sometimes. which makes me sound like a horrible person now that i think about it bc of course i dont want them to go through that… but god is it a relatable eye-opener!! bc if they feel a lil scared or insecure, but you think they’re super cool and talented, then perhaps it’s easier to recognize the irrationality of your own insecurities! and you can exchange experiences and advice and compliments! as a bonus, i personally also tend to feel less intimidated by the skills of other artists when i befriend them. some of my friends make art that would have made me incredibly insecure about my own skills a year ago, but now that i know them and see how hard they work for it behind the scenes and know they’re also just random guys ruining their wrist and eyes and back with their horrible posture im like.. oh… maybe we are all the same… maybe comparison is the death of creativity and freedom… etc!! (ngl i am not a saint and i sometimes do still get jealous and insecure when i see other people post even now… but it is more Manageable)

and i mean also art friends are nice bc you share a passion and it’s fun and it once again keeps your head above water when you lose yourself in the ocean of people floating around you. make art friends ❣️❣️❣️ do it ❣️❣️❣️

also to further illustrate me still being very aware of being perceived; i took over two entire hours to write this reply bc i kept rereading everything to make sure i was clear enough and wouldn’t sound cringe or rude, even tho i know realistically maybe only 6 out of the 10k people following me will read this entire thing🧍‍♀️ but that awareness and insecurity is just a slowly shrinking part of my twitter experience and i find the positives worth the negatives so far!! i really do enjoy getting to know new people through my creations, i like how much i have improved the past year, i like people commenting on that improvement, i like doing commissions, i like feeling part of something, i like being able to help others when they come to me for advice, etc!! and all of that is made a lot easier by having a larger following, so i’m grateful for it 💕

i really hope reading this was of some help for you; of course i don’t know exactly what part you’re struggling with so i just kept it pretty general (not short, though. lord knows i am not good at keeping things short.) 🫡 please know you are always welcome to just dm me on twitter if you want to discuss this more specifically, or even just message me on here again if that’s a bit scary :) and please don’t actually hide far away, i’m so glad you reached out ❤️

hi there!! i have in fact made quite a lot of nsfw drawings! however it's been quite a while since the last one, so it makes sense that you haven't come across it easily... i think the last explicit one was in march of this year. i am currently working on a semi nsfw piece with a collection of jsngs tho! (i posted a wip of it a while back and if you look closely you can perhaps spot what i mean)

there's a few reasons why i've drawn less nsfw this year than the year before. one of them is that my account has grown quite a lot, and being perceived by so many eyes has made me a little more self-conscious when i post explicit stuff. it's somehow kind of scary to post dick and balls when twt shows you the exact amount of views on your posts :"))

this ties in with another reason, which is that my style is usually quite realistic, and i feel like i've been getting better at making the members look like themselves over the past years as well. i know drawing nsfw art of real people in general already crosses boundaries for many, but when i draw very realistic explicit porn based on real people i, too, feel like i might genuinely be crossing the line a bit. ideally i'd like to draw them a bit more stylized when i make explicit nsfw art, so that it feels more like the character art i'm intending it to be, i guess? but stylization is hard for me so it hasn't been happening :') i don't know if i'm explaining this very well... i also feel like i'm a lot stricter with myself than with others because i've barely ever looked at other people's nsfw art and gone "wow this is going way too far". i just overthink my own choices and creations a lot!

finally, i think another big reason is that i simply haven't been feeling very comfortable with making explicit art on a personal level this past year. i've recently had a lot of struggles with intimacy due to some past traumas coming back to haunt me, and while i still enjoy consuming nsfw art and fic, creation and sharing my own creations is a much more vulnerable process for me, and so it hasn't been as easy to do. i have made a few attempts/sketches but those have only been shared with friends so far. still, i don't think i'll never post nsfw art again! i just needed a lil break, mostly.

i hope that answers your question!! don't worry, i wasn't uncomfortable and i appreciate how polite you were :)

HI DANI <3 that's such a fun question!! although it's hard too because i'm so biased towards him that i genuinely like almost every look he's had in some way, all for different reasons...

some of them that stand out are mainly a couple rockstar era fits; the skirt over pants with the keyhole cutout crop top combo was INSANE to me, and i loved the like.. i think it was big white pants and a white cropped sweater/hoodie (??) he wore for one of those performances too, bc there's this one clip where the pants sit soooo low on his hips and the sweater rides up so high that the expanse of delicate honeyed skin between all that loose comfy white fabric made me dizzy sjkdfhdf im a simple girl !!

i also really loved the longish waves he had this year, especially combined with glasses and plaid, bc it made him look so comfy and cute!! and also kind of like a confused dad. which was very hot of him.

and then in general what i love to see on him and what i'd love to see more of is when he has heavier smokey eye makeup and either big hoops or dangly earrings, and clothing that leans more on the alternative side. it suits him so well and it also matches my personal taste in men :') now if only his tats were allowed to be more visible... we could truly have it all....

i hope that somewhat answers your question!!! sorry for not having a very definitive answer :')